After weeks of hands on time with the flagship Xiaomi Mi4, it is time we write how we feel and what we have learned about the phone in the GizChina Xiaomi Mi4 Review!
The Xiaomi Mi4 is the phone which continues Xiaomi’s legacy of producing affordable Android smartphones with super specifications. It could be argued that Xiaomi kicked off the current China price wars which has seen the likes of Nubia, Meizu, Huawei and OnePlus all launch phones to complete at the 1999 Yuan price point.
For 2014 though something changed at Xiaomi, and rather than just launch a phone with higher specs than ever before, we saw the company give the new phone a modest boost in performance while most of the changes came down to build quality and materials.
Xiaomi Mi4 Review – Design
The Mi4 wasn’t just highly anticipated as it was the next in the line of Xiaomi flagships, but because many fans who weren’t willing to buy the MI3 were waiting to see what the Beijing phone maker had up their sleeves.
You see after the Xiaomi Mi2 and Mi2S, the Xiaomi Mi3 was a huge leap in performance, only to be let down by a very large body and overall ugly design. It was enough to prevent me from buying it and other have voiced their thoughts on this too.
So the Xiaomi Mi4 launched and proved that the Mi company can build a solid feeling phone while keeping specs up and price down.
Big changes we see on the Xiaomi Mi4 design over the Mi3 are much narrower screen bezels which help reduce the width of the phone, and a new stainless steel metal chassis and good quality plastics.
In your hand the Xiaomi Mi4 is a solid piece of kit, and feels a whole lot more of a premium feel than the previous Xiaomi Mi3.
Some have commented that the body of the Xiaomi Mi4, measuring 8.9mm, is too thick and looks ugly, but this isn’t really the case. The thickness of the phone is actually the same as the OnePlus One, and the rear is curved just enough for the rear of the phone to rest nicely in the palm of your hand.
As I have already mentioned the OPO, I may as well point out that the Mi4 is much more comfortablet in the hand than the OnePlus One. A narrower overall width, and tiny bezels, plus the improved materials really have raised the bar for Xiaomi.
Stainless steel is the big change for Xiaomi and they have made sure that everyone knows what chassis this phone is rocking by having sides of the phone showing the bright metal off. The very sides are a dull finish, almost like a machined alloy, while the top edge that meets the screen tapers in and are highly polished.
Although the rear of the phone is removable it isn’t made easy to pull the back off and you will need a small suction cup to grip it and snap it off. The battery is build in and the single SIM is installed via a SIM tray in the left side of the phone.
In the base we have a micro USB in the left and nicely machined speaker grill to the right.
The top has a 3.5mm headphone jack and opposite that we have an IR blaster. This is an interesting move by Xiaomi who have decided that NFC is no longer worth adding but an IR blaster is more useful. Personally I don’t use either all that much, but do see that an IR remote app is far more useful around the house.
Finally the left side is where we find the power button and volume rocker. This is exactly where I wish every phone maker would place the physical buttons. They are in reach of either your thumb or index finger (depending on which hand you use) and there is no chance of accidentally taking a screenshot while locking the screen (Meizu take note).
As already mentioned the rear of the phone is removable, but only as Xiaomi intend to release optional rear covers for the phone. The wooden options look especially interesting . The rear has the usual Mi logo and we also find a 13 mega-pixel rear camera and single LED rear flash.
The compact size of the Xiaomi Mi4 makes it a very comfortable and easy to use phone, and a perfect choice for anyone wanting a flagship device that doesn’t exceed 5-inches (this is becoming increasingly difficult).
With a build of stainless steel, Gorilla glass on the screen and quality plastic, the Mi4 is a solid phone and you certainly won’t be bending the device by sitting on it or even physically attempting to with your hands. A very solid phone!
Xioami Mi4 Review – Display
Many Mifans were hoping that Xiaomi would build a phone with either a 5.5-inch display or a 2K resolution and were a little taken back when a 5-inch 1920 x 1080 FHD display was announced.
It makes perfect sense really, the small size helps to keep the phone size down, and the high-resolution means a pixel density of 441ppi. Not only does this mean the screen is on par with other flagship phones, offering bright colours, and deep blacks but also helps to prolong battery life too.
The screen is a very bright and colourful piece of kit, something you will certainly notice when running MIUI V6 which pops off the screen.
Photos taken with the rear camera also look wonderful on the panel as do games, movies and all media in general. So yes while this isn’t the 2K 5.5-inch panel we have seen on the IUNI U3 or what some fans hoped, but it is still a terrific panel.
Gizchina News of the week
Xiaomi Mi4 Review – Under the hood
Xiaomi have always shown that they are capable of launching some of the most powerful phones on the market. The Xiaomi Mi3 spent most of last year as the benchmark all other phones would be compared too.
For the Xiaomi Mi4 we see a slight boost in performance. Qualcomm are again contracted to to provide the processor, this time a 2.5Ghz Snapdragon 801 processor, with Adreno 330 GPU and RAM has been boosted from 2GB to 3GB.
These specs are what we have seen in the OnePlus One, and the top of the range Vivo and Nubia phones, and as you would expect the performance is blistering. Gaming on that bright display is wonderful, with silky smooth animations and transitions pushed around by the proven GPU.
Benchmarks only give a small inclination of the performance of a smartphone, but as usual I have performed so of the most popular benchmarks for your reference.
Xiaomi Mi4 Benchmarks:
- Antutu: 41,041
- Antutu X: Failed to run (dev OS)
- Ice Storm Unlimited: 19,411
- Ice Storm Extreme: Maxed Out
- Quadrant: 19,711
Xiaomi Mi4 Review – Camera
Two great cameras come fitted to the Xiaomi Mi4, the most important of the two being is the 13 mega-pixel main camera which on the surface is the same as the Mi3, but this time around the aperture is a much better F1.8 for better lower light performance.
Front facing cameras are becoming more important in the smartphone market, and the sensor on the front of the Xiaomi Mi4 is an exceedingly good 8 mega-pixel shooter also with a good F1.8 aperture.
Throughout all my phone reviews you will all have noticed that the main camera on a phone is something which I really keep an eye on, and I am happy to report that the Xiaomi Mi4 does not disappoint.
Compared to other phones on the market I have been happier with the performance of the main camera on the Xiaomi Mi4 other the OnePlus One and enjoy the speed and results as much as I do on the Vivo Xshot.
The camera app on the Xiaomi Mi4 is a simple to use app with all the normal features we expect. HDR, Panorama, and selective focus are all available in the default mode and in MIUI V5 you can also switch to a ‘professional’ camera mode for more settings but this seems to have been removed from the version of MIUI V6 that I am currently using.
Xiaomi Mi4 camera samples
Xiaomi Mi4 Review – Battery life
Xiaomi set the standard for large battery sizes in flagship phones last year with the Xiaomi Mi3, and they weren’t likely to go back a step with the Mi4 and they didn’t. The Xiaomi Mi4 has a 3080mAh battery which is just a shade smaller than the OnePlus One battery, but a smaller display means equally amazing battery life.
MIUI allows you to switch the phone to different modes in the battery settings depending on if you want better performance or battery life. The balanced mode is default and is basically how everyone will use the phone on a day to day basis and that keep me going well in to the next day.
Xiaomi Mi4 Review – Connectivity
The first batch of Xiaomi Mi4 which launched came with only 3G connectivity and that’s the phone that we have on review here. The WCDMA (850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100MHz) model is the one which anyone outside of China will want to get their hands on and we can confirm it works in Europe and the UK.
Newer versions of the phone also get 4G LTE again outside of China you will want to get the FDD-LTE version. Although we haven’t tested this version of the phone we have seen evidence that it works well in the UK, Europe but U.S customers will need to know that the Mi4 only works with HSDPA networks.
Xiaomi didn’t give NFC to the Xiaomi Mi4, but they did include an IR blaster, but so far I haven’t found it to be compatible with much. Dual band WIFI 2.4/5Ghz is available on the phone for fast WIFI performance.
Xiaomi Mi4 Review – MIUI
The Xiaomi Mi4 that you will buy now from Chinese resellers will ship with MIUI V6 which is based on Android 4.4 Kitkat. MIUI is Xiaomi’s own taste of Android and is heavily influenced by iOS.
What this means is you don’t get an app draw, and the system is very simple to pick up and use straight away. All features and setting are exactly where you would expect to find them. I find MIUI a great ROM to find your way around with nothing hidden and all settings listed under the right menus.
For the phone I have been using, I have MIUI V6 which is a developer version and hasn’t all the final features added. Compared to MIUI V5 the new OS is much cleaner and simplified further still, but is even more iOS like than ever before.
MIUI has a great community around the world, and Xiaomi have already announced that they will be launching an international version of the ROM with more languages than just English and Chinese the current ROM offers.
Being a Chinese phone and due to the problems with accessing Google services in China, Xiaomi have removed the Google Play store from MIUI, but installing it yourself is extremely easy and doesn’t even require root.
Read how to install Google Play services on MIUI.
Downloading a handy Google installer from the build in Xiaomi app store brings all your Google services back to the Xiaomi Mi4 in just a few minutes. Anyone can do it.
MIUI also has it’s own theme center so you can customise the look of MIUI just how you like it, so if you are not a fan of the iOS style you can easily change it to how you want.
Xiaomi Mi4 review – MIUI V6 hands on
MIUI V6 gallery
Xiaomi Mi4 Review – any problems?
Not having space for a micro SD card is a shame but hardly a problem unique to just the Xiaomi Mi4. Customers in the US will have to carefully choose the Mi4 if they want to use it on their network and all customers will need to be aware that the phone does produce a little heat while in use.
Xiaomi Mi4 Review – Conclusion
The Xiaomi Mi4 might have disappointed a few fans when it launched and it may have gained a reputation for being an iPhone and iOS clone, but if you look at the device on it’s own merits it is a device that I would highly recommend.
Performance hasn’t been an issue for Xiaomi since the Mi2s, and the Mi4 is a stormer of a phone. The quality and craftsmanship that has gone in to this new flagship is perfect and just what Xiaomi needed to do to stay in the game.
The Mi4 in black is especially a stealthy looking smartphone and one I would certainly be happy to buy and use as my own.
The Mi4 isn’t what we had expected from Xiaomi, but what they have delivered is a flagship phone in every respect from design, build, OS and hardware!
Thanks for the review mate. Top Stuff. I hear the video capture is not great on the mi4 though, what about panorama mode? Would you say the camera is on par with the Xshot?
I enjoy using it as much as the Xshot but the Vivo wins in overall quality and the number of useful features.
If you compare the image quality of Mi4 with Meizu MX4, who will win?
Yeah, please compare, Andi.
Yup, will certainly have to do a comparison 😀
Make it a super comparison,all the phones at hand.
IUNI U3
Meizu MX4
Vivo Xshot
Xiaomi Mi4
Oneplus One
And also honor 6 with Emui3.0 -_- cause im using it 🙂
Do you know if Xiaomi is going to launch an international version of mi4, to allow FDD-LTE (4g), avaliable in Europe? I am from Spain. Thank you.
The rumors say late 2014 or early 2015.
sure, they will when it will be too late (as for Mi3 WCDMA)..
I will always believe that the mi3 had a better design than the mi4 which looks a lot like an iPhone.
I would really like to see an image test between Mi4 and Meizu MX4
mi4 has higher GPU performance while mx4 has higher CPU performance. snapdragon 801 uses quad krait chips which are basically a-15’s but highly optimized with quad adreno 330’s which are very powerful gpu’s the mx4 has octocore 4x a17’s with 4x a7’s which means higher cpu performance but the gpu is the powerVR 6200 which brings its GPU performance down.
I am talking about camera image test between Mi4 and MX4, not about CPU anf GPU.
If they Meizu optimize the camera software should be better than Mi4 I think! At they last review of Meizu Andi say that the Rom is beta and we should wait and see at the final Rom how good is it.
Actually the A17 is lower performance than the A15. It was intended to draw less power.
Asked for this twice before so trying one more time. Can you test storage performance with Androbench please. They bragged that it’s eMMC5.0 and wanna see if it actually is fast and how fast.
Ok just ran it, which score is it you want? Sequential write score is 23.33MB/s
All scores read , write for both seq and random, guess in phones sequential matters more.
23 sequential write is not bad but rather normal.
Marvell and Sandisk earlier this year announced controllers that they claim can do almost 300MV/s seq read so i keep hoping for such numbers in new devices but so far haven’t seen such speeds ,except in the icrap 6.
Andy, any news about Xiaomi dual sim phone, maybe version of Mi4 or new redmi 1s?
Nope not heard of anything yet sorry
Dude could you please make a full comparison( speed, audio, camera, battery of Meizu mx4 and xiaomi mi4. I really feel that these two are the chinese phones to beat in 2014.
I wish this phone was dual SIM!
Great review Andi thanks!
Thanks 😀
The Mi3 is a much better looking phone, this looks like an oversized Iphone 5.
But I am seriously considering selling my Nubia 7 and getting this….
Thanks for the review mate. Top Stuff. I hear the video capture is not great on the mi4 though, what about panorama mode? Would you say the camera is on par with the Xshot?
I enjoy using it as much as the Xshot but the Vivo wins in overall quality and the number of useful features.
If you compare the image quality of Mi4 with Meizu MX4, who will win?
Yeah, please compare, Andi.
Yup, will certainly have to do a comparison 😀
Make it a super comparison,all the phones at hand.
IUNI U3
Meizu MX4
Vivo Xshot
Xiaomi Mi4
Oneplus One
And also honor 6 with Emui3.0 -_- cause im using it 🙂
Before buying this phone, you should know this: the screen is not scratch proof…
The Mi4 uses Concor Corning glass, not Gorilla Glass, and this glass is somewhat shatter-proof but it does not protect against scratches.
I received this phone early September and I already have a massive scratch on the screen. If you are going to buy this phone you will need a screen protector unfortunately.
Just a side note: the phone works perfectly in Canada.
Good to know!
What carrier are u using? In Canada.
The phone works on all three trans Canada networks and their affiliates
I’m using Fido. The phone will work on all the major carriers in Canada except the small budgets ones like Wind, Mobilicity, Chatr, etc.
What network are you with and what’s your average data speed? Can you provide the model number of the phone. I really want to get this. Also where did you buy it from?
I’m with Fido and I get 8.72 Mbps upload and 1.15 Mbps download with 3G H+ connection.
I don’t know the model number, but this is just the standard WCMDA 64GB white model. I got it from ibuygou and you can purchase it here: http://www.ibuygou.com/p-xiaomi_mi4_white_smart_phone_snapdragon_801_quad_core_2_5ghz_3gb_ram_64gb_rom_5_inch_screen_13_0mp_3080mah__wcmda_version_-6209.html
Just if you purchase it be sure to get the Nillkin Nano Anti-Burst Tempered Glass screen protector available from there as well.
So the Mi4 actually includes Band 4 LTE? North American 4G support is a big knock on the Meizu MX4.
No, only 3G. But under H+ 3G connection I get 8.72 Mbps download and 1.15 Mbps upload. For me that is fast enough for music streaming, video streaming, and even online gaming on the MMORPG Avabel Online.
OK, so it’s the same as the MX4 on 3G. Both can do 850 and 1900. Rogers (Fido) also supports Band 7 (2600) LTE, which the Mi4 and MX4 can do, but no idea how that network service is set up.
For most people 3G+ is more than fast enough and in many places in America (outside of the major cities) the LTE coverage/speed is not nearly what the phone companies make it out to be.
I live in Thailand but when I am back in the US I get upwards of 10mbps download on 3G+ which is faster than some peoples home broadband connection.
Hey, which companies in the USA offer H+, and does any offer it on prepaid? If so this will be a big plus, as 3g is too slow. Also, how would i know that i am paying for H+ instead of regular 3g? Please let me know! Thanks!
Wind. Nothing from China has 1700 GHz.
Isn’t Gorilla Glass made by Corning??
Yes, both of the glasses are made by Corning, but they are not the same. Concor Corning is shatter resistant but not scratch resistant, while gorilla glass is sratch resistant but not as shatter resistant.
Ahh ok I was confused by that but thanks for clearing it up!
How is the GPS?
It works without issue when i use Google Maps.
So it’s totally scratch proof?
No, I have a scratch on my screen. The screen is shatter resistant though, so dropping it wont crack the screen as easily.
Do you know if Xiaomi is going to launch an international version of mi4, to allow FDD-LTE (4g), avaliable in Europe? I am from Spain. Thank you.
The rumors say late 2014 or early 2015.
sure, they will when it will be too late (as for Mi3 WCDMA)..
I will always believe that the mi3 had a better design than the mi4 which looks a lot like an iPhone.
I would really like to see an image test between Mi4 and Meizu MX4
mi4 has higher GPU performance while mx4 has higher CPU performance. snapdragon 801 uses quad krait chips which are basically a-15’s but highly optimized with quad adreno 330’s which are very powerful gpu’s the mx4 has octocore 4x a17’s with 4x a7’s which means higher cpu performance but the gpu is the powerVR 6200 which brings its GPU performance down.
I am talking about camera image test between Mi4 and MX4, not about CPU anf GPU.
If they Meizu optimize the camera software should be better than Mi4 I think! At they last review of Meizu Andi say that the Rom is beta and we should wait and see at the final Rom how good is it.
Actually the A17 is lower performance than the A15. It was intended to draw less power.
Andi could you please make a comparison between the mx4 and the mi4, with an emphasis on the camera performance?
Mx4 camera beats all with ease. There is youtube video comparing them.
Beats all? Did that include the Xshot?
Asked for this twice before so trying one more time. Can you test storage performance with Androbench please. They bragged that it’s eMMC5.0 and wanna see if it actually is fast and how fast.
Ok just ran it, which score is it you want? Sequential write score is 23.33MB/s
All scores read , write for both seq and random, guess in phones sequential matters more.
23 sequential write is not bad but rather normal.
Marvell and Sandisk earlier this year announced controllers that they claim can do almost 300MV/s seq read so i keep hoping for such numbers in new devices but so far haven’t seen such speeds ,except in the icrap 6.
hello.. hat is indeed a nice phone just missing the 4g… i was looking this days the honor 6 or nubia z7 mini… they looks nice too.. my biggest interest is camera.. im thinking abut huawei… any suggestion? 🙂
Andy, any news about Xiaomi dual sim phone, maybe version of Mi4 or new redmi 1s?
Nope not heard of anything yet sorry
Dude could you please make a full comparison( speed, audio, camera, battery of Meizu mx4 and xiaomi mi4. I really feel that these two are the chinese phones to beat in 2014.
I wish this phone was dual SIM!
Great review Andi thanks!
Thanks 😀
The Mi3 is a much better looking phone, this looks like an oversized Iphone 5.
But I am seriously considering selling my Nubia 7 and getting this….
After reading the review, I am thinking of getting the Mi4 now (this is bad!). The only thing now is when will it be released here in the Philippines. I heard it will be by end of this year. But that will be in limited quantities and will probably just a 16GB in White. The black one really looks great. Thanks for the review.
Why wait for the official release? Most resellers will ship to Philippines.
First, due to price and importation taxes. Will almost cost 20% or more if bought outside of the PH. And second, warranty purposes.
Ahh, the US (and sometimes in Thailand) I have never had to pay import tax. Forgot Xioami doesn’t do international warranties.
Before buying this phone, you should know this: the screen is not scratch proof…
The Mi4 uses Concor Corning glass, not Gorilla Glass, and this glass is somewhat shatter-proof but it does not protect against scratches.
I received this phone early September and I already have a massive scratch on the screen. If you are going to buy this phone you will need a screen protector unfortunately.
Just a side note: the phone works perfectly in Canada.
Good to know!
What carrier are u using? In Canada.
What network are you with and what’s your average data speed? Can you provide the model number of the phone. I really want to get this. Also where did you buy it from?
The phone works on all three trans Canada networks and their affiliates
So the Mi4 actually includes Band 4 LTE? North American 4G support is a big knock on the Meizu MX4.
I’m using Fido. The phone will work on all the major carriers in Canada except the small budgets ones like Wind, Mobilicity, Chatr, etc.
No, only 3G. But under H+ 3G connection I get 8.72 Mbps download and 1.15 Mbps upload. For me that is fast enough for music streaming, video streaming, and even online gaming on the MMORPG Avabel Online.
I’m with Fido and I get 8.72 Mbps upload and 1.15 Mbps download with 3G H+ connection.
I don’t know the model number, but this is just the standard WCMDA 64GB white model. I got it from ibuygou and you can purchase it here: http://www.ibuygou.com/p-xiaomi_mi4_white_smart_phone_snapdragon_801_quad_core_2_5ghz_3gb_ram_64gb_rom_5_inch_screen_13_0mp_3080mah__wcmda_version_-6209.html
Just if you purchase it be sure to get the Nillkin Nano Anti-Burst Tempered Glass screen protector available from there as well.
Wind. Nothing from China has 1700 GHz.
Isn’t Gorilla Glass made by Corning??
Yes, both of the glasses are made by Corning, but they are not the same. Concor Corning is shatter resistant but not scratch resistant, while gorilla glass is sratch resistant but not as shatter resistant.
OK, so it’s the same as the MX4 on 3G. Both can do 850 and 1900. Rogers (Fido) also supports Band 7 (2600) LTE, which the Mi4 and MX4 can do, but no idea how that network service is set up.
For most people 3G+ is more than fast enough and in many places in America (outside of the major cities) the LTE coverage/speed is not nearly what the phone companies make it out to be.
I live in Thailand but when I am back in the US I get upwards of 10mbps download on 3G+ which is faster than some peoples home broadband connection.
Ahh ok I was confused by that but thanks for clearing it up!
How is the GPS?
It works without issue when i use Google Maps.
Hey, which companies in the USA offer H+, and does any offer it on prepaid? If so this will be a big plus, as 3g is too slow. Also, how would i know that i am paying for H+ instead of regular 3g? Please let me know! Thanks!
So it’s totally scratch proof?
No, I have a scratch on my screen. The screen is shatter resistant though, so dropping it wont crack the screen as easily.
mi 4 or honor 6 ( not important of dual sim or single sim)? what you would pick up? and why?
Honor 6 should be easier to get + cheaper
I have seen the Mi4 for as low as $389 and the Honor 6 for as low $369 so the price difference isn’t that much.
Andi could you please make a comparison between the mx4 and the mi4, with an emphasis on the camera performance?
Mx4 camera beats all with ease. There is youtube video comparing them.
Beats all? Did that include the Xshot?
hello.. hat is indeed a nice phone just missing the 4g… i was looking this days the honor 6 or nubia z7 mini… they looks nice too.. my biggest interest is camera.. im thinking abut huawei… any suggestion? 🙂
After reading the review, I am thinking of getting the Mi4 now (this is bad!). The only thing now is when will it be released here in the Philippines. I heard it will be by end of this year. But that will be in limited quantities and will probably just a 16GB in White. The black one really looks great. Thanks for the review.
Why wait for the official release? Most resellers will ship to Philippines.
First, due to price and importation taxes. Will almost cost 20% or more if bought outside of the PH. And second, warranty purposes.
Ahh, the US (and sometimes in Thailand) I have never had to pay import tax. Forgot Xioami doesn’t do international warranties.
More decisions hmmm. Just ordered the OnePlus One after a long wait that saw the dinosaurs re-evolve . Can’t wait to try it though!!.
On a different note, i know this is out of context. I am contemplating getting a phone for a friend, My main requirements are a good overall performance, good battery life and 5″ screen. I keep going round in circles. I would really appreciate any comments.
Xiaomi Redmi 1s seems / Elephone G6/G5 / Doogee DG800 (worried about battery though)
Ohhh 150 dollars MAX 🙂
Andi? Anyone??
Honor 6
Where are you finding an Honor 6 for $150??
Ah didnt notice that. 🙂
I would go with the Redmi 1s. Good specs for a budget phone + with the addition of MIUI it will run the best out of those 3.
Thanks balcobomber25, Redmi is ahead so far- Any more?
For around $150 you can find the following phones:
Umi C1, iOcean X7, ZTE V5 Redbull, Asus Zenphone 5. All of them will have similar performance, some will be a little faster, some will have a better camera etc. But all of them are good budget phones in that price range.
After going through all the phones I think Redmi is the ONE(get it?). A close second was the ZTE V5 Redbull.
Thank you soo much balcobomber25 and you guys :).
No problem. You won’t regret getting a Xiaomi phone they have excellent build quality, excellent service and are one of the best with updates (every week there is an update). MIUI is very easy to use and highly customizable and can look like just about any version of Android or iOS you can imagine.
mi 4 or honor 6 ( not important of dual sim or single sim)? what you would pick up? and why?
Honor 6 should be easier to get + cheaper
I have seen the Mi4 for as low as $389 and the Honor 6 for as low $369 so the price difference isn’t that much.
More decisions hmmm. Just ordered the OnePlus One after a long wait that saw the dinosaurs re-evolve . Can’t wait to try it though!!.
On a different note, i know this is out of context. I am contemplating getting a phone for a friend, My main requirements are a good overall performance, good battery life and 5″ screen. I keep going round in circles. I would really appreciate any comments.
Xiaomi Redmi 1s seems / Elephone G6/G5 / Doogee DG800 (worried about battery though)
Ohhh 150 dollars MAX 🙂
Andi? Anyone??
Honor 6
Where are you finding an Honor 6 for $150??
I would go with the Redmi 1s. Good specs for a budget phone + with the addition of MIUI it will run the best out of those 3.
Ah didnt notice that. 🙂
Thanks balcobomber25, Redmi is ahead so far- Any more?
For around $150 you can find the following phones:
Umi C1, iOcean X7, ZTE V5 Redbull, Asus Zenphone 5. All of them will have similar performance, some will be a little faster, some will have a better camera etc. But all of them are good budget phones in that price range.
After going through all the phones I think Redmi is the ONE(get it?). A close second was the ZTE V5 Redbull.
Thank you soo much balcobomber25 and you guys :).
No problem. You won’t regret getting a Xiaomi phone they have excellent build quality, excellent service and are one of the best with updates (every week there is an update). MIUI is very easy to use and highly customizable and can look like just about any version of Android or iOS you can imagine.
Andi,
Are you sure about the $299 price for the Umi Zero?? Multiple retailers have it listed for as low as $229. At that price it is an interesting phone. Even OPPOMart who overcharges for everything isn’t that high.
http://www.antelife.com/umi-zero-mtk6592t-otca-core-2-0ghz-5-0-inch-fhd-ips-ogs-corning-gorilla-glass-screen-3-android-4-4-3g-smartphone-black.html
http://vifocal.com/umi-zero-smartphone-octa-core-android-4-4-os-2gb-ram-5-0-inch-fhd-screen.html
http://www.1949deal.com/umi-zero-mtk6592t-octa-core-2-0ghz-android-4-4-smartphone-2gb-ram-16gb-rom-5-0-inch-fhd-ogs-ips-screen-black.html
http://www.oppomart.com/umi-zero.html
Think you will find thats the old model? Only fhd with 6592 cpu and 5″ screen.
I was talking about the Umi Zero, posted this in the wrong comment section. But the Zero only has one model, it’s new for this year.
Andi,
Are you sure about the $299 price for the Umi Zero?? Multiple retailers have it listed for as low as $229. At that price it is an interesting phone. Even OPPOMart who overcharges for everything isn’t that high.
http://www.antelife.com/umi-zero-mtk6592t-otca-core-2-0ghz-5-0-inch-fhd-ips-ogs-corning-gorilla-glass-screen-3-android-4-4-3g-smartphone-black.html
http://vifocal.com/umi-zero-smartphone-octa-core-android-4-4-os-2gb-ram-5-0-inch-fhd-screen.html
http://www.1949deal.com/umi-zero-mtk6592t-octa-core-2-0ghz-android-4-4-smartphone-2gb-ram-16gb-rom-5-0-inch-fhd-ogs-ips-screen-black.html
http://www.oppomart.com/umi-zero.html
Think you will find thats the old model? Only fhd with 6592 cpu and 5″ screen.
I was talking about the Umi Zero, posted this in the wrong comment section. But the Zero only has one model, it’s new for this year.
Great review, thanks Andi. As more and more choices become available, I feel it’s getting harder and harder to make a decision what to buy. Obsolescence is another issue. Today’s flagships will be a whole generation behind in 6-8 months. I’m hoping a paradigm change will take place among smartphone manufacturers in the next year or so. The arms race of screen resolution and processing speed needs to slow down in favor of real-world features like unbreakable screens, extended battery life, large sensor high quality cameras (i.e. Panasonic Lumix C1), NFC-Pay options (hopefully led by Google Wallet) and the integration of more health related sensors. My guess is that within 2-5 years, we’ll be seeing smartphones with built in spectrometers (like the soon to be released SCiO) and cameras that rival the Sony RX100.
Any news about black version? I really wanted to purchase this phone but no black no deal. Im really worried its going to be the same as with MI3 64gb wcdma last time.. It was available 6 months after official introduction.. Hopefully its goind to be available soon.. Otherwise Ill need to leave the Xiaomi club.. Not happy to do that ……..
Nice extensive review. I am aiming for a purchase of a 4G/LTE version. I hope it is widely available once my Christmas bonus is in.
Great review, thanks Andi. As more and more choices become available, I feel it’s getting harder and harder to make a decision what to buy. Obsolescence is another issue. Today’s flagships will be a whole generation behind in 6-8 months. I’m hoping a paradigm change will take place among smartphone manufacturers in the next year or so. The arms race of screen resolution and processing speed needs to slow down in favor of real-world features like unbreakable screens, extended battery life, large sensor high quality cameras (i.e. Panasonic Lumix C1), NFC-Pay options (hopefully led by Google Wallet) and the integration of more health related sensors. My guess is that within 2-5 years, we’ll be seeing smartphones with built in spectrometers (like the soon to be released SCiO) and cameras that rival the Sony RX100.
Any news about black version? I really wanted to purchase this phone but no black no deal. Im really worried its going to be the same as with MI3 64gb wcdma last time.. It was available 6 months after official introduction.. Hopefully its goind to be available soon.. Otherwise Ill need to leave the Xiaomi club.. Not happy to do that ……..
Nice extensive review. I am aiming for a purchase of a 4G/LTE version. I hope it is widely available once my Christmas bonus is in.
opinions honor 6 vs mi4?
I use Honor 6. I chose it over Mi4 because i already come from using Huawei and hence the trust. Honor 6 has advantages over Mi4 of being Cat 6 LTE, Dual sim, SD card and slimmer profile + lighter.
When its comes to built quality/design and rom (EMUI3.0 vs MIUI V6) then its a “depends on the eye of the beholder” kind of thing.
Mi4 has a more powerful GPU but im not a gamer so i was fine with the underdog Kirin 920.
It would take time before you get your hands on a 64gb LTE version of Mi4. When it comes to pricing, the Mi4 lower version is being sold at price where you can get the higher version of Honor 6.
Either way hope Andi makes a mega review comparing Nubia Z7mini, Honor 6, Mi4, Vivo Xshot, Meizu MX4.
opinions honor 6 vs mi4?
I use Honor 6. I chose it over Mi4 because i already come from using Huawei and hence the trust. Honor 6 has advantages over Mi4 of being Cat 6 LTE, Dual sim, SD card and slimmer profile + lighter.
When its comes to built quality/design and rom (EMUI3.0 vs MIUI V6) then its a “depends on the eye of the beholder” kind of thing.
Mi4 has a more powerful GPU but im not a gamer so i was fine with the underdog Kirin 920.
It would take time before you get your hands on a 64gb LTE version of Mi4. When it comes to pricing, the Mi4 lower version is being sold at price where you can get the higher version of Honor 6.
Either way hope Andi makes a mega review comparing Nubia Z7mini, Honor 6, Mi4, Vivo Xshot, Meizu MX4.
It’s available in the EU/UK/USA as well, though other reseller. http://estnext.com/store/index.php/xiaomi-mi4.html Works properly, I tested.
It’s available in the EU/UK/USA as well, though other reseller. http://estnext.com/store/index.php/xiaomi-mi4.html Works properly, I tested.
Would this phone work in Sweden?
It should work on 3g in Sweden.
Would this phone work in Sweden?
It should work on 3g in Sweden.
Still too big. Also the fixed battery is a deal-breaker for me. You’ll have to pry my trusty old Mi2 from my cold, dead hands!
which phone are you using now? I find it hard to get a good phone with removeable batt in 2017
Still too big. Also the fixed battery is a deal-breaker for me. You’ll have to pry my trusty old Mi2 from my cold, dead hands!
which phone are you using now? I find it hard to get a good phone with removeable batt in 2017
Something that is never in the reviews for the Mi4, and I find quite important, is the amount of available internal memory. I don’t know if its MIUI v6 or just the Mi4, but all the internal storage is available!!
I mean, for the 64GB version, the whole memory (except for the part used for the system wich are some gigs) is available, so you have more than 60GB for apps, pics, music, movies… all together. How cool is that? No internal USB partition anymore, no moving apps from the internal storage anymore.
After having some time with my friend’s Mi4, I found that most of the tings that I don’t like from MIUI rom (and I love MIUI, my phone is a Mi2S in fact) are getting even more pressence in the V6 so it helped my decision of trying something new. But all that available storage is just pushing me back to Xiaomi…
Still trying to decide.
Something that is never in the reviews for the Mi4, and I find quite important, is the amount of available internal memory. I don’t know if its MIUI v6 or just the Mi4, but all the internal storage is available!!
I mean, for the 64GB version, the whole memory (except for the part used for the system wich are some gigs) is available, so you have more than 60GB for apps, pics, music, movies… all together. How cool is that? No internal USB partition anymore, no moving apps from the internal storage anymore.
After having some time with my friend’s Mi4, I found that most of the tings that I don’t like from MIUI rom (and I love MIUI, my phone is a Mi2S in fact) are getting even more pressence in the V6 so it helped my decision of trying something new. But all that available storage is just pushing me back to Xiaomi…
Still trying to decide.
Which has the best camera: IUNI U3, Vivo Xshot, or Xiaomi Mi4? Is there another phone with a better camera?
Xshot for sure.
Which has the best camera: IUNI U3, Vivo Xshot, or Xiaomi Mi4? Is there another phone with a better camera?
Xshot for sure.
I bought it from http://www.teknistore.com , is a good and serious reseller! Mi4 is top device, very wonderfull design and features, i advise it to all
I bought it from http://www.teknistore.com , is a good and serious reseller! Mi4 is top device, very wonderfull design and features, i advise it to all
can i use MI4 in UK with O2 internet ?
can i use MI4 in UK with O2 internet ?
Received my phone in Brisbane Australia last week. Quality product. Works on all Aussie networks.
Received my phone in Brisbane Australia last week. Quality product. Works on all Aussie networks.
am in confuse to buy mi3 r mi4….. help me to buy with have better in camera features
am in confuse to buy mi3 r mi4….. help me to buy with have better in camera features
does this phone work on t-mobile in the usa? what about the honor 6? thanks in advance!
does this work in the usa with t-mobile? what about the honor 6? thanks in advance!
does this phone work on t-mobile in the usa? what about the honor 6? thanks in advance!
does this work in the usa with t-mobile? what about the honor 6? thanks in advance!
Xiaomi Mi 4i Now Available In Open Sale, No Registration Required
Check Out Here – http://dotiny.com/9lw4zg
Xiaomi Mi 4i Now Available In Open Sale, No Registration Required
Check Out Here – http://dotiny.com/9lw4zg