Xiaomi Mi A3 announced as the latest Android One phone from Xiaomi

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Xiaomi has made it a habit to release Android One devices around this time of year. Last July, the company launched the Xiaomi Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite. Now, the company has announced the successor to the Mi A2, the Xiaomi Mi A3, at an event in Spain. Details of the Mi A3 cropped up suddenly over the last week and now it’s official.

Xiaomi Mi A3 XDA Forums

Xiaomi Mi A3 Specifications

Specification Xiaomi Mi A3 Display 6.088-inch, AMOLED, pentile, HD+ 1560 x 720 SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, Adreno 610 GPU RAM 4GB Storage 64/128GB, microSD card slot Battery 4030 mAh USB USB Type-C, 18W fast charging Headphone jack Yes Rear Camera Triple AI Camera: 48MP: f/1.79, 1/2″ sensor, PDAF

8MP ultra-wide-angle: 118-degrees FOV, f/2.2

2MP depth sensor Front Camera 32MP, f/2.0, 79-degrees FOV NFC No Colors Not Just Blue, Kind of Grey, More Than White Android Version Android 9 Pie (Android One)

The Xiaomi Mi A3 makes some improvements over the Mi A2, but it also takes some steps back. The display has been ever so slightly enlarged to 6.088-inches and upgraded to AMOLED. There is a small waterdrop notch as well. However, one of the downgrades is the resolution. The Mi A3 only has a pentile HD+ display, which brings us to the Xiaomi CC9e.

Xiaomi launched the CC9e earlier this month and it was rumored the Mi A3 would be the Android One version of the device. That is exactly what Xiaomi did. The Mi A3 is limited by the design of the CC9e, for better and for worse. On the plus side, the Mi A3 has a 3.5mm headphone jack while the Mi A2 did not. It also has a larger 4,030mAh battery versus the 3,000mAh battery in the Mi A2.

Back to the upgrades, the Mi A3 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665. The device is not available in as many RAM/storage configurations as the CC9e. You get 4GB of RAM and the option of 64 or 128GB of storage. One nice difference from the CC9e is that the Mi A3 has a microSD card slot (dual SIM hybrid). Also, the Mi A3 trades in the Mi A2’s rear fingerprint scanner for an in-display fingerprint sensor.

The Xiaomi Mi A3 has triple rear cameras. The main sensor is 48MP and it’s joined by an 8MP “ultra-wide-angle” lens and a 2MP depth sensor. The waterdrop notch on the front houses the 32MP front camera. The camera has AI features that can detect the photo subject matter and recommend different modes. For example, it may detect a large object and suggest you switch to the wide-angle camera.

Of course, one of the biggest differences between the Mi A3 and the Xiaomi CC9e is the software. The Mi A3 launches with Android Pie as part of the Android One program. It’s hugely different from MIUI, which is what the majority of Xiaomi phones run. The hope with the Android One program is faster updates and a cleaner UI. Android One devices are supposed to get 2 major Android platform upgrades and 3 years of monthly security patches.

Xiaomi Mi A3 Pricing & Availability

The Xiaomi Mi 3 will be available in three Google-esque colors: Kind of Grey, Not Just Blue, and More Than White. The Grey model is glossy but uniform, while the Blue model has an interesting swirl effect, and the white model looks pearly. The 64GB model is priced at €249 while the 128GB variant costs €279. On July 24th, the 64GB model is launching on mi.com, Mi Stores, Carrefour, El Corte Ingles, MediaMarkt, Movistar and Worten, and will reach Alcampo, Amazon, and FNAC in the coming weeks. The 128GB variant can be pre-ordered on mi.com and Mi Stores also on July 24th.