Introduction

Xiaomi wanted to expand its reach beyond its few official markets and it had to do just one thing - give up on MIUI. It all started with the Mi A1 - Xiaomi's first Android One smartphone, and now not one but two sequels are coming to replace it - Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite. Our Mi A2 review is done, so today we will be taking the Mi A2 Lite for a spin.

The Mi A2 Lite is not your regular budget smartphone - it has a high-res notched screen with slim bezels, a dual-camera on its back, a very large battery, and runs on the latest vanilla Android OS. The notched screen is probably the highlight feature of the Mi A2 Lite and while controversial, it still adds for some modern looks.

Xiaomi chose a very powerful chipset for the A2, but the Lite model is getting the A1's Snapdragon 625. It's a dated, but still capable piece of hardware and seems like a good choice for a budget offers as the Lite.

Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite specs

Body: Aluminum body, plastic antenna strips at the back.

Aluminum body, plastic antenna strips at the back. Display: 5.84" IPS LCD with a cutout, 1,080x2,280px resolution, 19:9 aspect ratio, 432ppi.

5.84" IPS LCD with a cutout, 1,080x2,280px resolution, 19:9 aspect ratio, 432ppi. Rear camera: Primary 12MP, 1.25µm pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, PDAF; Secondary 5MP, 1.12µm pixel size, f/2.2 aperture - serving as depth sensor; 1080p@30fps video with EIS.

Primary 12MP, 1.25µm pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, PDAF; Secondary 5MP, 1.12µm pixel size, f/2.2 aperture - serving as depth sensor; 1080p@30fps video with EIS. Front camera: 5MP, Auto HDR; 1080p/30fps video recording.

5MP, Auto HDR; 1080p/30fps video recording. OS: Android 8.1 Oreo (Android One)

Android 8.1 Oreo (Android One) Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625: octa-core 2.0GHz Cortex-A53 CPU, Adreno 506 GPU.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 625: octa-core 2.0GHz Cortex-A53 CPU, Adreno 506 GPU. Memory: 3/3GB of RAM; 32/64 storage; microSD slot.

3/3GB of RAM; 32/64 storage; microSD slot. Battery: 4,000mAh Li-Po (sealed);

4,000mAh Li-Po (sealed); Connectivity: Dual-SIM; LTE, microUSB; Wi-Fi a/b/g/n; GPS; Bluetooth 4.2, IR blaster.

Dual-SIM; LTE, microUSB; Wi-Fi a/b/g/n; GPS; Bluetooth 4.2, IR blaster. Misc: Rear-mounted fingerprint reader; single down-firing speaker; 3.5mm jack.

The Mi A2 Lite feature set seems like a thoughtful pick, but you can tell choices were made to keep the price low. The weakest link is probably the two-year old chipset Snapdragon 625, but still, that's not a big compromise, as it is still one fine chipset.

Of course, there is more to the Mi A2 Lite story. The smartphone was first released as Redmi 6 Pro running on MIUI in China, and as a Redmi its price is almost half the Mi A2 Lite's. But that's not as shocking though, the Redmi 6 Pro is made in China and for China after all. The Mi A2 Lite, on the other hand, has been backed by Google and should be available worldwide. And now, it's time to check it out!

Unboxing the Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite

Xiaomi packed the Mi A2 Lite within a white paper box. The retail bundle includes a microUSB cable, a 10W charger, and a transparent rubber case.

There are no headphones in the box, but it's fine for a budget smartphone. The Mi A2 Lite has a 3.5mm audio jack, which means you can use your favorite earbuds.

Special thanks to HonorBuy for providing the review unit.