Xiaomi Mi A2 Review: A capable midrange smartphone with a sleek camera

The Mi A2 offers a power-packed performance, clutter-free user interface and top-notch camera. While the Mi A1 was an all-rounder, the Mi A2 seems more of a balancing act.

 

Smartphones Review: Xiaomi has refreshed its Android One platform-based Mi A-series with the launch of the Xiaomi Mi A2. Priced at Rs 16,999, this smartphone features a new design when compared with the predecessor, along with a better hardware, upgraded camera modules and stock Google Android Oreo, which would soon be upgraded to Android Pie, according to the company.

The Xiaomi Mi A2 is a midrange smartphone which has a design language identical to the one Xiaomi introduced with the Redmi Note 5 Pro. The new phone boasts an aluminium unibody covering the back and sides, and glass on the front. The back features a vertically aligned iPhone X-inspired dual-camera module that bulges out from the body, making the phone uneven on flat surfaces like table. It also makes the glass covering the camera module more prone to scratches and smudges. Like other Xiaomi devices, the Mi A2 also sports a circular fingerprint sensor at the upper centre on the back that is easy to reach and operate.

Xiaomi Mi A2

The Mi A2 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 system-on-chip (SoC), paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Unlike the predecessor, the Mi A2 does not support storage expansion via microSD card slot. However, the phone is expected to get a 128GB internal storage variant soon with 6 GB of RAM. Coming back to the 4GB variant, the phone gets free unlimited storage on Google cloud to store photos and videos as part of Android One benefits.

On the front, there is a 20MP selfie camera that also supports AI enhancements in portrait mode for enhanced bokeh effects. The camera's performance in the Mi A2 seems to be one of the best in the midrange segment. It can even be on a par with some midrange flagships.

Read my full Review → Xiaomi Mi A2 Review

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News Source: BS

Xiaomi Mi A2 launched in India: From price to specs, all you need to know

The Xiaomi Mi A2 gets a major design overhaul in comparison to the predecessor, along with several new improvements in terms of specifications and features.

 

Technology News: Xiaomi, a Chinese mobile phone manufacturer, launched a Google Android One operating system-based Xiaomi Mi A2 smartphone in India on Wednesday, priced at Rs 16,999 for 4GB variant with 64GB internal storage model. Pre-order for the smartphone will begin at 12pm on August 9, 2018, and the first sale will be at 12pm on August 16. The 6GB variant with 128 GB internal storage model will be launched later in the market.

 

Xiaomi Mi A2 comes with a data and cashback offer from Jio. It features a familiar design that the company introduced with the launch of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro. The phone sports a bigger 5.99-inch in-plane switch (IPS) screen in a form factor almost identical to the predecessor. The screen features fullHD+ resolution that stretches in an 18:9 aspect ratio, protected by a 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 5. While most other midrange phones are moving towards all glass design, the Mi A2 retains the metallic body design of its predecessor, but now boasts more colour options.

Xiaomi Mi A2

First unveiled in Spain on July 24, the device is a successor of the Mi A1, which was the first Xiaomi smartphone to run stock Android out of the box.

In terms of specifications, the Xiaomi Mi A2 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 system-on-chip, paired with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. Being an Android One smartphone, the Mi A2 runs vanilla Android Oreo 8.1, and the company had promised to upgrade it to Android P sometime later this year. The phone also gets unlimited high-quality photos storage on Google Drive.

Mi A2 features a 12MP Sony IMX486 with f/1.75 aperture and a 20MP Sony IMX376 secondary sensor with f/1.75 aperture on the back. The front camera is a 20MP one with LED flash. The phone packs a 3,010mAh battery and the Indian variant supports Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 4.0. However, there’s no special fast-charger in the box. Finally, Mi A2 does not have a microSD slot or...continue reading

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News Source : BS

Xiaomi Redmi Y2 Review: A budget smartphone with great camera, battery life

Priced at Rs 9,999 for the base model, the Redmi Y2 is primarily a camera-centric smartphone with tried and tested processer, modern design and good battery life.

 

Technology News : The Redmi Y2, the successor to of the Redmi Y1, has got major upgrades in terms of design, technical specifications and camera. This brings the phone in line with other selfie-centric budget smartphones. However, it is the processor, 18:9 aspect ratio screen and artificial intelligence-backed camera features that make the Redmi Y2 a modern-day smartphone.

The Xiaomi Redmi Y2 promises enhanced camera performance, especially the selfie camera – thanks to AI-based semantic segmentation – and improved overall performance with a more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 system-on-chip (SoC). The Redmi Y2 seems quite an update. But can it match or exceed peers in the same segment? Let’s find out:

Redmi Y2 design

The Redmi Y2 looks identical to the Redmi Note 5 Pro, except that it has a tall and wide instance and metallic finish body. The front is dominated by a 5.99-inch 18:9 aspect ratio screen, which does not stretch from edge to edge, unlike other 18:9 aspect ratio smartphones. So, it leaves huge bezels around the screen. The screen is covered under a flat glass with no protection rating. However, it has a protruding plastic rim to reduce direct impact on the glass in the event of accidental drops.

On to the back side, the smartphone looks like a foil of the Redmi Note 5 Pro, except for its redesigned dual antenna lines, which run parallel on the top and bottom. Like the Redmi Note 5 Pro, there is a vertical dual camera unit on the back that significantly protrudes from the body. The camera bulge makes the phone go uneven on a flat surface causing scratches on the camera rim. Other than the camera, the back also gets a circular fingerprint sensor placed at the upper middle point for ease of reach and accessibility.

The phone sports a microUSB port at the bottom, for charging and data transfer, along with mono speaker and microphone placed under six-hole grills on either side. The volume rocker keys and power button are on the right, the 3.5 audio jack is on the top and the dual-SIM with dedicated microSD card slot on the right.

Redmi Y2 battery

A power-efficient processor, coupled with an HD+ resolution screen, helps the 3080 mAh battery sail through a day without any problem. Online video streaming, screen-on time and multiplayer gaming drains more battery but not so much as to pull the life under 10 hours – that is satisfactory, if not excellent.

Read the Verdict → Xiaomi Redmi Y2 Review

Xiaomi Redmi S2 leak shows Redmi Note 5 Pro-inspired design: Details here

The India-bound budget-centric smartphone is reported to sport dual rear cameras and feature face-unlock mechanism. Here are all the details you need to have for the upcoming Xiaomi smartphone.

Technology News : Touted as the Redmi S2, the budget-centric smartphone is reported to sport dual rear cameras and feature the face-unlock mechanism, according to a report by online technology-based forum XDA-developers.

Now, the phone’s purported image renders, shared by a Czech-based online publication SvetAndroida, show Redmi S2’s front and back views. Based on renders, the phone would sport a tall 18:9 aspect ratio screen on the front and dual cameras on the back, along with a fingerprint scanner. The phone’s back seems identical to the Redmi Note 5 Pro, which was launched in India on February 14. However, the dual antenna lines on top and bottom have a different design and, therefore, the phone seems to bring some design element changes too.

In terms of specifications and features, the report in XDA hinted that the Xiaomi Redmi S2 would sport an 18:9 aspect ratio screen of HD+ (1440×720) resolution. It would be powered by a Qualcomm MSM 8953 system-on-chip (SoC), which is a Snapdragon 625 processor. In terms of storage, the phone would have a 16GB variant, though other storage models are also likely, and there would be a microSD card slot for storage extension. As for memory, the phone would likely come in 2GB and 3GB RAM variants.

Talking of imaging, the phone would have a dual-camera set-up on the back, which will either have the 12-megapixel primary sensor of Sony IMX486 or OmniVision OV12A10, and the 5MP Samsung S5K5E8 as the secondary sensor. On the front, there would be a 5MP Samsung S5K5E8 sensor.

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 would have a 3,080mAh battery and boot Android Oreo 8.1 out-of-the-box.

Based on most of the specifications and features, the Xiaomi Redmi S2 seems like a mixture of the Redmi 5 and Redmi Note 5 (Redmi 5 Plus) with added dual cameras on the back. While most of the specifications, such as HD+ screen and storage and RAM variants put it in line with the Redmi 5, the Snapdragon 625 processor would give the Redmi S2 a huge boost in terms of processing power.

Read more about  → Xiaomi Redmi S2

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S launch event scheduled for March 27; here’s what to expect

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip (SoC); this was confirmed by the company’s spokesperson on social media.

Xiaomi Smartphones : Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi is gearing up to announce its next-iteration bezel-less smartphone. Dubbed the Mi Mix 2S, the all-screen smartphone is expected to be unveiled on March 27 in China.

Xiaomi has an advantage in the bezel-less smartphone segment. The company was among the first to design all-screen devices when it brought the Mi Mix. As a concept, the device had its pros and cons.

However, its all-screen design with a 6.4-inch screen covered almost the entire front.

The Mi Mix 2, the second-generation bezel-less smartphone of Xiaomi built on the blueprint of the Mi Mix concept, managed to address the grey areas of the original. However, it was also not completely all-screen device and had a small chin at the bottom to house the front camera.

But the equation might change for Xiaomi this year as the company is set to unveil the next-generation Mi Mix smartphone. Touted as the Mi Mix 2S, the smartphone is expected to be the first true bezel-less smartphone, with a small notch on top right to accommodate the front camera.

The phone would boast Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip (SoC); this was confirmed by the company spokesperson on social media.

→ Mi Mix 2S Features ←

Xiaomi unveils Android-based MIUI 9 OS with focus on performance: Know more

The upgraded MIUI 9 operating system will be available for most of the Xiaomi smartphones, including Mi 2 that was launched in 2012

 

China-based electronics maker Xiaomi on Thursday introduced the latest iteration of its Android-based operating system MIUI 9.

The new operating system promises quick app load times and blazing performance, which the company claims to be as good as that in stock Android devices such as Xiaomi Mi A1.

The beta version of the MIUI 9 OS had been opened in August this year. The final version will start rolling out to select Xiaomi devices -- Redmi Note 4, Mi Mix 2 and Mi Max 2 – starting Friday.
There is a whole lot of Xiaomi smartphones that will receive the update in the near future and the list of devices also includes 2012 flagship Mi 2 smartphone.

In terms of new features, the MIUI 9 sports a new design and comes with new system animations for icons. While there are numerous changes that the new operating system brings, the most noticeable changes are made in the following features:

The app vault feature is an addition to the MIUI. The feature keeps basic apps – those supported by the operating system – such as notes, cab, calendar etc at one place that can be accessed by swiping right on the screen. This is something similar to shelf feature that we saw in OnePlus’s Oxygen OS but with much more utilities.

The much-demanded multitasking feature for Xiaomi devices is now a part of MIUI 9. Also known as split screen, the new OS allows sharing screen with two apps at the same time.

Click to Know → Redmi Y series