Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s Review: The New Flagship Killer?

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s Review: The New Flagship Killer?

We review Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 2s!

with Xiaomi’s official return to the Philippines, Pinoys finally get access to the Chinese company’s wide product portfolio. That includes several high-end flagship models priced at the roughly the same SRP as they’re sold in China. The newest (and best so far) is the Mi Mix 2s, a refinement of the bezel-less flagship concept that the company pioneered a few years ago. With a Snapdragon 845 processor, dual camera, a display that doesn’t have a notch plus a price that makes it the most affordable in its class, the Mi Mix 2s is poised to become the next flagship killer, especially considering the expected higher price of the OnePlus’ new flagship this year.

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S specs

  • AI-Powered Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core processor
  • Qualcomm Adreno 630 graphics unit
  • 6GB/8GB RAM
  • 5.99-inch Full HD+ IPS display, 18:9 aspect ratio
  • 64GB/128GB/256GB of non-expandable storage
  • 12-megapixel wide-angle rear  and 12-megapixel telephoto rear cameras with Sony IMX363 sensor,1.4µm pixels, 4-axis OIS, Dual Pixel AF, Portrait mode, and 2X optical zoom
  • 5-megapixel front camera
  • Dual SIM, with 4G LTE, LTE-A
  • WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC
  • Fingerprint scanner, USB Type-C port, Face Unlock, Wireless charging
  • 3400mAh battery
  • Android Oreo with MIUI 9

Build and design that’s not too different from other Mix phones that came before it

The Mi Mix 2s is fairly similar to the members of Xiaomi’s near bezel-less product line. Specifically, it uses a ceramic body with an aluminum frame, giving the device a bit of heft. It’s reassuringly solid, reflecting Xiaomi’s commitment to releasing near flawlessly put together products at a very competitive price.

The dual camera module is arranged vertically on the rear of the phone, on the upper left side – the only design nod to Apple’s iPhone X. The fingerprint scanner is located near the center. The black variant of the phone sports gold trim around the camera module and fingerprint scanner, and is made from 18K gold. Fancy.

The power and volume rocker is on the right side of the phone, while the USB Type-C port and speaker grille is on the bottom. Unfortunately there’s no 3.5mm audio jack – you’ll have to contend with an audio adapter if you want to use headphones with this thing.

So. Much. Fingerprints

While we like the overall design, take note that it’s a smudge magnet. The included case helps by giving you a matte surface to hold on but obviously it hides the gorgeous ceramic finish when you put it on.

Bezel-less design is great, and there’s no notch to contend with

While near bezel-less smartphones are fast becoming the norm in the industry, Xiaomi was one of the first companies to release a phone that had a generous screen to body ratio. The Mi Mix 2s continues this grand tradition, possessing a 5.99-inch full HD+ IPS display which accounts for most of the phone’s front.

There’s still bezels on the phone of course, but they’re ridiculously slim. There’s also no notch on the top which is a plus for some people, though the design does come with a few compromises. First, the company used a hidden earpiece, which funnels sound near the top of the screen, and a proximity sensor that worked through the display.

The company also put the selfie camera on the bottom bezel, which means you’ll have to rotate the phone to take selfies properly which presents its own problems that we’ll go into later on.

As for the quality of the display, it’s good, but not great. We’ve been spoiled by the displays of high-end flagships that had extremely punchy and vibrant displays, and while the one on the Mi Mix 2s isn’t bad, it’s nothing special either. Also worth noting is the fact that the display is just full HD+, but since most of the other budget flagships offered in the same price range sport the resolution, it’s not that big of an issue.

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