We go hands-on with Xiaomi’s latest flagship!
We managed to sniff out a Mi 4 during last night’s pow-wow with Xiaomi VP for Global Hugo Barra, and like is our custom spent a couple of minutes fondling the thing. Short version is that it’s fan-freaking-tastic, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
Xiaomi Mi 4 specs
- 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor
- Adreno 330 GPU
- 3GB of RAM
- 5-inch full HD IPS display, 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 16/64GB of storage
- 13-megapixel rear camera with AF and LED flash, f1.8, real-time HDR, 4K video recording (Sony IMX214)
- 8-megapixel front camera, f1.8, 80-degree wide angle (Sony IMX219)
- WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
- 3G, LTE
- 3080mAh battery
- Android 4.4 KitKat with MIUI
Not the most original design, but still amazing to hold and look at nonetheless
The Mi 4’s design has been called unoriginal and have drawn countless comparisons to Apple’s design language. While that’s true, it doesn’t take away from the fact that the device is easy on the eyes with its elegant curves and stainless steel band on the side. The rear of the device is actually plastic, and can be swapped out and replaced with different covers that Xiaomi will sell.
The phone is rather comfortable to hold, and feels beefy in your hands. Both the power and volume buttons are on the right side, which is typical of what you’d expect from a phone this size.
Much like other flagship devices unveiled by international companies lately, the Mi 4 packs a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM and either 16/64GB of storage depending on the model. Xiaomi is also boasting that the Mi 4’s 5-inch, full HD display is capable of 84 percent NTSC color support, which is close to Adobe’s RGB standard. This results in very vibrant, detailed colors on the display.
Now, the bad news. When we asked Hugo Barra when the Mi 4 would launch in the Philippines, he couldn’t give us a firm timeframe, and said that fans can expect the device “towards the end of this year”. The good news is that you can still save up the money needed to buy this baby, which is projected to cost around 14K.