This is not a rushed review and we wanted to spend as much time as we could with the device before we could come to a conclusion. I got the device almost a month ago and since then I have been using it thoroughly for my everyday usage. Whenever I see something as fascinating as the Mi Mix 2, I want to keep using it and try to find something wrong with it. Fortunately, there wasn't much wrong I could find with the Mi Mix 2. Lately, smartphone manufactures have started to make bezel-less smartphone and Xiaomi was at the forefront of it. The Chinese company launched the latest iteration of the Mix series and the company has proved that it can make a marvellous premium device. Can Xiaomi's premium device stand up against the competition? Let's find out.

Design Language

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When it comes to a premium device, Xiaomi has gone all out with the Mi Mix 2. If you want a device that looks beautiful, the buck stops here. The smartphone was designed by Philippe Starck, and we can confidently say he has made a work of art. The design of the smartphone is by far our favourite thing about the Mi Mix 2 and if you ever hold the device in your hands, you would agree too.

It has a 5.99-ich display and weighs only 185g which is remarkable given it has a ceramic and stainless steel body. The ceramic back is beautiful to look at but it is also very much prone to scratches. The sides of the smartphone are made up of aluminium so that it is easier for a user to hold the device and is sturdy at the same time.

© MensXP/Akshay Bhalla

The smartphone has a nearly bezel-less design which makes it one of the few devices that are up to date with the trend. Xiaomi also removed the 3.5mm audio jack which in our opinion is one of the biggest disadvantages you can find. However, you do get a USB Type-C to 3.5mm connector in case you want to use your favourite headset.

Xiaomi has paid great attention to detail while designing this phone and this is not evident when you notice the gold plated ring around the camera. The antenna bands are barely visible and the fingerprint sensor is placed at the perfect spot too. The device has curved edges as well so that the phone feels less slippery and looks like one sold slab of glass from afar.

In our opinion, this is one of the most beautiful smartphones of the year and give the Galaxy S8 or the Note 8 tough competition.

Display

The display is the marquee feature of this device and we feel it is also one of best IPS LCD screen we have used till date. It has a Quad HD 5.99-inch screen and has a resolution of 108X2160 pixels. Much like most bezel-less smartphones, the Mi Mix 2 also has an 18:9 aspect ratio in order to have more real estate for content.

© MensXP/Akshay Bhalla

The display may not be of the same fidelity as an AMOLED screen, but the Mi Mix 2's display can hold its own. The screen can get very bright and view from different angles is at par with the iPhone and Samsung devices.

The colours on the display are vivid and accurate while it also has the additional feature of reading mode. It essentially turns colours warmer so that it is easier for the user to read on the smartphone. When measuring the contrast ratio and increased brightness, a full white screen would give a reading of 490 cd/m² compared with 461cd/m² in standard mode. This means you can use the phone's display in the sun even when it's not cloudy.

Camera Performance

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The Mi Mix 2 has a 12-megapixel primary shooters with dual-LED flash and has an aperture of f/2. The smartphone uses a Sony IMX368 sensor that has HDR capabilities, face detection and 4-axis optical image stabilisation. For selfies, it has a 5-megapixel sensor on the bottom of the screen and can be used by rotating the smartphone. The camera app is fast and simple to use and has all the required modes for mobile photography.

Xiaomi has always lacked to deliver a smartphone with a great camera but with the Mi Mix 2, we can finally say things are changing. During the course of our review, the camera took some excellent shots with a few misses when it came to low-light photography. In natural light, the Mi Mix 2 does a great job at capturing colour and also works well with high-dynamic range shots. The optical image stabilisation also works well, we were out for a walking tour in China and I managed to capture some of the most impressive images from a Xiaomi device. Here are some sample pictures for your reference.

Performance And Battery Life

The Mi Mix 2 has an octa-core 2.45 GHz Snapdragon 835 processor and is coupled with 6GB of RAM. If you look at the specs, it is identical to the OnePlus 5 and the Galaxy S8. Snapdragon 835 is Qualcomm's fastest processor yet and it works blazingly fast with MiUI. We were able to play games and carry out daily tasks without any lag or glitches. Apps would load swiftly, UI runs smoothly, and the Mi Mix 2 can multi-task with ease.

© MensXP

© MensXp

The processor also aids in optimising battery life and we saw it work best on the Mi Mix 2. The smartphone has a 3,400 mAh battery and in one month's time, we can say the phone lasts for at least 12.5 hours on average. This includes content emails, instant messaging, daily GPS navigation, 1.5 hours on continuous on-screen time (I read comic books) and a lot of phone calls. If compared to the Galaxy S8 and the OnePlus 5, the Mi Mix 2 doesn't last as long but does the job.

The Final Say

In our honest opinion, we love the Mi Mix 2 for its designs and simplicity. It excites us and for the price, we can say it can definitely challenge the existing flagship devices. It has a stunning bezel-less design and features the top of the line processor to give it that extra boost. The smartphone retails for INR 35,999 and is Xiaomi's most expensive device ever. However, if you look at the competition, we feel it has an upper hand simply because it looks beautiful. The OnePlus 5 is its natural competitor, and the race between them is quite close. The only thing working against the Mi Mix 2 is the lack of a portrait mode and a missing headphone jack.

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Photo: © Xiaomi (Main Image)