Apart from that oddly placed front camera, the Mi Mix 2 has looks, power and the user experience that no other phone at this price can offer.

We have seen some fascinating smartphone innovations in the past one year, but if there's one evolution that became a head-turner, it would be the original Mi Mix. When the Mi Mix was launched, it was said to be a 'concept' from Xiaomi which started off the bezelless trend across OEMs. It was the moment when the name Xiaomi crossed many untouched borders, and the industry perceived a capable name rising from China.

Xiaomi with Mi Mix made it clear that the company has the potential to stand up against big names. Looking at the huge demand from Xiaomi fans, the company reworked on the original Mix and returned with the new Mi Mix 2, which is more refined, logical and a favourable implementation of the bezelless concept.

Since the Mi Mix, we have seen a handful of smartphones thinning down the bezels and maximising the screen to body ratio. From Samsung Galaxy S8, LG G6, Essential phone to the new iPhone X, all phones have arrived with their best possible implementation of minimal bezel design. Since there are so many existing options in the market, it's now a little tricky for the Mi Mix 2 to make a mark like its predecessor without having the perk of being one of a kind smartphone.

The Mi Mix 2 is Xiaomi's chance to put itself firmly back on the flagship smartphone segment in India after the Mi 5, but has it succeeded? Lets find out.

Rs 35,999 for 6GB and 128GB variant

On sale October 17 in India via Mi.com and Flipkart

As expected, this Xiaomi phone unlike its siblings sits at a higher price range. The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 is priced at Rs 35,999, which will put it face to face against the likes of OnePlus 5 and the recently launched Nokia 8 in terms of cost.

The Mi Mix 2 will be available at special preview sale for Mi Fans on October 17 at 12 Noon on Mi.com and Flipkart.

Following this, the phone will go on sale across Mi.com, Flipkart, Mi Home stores and on all offline partners during the first week of November at a 0 percent interest EMI scheme.

Design

Ceramic back, metal on the edges and Gorilla Glass 4 on front

Stunning finish on the ceramic back is scratchproof

Back is fragile and attracts fingerprints

Xiaomi's latest is the second flagship smartphone after Mi 6 that the company has launched this year, hence they are betting big on this. When it comes to design the Mix 2 leaves nothing left to be desired if you have an eye for beauty. Designed by Philippe Starck, the Mix 2 is one fine piece of art that looks and feels premium right from the moment you hold it for the first time.

Although the design is strikingly similar to the original Mi Mix, having a 5.99-inch display in place of huge 6.4-inch makes the Mix 2 shorter by 7mm, narrower by 6.4mm and at 7.7mm it is 0.2 mm thinner. Also, it weighs 185g, which is around 24g lighter than the original Mix without compromising the sturdy feel of the device.

The new Mix 2 has a ceramic and aluminum body instead of a stainless steel like the original Mix. Still, there's both pros and cons of having a ceramic back, as it looks good and can't be scratched easily but it is very fragile and catches fingerprints. While the back is made up of shiny ceramic, the sides this time are made up of aluminum to give it a better grip and render sturdiness. On the front it has Corning Gorilla Glass 4 for protection.

If you are buying this phone for looks, it's highly possible that you wont prefer having a cover over the back but Xiaomi bundles a back cover that looks sleek and has a super-snug fit.

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As already mentioned, the phone leaves no space for bezels except for the chin, where it has the front camera baked in the right corner. Xiaomi did not go the Apple or Essential way by putting the notch to place the front camera on top of the display. Xiaomi didn't just got rid of bezels but this time it does not come with a 3.5mm audio jack. But thankfully you'll get a USB Type-C to 3.5mm connector inside the box. On top of the display, you'll see another fine piece of designing in the earpiece which peeps out of a tiny cut-out in the middle of the glass.

The beauty exists in small details like the gold ring around the camera and the discreetly placed antennae bands on the top and bottom. The SIM slot is on the left and whereas the right edge has the volume rocker and power/lock key. Fingerprint sensor is placed at an optimal position companied by company’s iconic branding that says ‘MIX designed by Xiaomi’ in gold color.

The phone is slippery but that shiny look and in-hand feel is the dominant appeal of the design. It has subtle curves on the sides that dismisses the edgy feel on the phone. It feels like a solid glass slab that weighs even at both top and bottom.

Display

5.99-inch FHD display

Edge to edge FHD

18:9 Aspect ratio

The defining feature of the Mi Mix 2 is its front that's covered mostly by a huge display. In spite of having a QHD display, Xiaomi sticks with a 5.99-inch full HD+ display with 1080 x 2160p resolution maybe to balance out the battery consumption. Following on from the current smartphone trend, the Mix 2 also brings along the 18:9 aspect ratio with rounder corners.

If you have complains about not having a QHD panel then I must assure you that the display looks quite good. The IPS display slightly softens the punch to retain it’s eye-pleasing viewing experience. The screen brightness is somewhat like LG displays that offers the perfect balance of brightness and colors. If you compare it with AMOLED display phones like S8 or OnePlus, it is a little less saturated. The colour profile is further changeable in the settings menu with a dedicated reading mode included for minimise blue light emission to enhance reading.

Color reproduction is on point, if you are one of them who like vivid colors then you can always tweak it from the settings but don’t expect it to get anywhere near Galaxy S8’s Super AMOLED. Using it in outdoors is not a problem as it adjusts the brightness to a readable limit in almost no time.

Still if you are on a hunt for the best display, then you might like the Galaxy S8 more than this one. But on a phone with such immersive front panel, the display does not disappoint either. It works great for reading, watching video content or even for using GPS. During my experience, there was a moment when I was just exceptionally impressed while using maps, browsing websites, and obviously multimedia experience is stunning too. Also, the viewing angles of the display are really impressive even in well lit conditions.