Mobile phone xiaomi mi3. Xiaomi MI3: a role model or an ordinary Chinese phone? The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Xiaomi continues to delight enthusiasts with its products. At the beginning of last year we got acquainted with Xiaomi Mi2, and literally a few months later Xiaomi Mi2S was released. Both models provide the user with the powerful quad-core Qualcomm platform in a compact package, which is quite rare. In addition, they boast standard MIUI firmware and good battery life. Don't forget about high quality manufacturing of smartphones, as well as attractive prices. However, the disadvantages for domestic users are difficulties in purchasing and lack of standard support for the Russian language. Considering the interest in these devices, both of these issues are quite solvable today.

Trying not to scatter your resources over a wide model range, the company does not release new products very often. But at the end of last year, it introduced a long-awaited update - Xiaomi Mi3. The device boasts the Qualcomm platform latest generation and 5″ Full HD screen. The device uses MIUI firmware and there is no memory card slot. The smartphone has a fairly compact monolithic body, which is also a difference from its predecessors. These changes bring the solution closer to products from other manufacturers on the market, so competition promises to be strong. On the other hand, on the manufacturer’s side there is a positive user experience and good story. Let's see what else interesting features has a new item.

Characteristics

The Mi3 smartphone is significantly different from previous models in the series. If you could say about Mi2 and Mi2S “a compact device with powerful platform”, then the new product already has a 5″ screen, which changes the positioning of the device. The hardware, of course, has also changed and is quite consistent with modern top models from other companies. By the way, it’s interesting that the weight of the new product is almost the same as the Mi2S.

The device in the tested modification for WCDMA 3G networks is based on the Qualcomm Snapdagon 800 platform (8274AB chip), has 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of flash memory (total disk size - 13.4 GB, available to the user out of the box - 12.6 GB). Unfortunately, there is no support for memory cards. So, if necessary, it is worth looking at a modification with built-in memory of 64 GB.

The screen has dimensions of approximately 62×110 mm, which corresponds to 5″, a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels (440 ppi) and a capacitive sensor with support for up to ten touches. The device supports GSM/2G (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) and 3G (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz) networks with maximum speed data transfer 42 Mbit/s (DC-HSPA+). There is one slot for a Mini SIM card. Traditional Micro-USB is used for charging and connecting to a PC. It is compatible with OTG (including drives, mice, keyboards and other equipment) and MHL.

The device has a built-in wireless adapter with declared support for 802.11a/b/g/n/ac networks, Bluetooth 4.0 controller and FM radio. GPS and Glonass systems are supported for determining coordinates.

The main camera has a 13 megapixel sensor with autofocus and dual LED flash. Front - as usual 2.1 megapixels. Both cameras are capable of recording Full HD video.

This time we used a monolithic body and a non-removable battery, the capacity of which is 3050 mAh.

Xiaomi Mi3 smartphone specifications

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, Krait 400, 2.3 GHz, quad core
• GPU Adreno 330
• operating room Android system 4.3
• Touch display LCD TFT IPS, 5″, 1920×1080, capacitive, multi-touch
• RAM 2 GB
• Inner memory 16 or 64 GB
• Communication 2G GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz, 3G WCDMA 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
• Data transmission GPRS, EDGE, HSPA+, DC-HSPA+
• Bluetooth 4.0, HID support
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4/5 GHz, WLAN Direct, WLAN Display
• Micro-USB with MHL and OTG
• NFC enabled Android Beam
• GPS, AGPS, Glonass, gyroscope, compass, accelerometer, pressure sensor, temperature sensor
• FM radio
• Cameras: 13 MP (autofocus, LED flash) and 2 MP
• Non-replaceable 3050 mAh lithium-ion battery
• Dimensions 144×74×8.3 mm
• Weight 142 g

The device in question has become noticeably closer to top models from other manufacturers. It’s difficult to talk about it as a compact, high-performance smartphone. The competition for the device, if it is necessary to require a similar platform, consists of models such as LG G2, Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE+ and Sony Xperia Z1. On the other hand, if we also consider smartphones with MediaTek, the list will grow by an order of magnitude. The question of cost is quite complicated, since, as we said above, the device is not officially supplied to our market. In our opinion, based on the totality of characteristics this model It is more correct to compare with the first group of products from top brands than with numerous solutions from lesser-known manufacturers.

	Xiaomi Mi3	Xiaomi Mi2S	LG G2	Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE+	Sony Xperia Z1
Screen	5″, IPS	4.3″, IPS	5.2″, IPS	5″, Super AMOLED	5″, ASV?
Permission	1920×1080, 440 ppi	1280×720, 342 ppi	1920×1080, 424 ppi	1920×1080, 440 ppi	1920×1080, 440 ppi
SoC		Qualcomm Snapdragon 600, 4 cores, Krait 300, 1.7 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, 4 cores, Krait 400, 2.3 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, 4 cores, Krait 400, 2.3 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, 4 cores, Krait 400, 2.2 GHz
RAM	2 GB	2 GB	2 GB	2 GB	2 GB
Flash memory	16/64 GB	16/32 GB	16/32 GB	16 GB	16 GB
Memory card support	No	No	No	There is	There is
operating system	Google Android 4.3	Google Android 4.1	Google Android 4.2	Google Android 4.2	Google Android 4.2
4G/LTE	No	No	There is	There is	There is
SIM format	Mini-SIM	Mini-SIM	Micro-SIM	Micro-SIM	Micro-SIM
Battery	non-removable, 3050 mAh	removable, 2000 mAh	non-removable, 3000 mAh	removable, 2600 mAh	non-removable, 3000 mAh
Cameras		rear 8/13 MP, front 2 MP	rear 13 MP, front 2 MP	rear 13 MP, front 2 MP	rear 21 MP, front 2 MP
Dimensions	144×74×8.3 mm, 142 g	126×62×10 mm, 143 g	139×71×8.9 mm, 143 g	137×70×7.9 mm, 130 g	144×74×8.5 mm, 170 g
Average price (Ya.Market)	T-10632786 T-10632967	T-10383671 T-10383906	T-10505130 T-10459740	T-10703893	T-10491965
Offers (Ya.Market)	L-10632786-10

Equipment

The smartphone comes in a flat cardboard box, but large in projection, made of cardboard familiar from past tests. Note that, despite the Chinese origin of the device, domestic potential buyers have something to read about it.

In particular, you can check the amount of flash memory and supported standards and frequencies cellular networks. We also pay attention to the thick and strong outer walls of the package.

The package includes a miniature Charger with a USB output (5 V, 1 A, in our copy - with an American plug), a Micro-USB cable, a key for the SIM card compartment and a couple of leaflets on Chinese. It is suggested that you purchase headphones yourself. Let us mention that the manufacturer offers several of its own models.

Appearance and ease of use

Smartphones with 5″ screens today straddle the line between practical phone-like devices and models with larger screens designed to function as mini-tablets. And therefore, it is difficult to give an unambiguous assessment of “convenient - not convenient,” since it depends solely on the user and the usage scenarios he requires. Xiaomi Mi3, unlike its predecessors, is designed in a candy bar format.

Dimensions (144x74x8.3 mm) and weight (142 g) combine very well. For a model with a five-inch screen, they can be considered good. The chosen form is quite interesting and stylish, so you can even call the design original. The main body is made of plastic and painted with matte silver paint. Perhaps it is the surface of the case that causes the greatest criticism upon closer acquaintance.

Photos cannot convey this, but it seems that the smartphone is cheaper than one might imagine. However, this “does not affect the speed” and the perception of this moment is of course individual. But if it were metal or a slightly different material, then perhaps the impression would be different.

The front side is traditionally covered with glass. Around it there is an almost invisible glossy black plastic insert. A silver manufacturer's logo is placed in the upper left corner. A little to the right of it there are light and proximity sensors, in the center there is a narrow slot for the earpiece, followed by a front camera window and a multi-color notification LED.

The black frames around the screen are a little more than fifteen millimeters high and about four millimeters wide, if you count on the glass. Touch buttons controls are in the usual place under the screen. The duration of the automatically turned on backlight can be adjusted or even turned off completely. True, the signatures are practically invisible without it.

Thanks to the rounded sides, the device is held comfortably and securely in the hand. WITH right side There are volume control and unlock buttons. They are made of metal and fit very comfortably under the thumb of the right hand. There are no comments on their work.

But the short ends of the smartphone body are flat. This, in particular, simplified the design of the SIM card compartment, which is located on top. It is implemented in a familiar tray format, which can be opened with a special key or paperclip, and is designed to accept standard Mini-SIMs. Next to it you can see a small grille for an additional microphone, and in the other corner there is a headset jack.

Below we see a grille, behind one half of which the external speaker is hidden, and behind the second is the main microphone. In the left corner there is a Micro-USB connector for charging and connecting to a PC. It is strange that in this model the plug does not fully fit into the connector.

In the left top corner At the back there is a block of the main camera, a dual LED flash and a small hole of unknown purpose, possibly connected to an additional microphone. At the bottom of the back panel there is another logo and some technical icons.

The smartphone makes a very good impression with the combination of its main external characteristics - screen and body sizes, weight and shape. The only remark concerns the coating of the case, which seemed not very compatible with the level of the other elements.

Screen

One of the most significant differences between the new product and its predecessors is the use of a Full HD screen with a 5″ diagonal. Apparently the manufacturer decided that the time had come for this format. So given the platform, new model will be able to claim a place among the most modern devices. Touch screen supports up to 10 simultaneous touches and has a special mode that makes it easier to work with gloves.

Detailed examination using measuring instruments conducted by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. You can read an expert opinion on this screen below.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, there is an effective anti-glare filter, which in terms of reducing the brightness of the reflection is no worse than that of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph (converted to grayscale for ease of comparison), in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off (Nexus 7 on the left, Xiaomi Mi3 on the right, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of Xiaomi Mi3 is quite a bit lighter. The ghosting of reflected objects in the Xiaomi Mi3 screen is very weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS - One Glass Solution type screen). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, all other things being equal, such screens look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, even better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a lower speed than with regular glass.

When manually controlling the brightness and displaying the white field in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 450 cd/m², the minimum was 3 cd/m². The maximum brightness is high, which means, taking into account the effective anti-glare filter, readability even on a sunny day outdoors should be at a good level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. In stock automatic adjustment brightness by the light sensor (located to the left of the front speaker slot). IN automatic mode When external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider. If it is 100%, then in complete darkness the automatic brightness adjustment function reduces the brightness to 138 cd/m² (not excessively bright, but it could have been lower), in an office illuminated by artificial light (about 400 lux) the brightness rises to 344 cd/ m² (a bit too much), in a very bright environment (corresponding to the lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) is set to 460 cd/m² (which is what is needed). Brightness slider at 50% - the values ​​are as follows: 12, 190 and 460 cd/m² (in principle, acceptable values), at 0% - 3, 28 and 460 cd/m² (the logic is clear). In general, the operation of the automatic brightness adjustment function does not cause any special complaints. There is some modulation of the backlight, but its amplitude is relatively small, and the spectral maximum is approximately 40 kHz, so the flickering of the screen cannot be visually seen, and the presence of such modulation cannot in any way affect the comfort of working with this device.

This smartphone uses an IPS matrix. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen and without inverting shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which identical images are displayed on the screens of Xiaomi Mi3 and Nexus 7, with the screen brightness initially set to approximately 200 cd/m². There is a white field perpendicular to the screens:

We note some unevenness in the brightness and color tone of the white field (when photographing, the color balance is forced to 6500 K). And a test picture:

Color reproduction is good and colors are rich on both screens. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens, but the contrast at an angle in the case of Xiaomi Mi3 has noticeably decreased due to a significant increase in black levels. And a white field:

The brightness at an angle of the screens decreased (at least six times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but in the case of Xiaomi Mi3 the drop in brightness is slightly greater. When deviated diagonally, the black field brightens greatly and acquires a purple or yellowish tint. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same for the screens!):

And from another angle:

When viewed from a perpendicular perspective, the uniformity of the black field is good, but not perfect, since in a couple of places along the edge the black color is slightly brightened:

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high - about 745:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 19 ms (10 ms on + 9 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 30.5 ms. A gamma curve constructed using 32 points did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. Approximating indicator power function is equal to 2.18, which is close to the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve deviates somewhat from the power-law dependence:

Color gamut is almost equal to sRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix filters moderately mix the components with each other:

As a result, visually the colors have a natural saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is close to the standard 6500 K, although the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is slightly more than 10, which is considered not a very good indicator even for a consumer device. However, color temperature and ΔE change little from hue to hue - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

IN this device You can change the color balance by choosing one of two saturation profiles and one of three color temperature profiles:

The graphs above show additional data obtained for the profiles Warm And Cool. It can be seen that they change the image in accordance with the names: when you select the first, the picture becomes “warmer”, when you select the second, it becomes “cooler”. However, in both cases, ΔE rather increases, and the color temperature for the default profile is generally closer to the standard. Below are two screenshots, the top one was taken when selecting a profile Standard for saturation, lower for profile Brilliant:

Visually there are almost no differences, only if you really want to you can convince yourself that in the bottom photo ( Brilliant) the colors are a little brighter.

To summarize: the screen has a high maximum brightness and an effective anti-glare filter, so the smartphone can be used outdoors without any problems, even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. It is also possible to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works more or less adequately. The advantages of the screen include a very good oleophobic coating, no flicker or air gap in the layers of the screen, good uniformity of the black field, equal to sRGB color gamut and good color balance. The main disadvantage is the low stability of black to gaze deviation from perpendicular to the screen plane. However, overall the screen quality is high.

Sound

The main speaker of the smartphone is located on the bottom end, so it will not be blocked when placing the device on a table, but in games you can cover it with your hand. The maximum volume level can be rated as average. We expected a little more from smartphones of this size. In terms of quality, we have seen better frequency response - the advantage is given to the mid frequencies, so music recordings They don't sound very interesting on this device. In addition, at high volumes, complex compositions lose detail.

There is no headset included, but the manufacturer offers several of its own options as additional options. Check with Apple model showed that in this case the headphones, microphone and central button work. The HTC version turned out to be more functional; in addition to this list, navigation also worked in it. Note that in the settings it is possible to reassign functions from navigation to volume control. The sound in the headphones is transmitted noticeably more accurately than the main speaker. An equalizer function is also available for headphones, and for branded models there are three original presets.

In the smartphone options there is an item about a noise reduction system for conversations. However, we did not notice its impact in this scenario, nor did we notice the effect of additional microphones. The main one has standard sensitivity, there are no comments on the transmission of speech. A more detailed check showed that the grille on the top of the case is also a microphone, which is used in some programs (for example, Hangouts), but the user cannot influence the choice, and in Skype almost nothing was heard, especially during video calls. The voice speaker seemed a little quiet.

Camera

The smartphone is equipped with a 13 MP main camera (4208×3120 pixels), which has a dual LED flash and autofocus. Additional front-camera boasts only 2.1 megapixels (1920×1080 pixels). Moreover, both cameras are capable of shooting video up to Full HD inclusive. The flash can be used as a backlight when shooting video.

The standard program for working with cameras has two interface options - simplified and complete. The main window contains buttons for controlling the flash, changing the camera, switching to video shooting mode, accessing the recording gallery, a shutter button and a menu.

When simple option, the latter suggests fast access to some functions, in particular HDR and panorama. Switching to full mode will allow you to control exposure, white balance and other photography parameters. In the program settings, you can select the frame size and format, quality, coordinate recording, turn off the shutter sound, and assign shooting or zoom functions to the volume buttons.

Examples of photographs are given below.

	Overall sharpness is good.
	The text is well processed and practically undamaged.
	Noise in the shadows is almost unnoticeable, but the noise reduction works quite hard.
	In low light, the camera copes relatively well.
	The field and plane sharpness is quite good.
	The camera is quite noisy in the shadows, but the noise reduction cleverly hides this at the cost of loss of detail.
	The camera does macro well.
	Another example of good macro.
	In HDR mode, the camera not only expands dynamic range, but also improves sharpness and color saturation.
	In most cases, flash works well in low or no light.

	Lighting ≈3200 lux. The camera does a good job.
	Lighting ≈1400 lux. The situation is changing little, even problems with white balance remain.
	Lighting ≈130 lux. The work of the noise reduction becomes noticeable.
	Lighting ≈130 lux, flash. The flash improves the situation, but the picture does not reach the original resolution.
	Lighting<1 люкс. В темноте камера не справляется.
	Lighting<1 люкс, вспышка. В темноте со вспышкой автобаланс белого работает лучше. Вспышка по-прежнему работает неплохо.

The camera may well claim to be a flagship camera. She has no significant shortcomings. The optics work well and do not block the edges of the frame. The Sony Exmor matrix is ​​supported by good software. Of course, the work of the noise reduction is a little rough, but the noise itself is practically invisible. Sharping in the pictures is very difficult to find, but the pictures are quite sharp, which already puts the smartphone camera at a fairly high level. It cannot be said that the camera resolves small details well in medium and long shots, but, in any case, they do not merge into a shapeless mess.

If the camera copes well in low light, then in low light everything is much worse. Although strong noise in the shadows is handled very competently, details inevitably suffer.

A camera of this level can already be compared with the camera of the Samsung Galaxy S5. Of course, in many respects it does not live up to the Korean flagship, and in general it does a worse job, but, nevertheless, it demonstrates a very decent result.

The camera turned out to be very decent and is suitable for both artistic and documentary photography.

In the simple mode of working with video, the user can enable Fast Motion and filters. Behind the first is filming at a modified tempo, the resulting file has a 720p30 format and is five times shorter in duration than in the usual case. It's strange that in the full version it was called Slow. You can also change the frame resolution, white balance and some other parameters. For video, MP4 format and AAC codec are selected, with three settings for the main camera corresponding to the following parameters: 1920×1080 ≈30 fps AVC [email protected] 15 Mbps, 1280×720 ≈30 fps AVC [email protected] 8 Mbit/s, 720×480 ≈30 fps AVC [email protected] 2 Mbit/s. Sound in all cases is AAC LC, 96 Kbps, two channels. In reality, only the main microphone is used to record sound in videos (and therefore the sound is monophonic). The internal camera has similar parameters, only the frame rate is halved, to 15 fps.

An example of a video from the main camera in Full HD is available here (≈58 MB). The video recording cannot be called good. There are noticeable ripples in the video, and the focus jumps around objects quite chaotically, although the sharpness during video shooting is not bad.

Software

One of the key features of the model is the use of MIUI firmware. Today, this project is without a doubt one of the most interesting and convenient alternative options for Android smartphones. MIUI version JXDCNBA8.0 was used to write this article. By the time the tests were completed, the manufacturer released update 9.0, but information about the changes could not be found.

The disadvantage of the device in question is the lack of input support in Russian in the standard firmware version (the issue of complete localization for the target audience is less significant). However, enthusiasts have already developed fully Russified versions. In addition, thanks to the flexibility of the operating system, you can simply add a Russian keyboard.

Another feature of the firmware is the lack of built-in Google services, including the Google Play Market. But, as with the Russian language, this problem is easily solved.

There is no particular point in talking about MIUI in detail in this article, so we will only briefly describe some of the differences from standard Android that are implemented in the device in question.

When you turn it on for the first time or after a reset, the smartphone prompts you to select an interface language (English or Chinese), connect to a wireless network, set up a Xiaomi account, set traffic restrictions and other parameters. From the lock screen, you can quickly access dialing, messages, or the camera. The power button menu also contains options to reboot, enable airplane mode, and turn off sound signals.

The MIUI interface involves placing links to all installed programs directly on the desktop. For convenience, you can use the ability to organize them into groups. A total of 20 icons fit on the screen, and at the bottom of the window you can place up to five icons, inclusive, for the most frequently used applications.

You can diversify the appearance using widgets. The basic set includes traditional switches, clock, contacts, calendar, mail, search, music, images and others.

By swiping down the top status bar, you can quickly access various interface and feature switches. System notifications are also displayed here and it is possible to control some of the programs, such as a music player.

The standard firmware contains programs, the purpose of most of which is clear from the name: Camera, Gallery, Music, Settings, Market (MIUI's own store), Clock, Recorder, FM Radio, Torch, Calculator, Compass, Transfer, Security, Calendar, Notes, Weather , Mail, Video, Explorer, Updater, Backup, Password, SIM Toolkit, utilities for servicing Xiaomi services and some Chinese programs whose interface does not have an English version.

One of the most interesting built-in utilities is Security. This multifunctional program has several functions: cleaning and optimizing the system, monitoring Internet traffic consumption, a blacklist for calls and messages, monitoring battery consumption and managing energy saving modes, antivirus, and a permission control system for applications.

Transfer is used to exchange documents, including photos and videos, using Wi-Fi, which provides fairly high speeds.

The standard Explorer file manager allows you to perform all basic operations with documents on the built-in storage device. In addition, it can act as an FTP server, allowing you to easily share documents with a PC or other devices. It also has support for Windows networking, which allows you to work with network drives and other devices.

Like most modern smartphone manufacturers, Xiaomi is improving the firmware of already released models. You can find out about the availability of an update and install it through the Updater program. From it you can reboot the phone into MI-Recovery, which will provide options for cleaning the smartphone and installing updates in the update.zip format.

The Backup program is useful for creating and restoring system and user data, including settings, applications and accounts.

The Password utility can be used for several tasks: setting a password to unlock the device, enabling a special guest mode where messages, calls and other personal information will be hidden, and also adding selected applications to the list of protected ones so that a password is required to launch them.

Search provides search on your smartphone and data from some standard applications. The flashlight can be quickly turned on from the lock screen by long pressing the home button. Notes allow you to insert photos and can be synchronized with the Mi Cloud service. The branded email client supports Exchange, Gmail and custom POP3/IMAP server settings.

Recorder performs the function of a voice recorder. It is also possible to record a telephone conversation. True, the quality in the second case is not very high.

Among the smartphone settings, the following are of interest: support for working with gloves, locking the smartphone if it is put in a pocket, separate volume control for different sources, detailed settings for notifications, do not disturb mode, changing the type of battery indicator, displaying the current data transfer speed, managing energy consumption modes , assigning additional actions for buttons, setting up the indicator light, setting up headset control buttons, special “in the car” mode.

Telephone and communications

The module for working with cellular networks is quite standard. It supports domestic 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks. The smartphone prefers third-generation networks and confidently maintains communication in them. There are no comments regarding the operation of voice communication and Internet access. The data transfer speed depends mainly on the provider and the load on its base stations. In testing, we noted performance levels of 8 Mbit/s per reception.

The range of supported Bluetooth services is quite familiar - file sharing, audio transmission, player control and others. The speed of transferring files to the smartphone was lower than usual - about 80 KB/s. And in the opposite direction it was at a good level - more than 150 KB/s.

The model specifications indicate support for wireless networks 802.11a/b/g/n/ac in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. Of course, the opportunity to work in the second range can only be welcomed. Testing together with the Asus RT-AC66U router made it possible to verify that when operating at 2.4 GHz, the smartphone is capable of connecting at speeds of up to 72 Mbit/s and showing real connection performance of 30-40 Mbit/s in this mode. Switching to 5 GHz allowed for connections up to 150 Mbps and transfer speeds of 60-80 Mbps. So there are certain doubts about the actual operation of 802.11ac with the current firmware version. However, most users today still work with 802.11n. One should not rule out the incompatibility of the smartphone with the router used for the test. Note that at 5 GHz the device can work with both channels 36/40/44/48 and 149/153/157/161.

We also tested the wireless display function. In Android devices it is implemented using the Miracast protocol. The receiver was a Netgear adapter. The results are similar to previous tests. This type of connection can be used to demonstrate presentations, photos, desktop and applications, and watch videos. The system has too high latency to implement game scenarios, and the quality of the transmitted image does not correspond to Full HD.

The navigation unit supports GPS and Glonass systems. There are no comments about his work. Speed ​​and accuracy of determining coordinates at altitude.

The FM radio can receive signals from strong stations even without connecting headphones as an antenna. Supports auto search, direct frequency input, storing a list of favorite stations, outputting sound to headphones or an external speaker, recording audio files and a sleep timer.

The NFC adapter supports the Android Beam standard for exchanging information with compatible smartphones. However, there is no special program for working with tags included in the kit.

Performance

We have already seen the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 platform in several top models. In terms of performance, it represents perhaps the best option for smartphones today. So, for comparison in the tables, we used the indicators of only two competitors that we tested earlier - LG G2 on a similar platform and TCL Idol X+ on the eight-core MediaTek MT6592 platform. Of greater interest, in our opinion, is a comparison of the different operating modes of the Xiaomi Mi3 itself. Like previously reviewed devices from this manufacturer, it has a performance-autonomy setting.

Its three positions are responsible for the selection of algorithms for the operation of the processor core frequency control system. In High Performance mode they operate at frequencies up to 2.3 GHz inclusive, Balance apparently implements a less aggressive mode, and Battery saving limits the maximum frequency to about 1 GHz. Moreover, in all cases, when there is no load, the system can operate on one core and a minimum frequency of 300 MHz.

The first group of tests shows that Xiaomi Mi3 not only has a fast platform, but also effectively realizes its potential, outperforming its competitors. At the same time, the “economy” mode, as expected, is approximately two times slower than the high-performance one.

Note that in the AnTuTu Benchmark X test the numbers are similar to the main version of the benchmark, so there is no talk of “optimization” for AnTuTu in this case.

We had no doubts about the excellent performance of the model in question in graphics tests. 3DMark, introduced seemingly quite recently, copes with speed assessment only in the most difficult subtest.

The Epic Citadel delivers the best results in all configurations and only using the Eco mode reduces its performance in the highest quality mode. Although here they remain high enough for comfortable play.

Our performance testing concludes with a section with benchmarks for the Web browser. Let us remind you that we use Google Chrome to run them.

It is worth noting that during prolonged heavy load (for example, playing Dungeon Hunter 4) in performance modes, the upper part of the smartphone noticeably heats up, and on both sides at once. Holding it in your hands becomes not very comfortable. So, given the speed of the platform, it may be worth using the Balance mode on an ongoing basis, since it is not easy to find significant advantages from the full-speed mode in practice.

The speed of working with flash memory when connected via USB is 20-25 MB/s, which is a good result for this version of the interface.

Playing video

Few people have any doubt that the Qualcomm platform installed in a smartphone will not have any difficulties when playing video in modern popular formats. Even videos with a resolution of 4096×2160 pixels and 1080p50 with a profile were subject to it [email protected].

So our standard plate with rollers from the method looks perfect.

We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone (although the first one was announced), so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Method for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p) and 1920 by 1080 (1080p) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 frames/ With). In tests we used the standard video player. The test results are summarized in the table:

Fine No Fine No Fine No Fine No

Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes Green ratings are given, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with playback of the corresponding files.

According to the frame output criterion, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is high, since frames (or groups of frames) can be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p), the image of the video file itself is displayed one-on-one, exactly along the edge of the screen and in true Full HD resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - in the shadows, only a couple of shades are indistinguishable in brightness from black, but in the highlights all gradations of shades are displayed.

Battery life

Unlike its predecessors, the new product has a non-removable battery with a capacity of 3050 mAh. A standard charger with a current of 1 A completely restores it in 2 hours 30 minutes. There is no point in using a power supply with a high current; the test showed that the time is not reduced.

Like the previously reviewed Xiaomi devices, Mi3 provides control over processor operating modes, which allows you to reduce the often excessive core frequencies and increase battery life. In testing, we only tested the Balance and Battery Saving options, since High Performance is not relevant for our scenarios. Screen brightness was set at 100 cd/m². Note that, despite the fairly even discharge graphs, the repeatability of the results is not very good, and reading in the economical mode even turned out to be shorter than in the balanced mode. Unfortunately, it was not possible to determine the reason for this behavior of the smartphone.

In a gaming scenario, using the Battery Saving setting allows you to get an extra hour, or if converted into percentages, increase battery life by 20%, which is quite good, considering that this choice will only affect the speed in the case of very complex 3D projects. Reading, as expected, responded less to the mode change, since in this scenario there is practically no load on the processor and it operates very rarely at maximum frequencies. The lag behind the LG G2 in reading and watching videos is not easy to explain. Considering the speed indicators given above, perhaps in this case it is a matter of differences in the settings of the processor core management system, the Android version, or even the chip revision. In addition, one should not discount the use of proprietary original technologies for its battery. The opponent on the MediaTek platform is able to show comparable results only in the reading scenario.

Prices

The issue of the cost of devices that are not officially presented on the local market is quite complex. Judging by the few offers in Moscow at the time of writing, then for a model with 16 GB of memory you should focus on the figure of 17,000 rubles, and with 64 GB - 20,000 rubles. On foreign Internet sites, smartphones are asking $400 or more. A formal recalculation of the prices indicated on the manufacturer’s website for the Chinese market gives 12,000 and 15,000 rubles for models with 16 and 64 GB of memory, respectively (without intermediaries and delivery).

If you include a 5″-5.2″ Full HD screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600/800 platform and a cost of up to 20,000 rubles, then the interesting competitors will include the above-mentioned LG G2, Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE+, Sony Xperia Z1. They will soon be joined by the Sony Xperia Z2 and ZTE Nubia Z5S. Moreover, the former are very widely represented in retail today. When choosing between them, you should pay attention to the presence of a memory card slot, housing design, and 4G/LTE support. Xiaomi Mi3 does not have a clear advantage, but it looks very worthy on this list.

Bottom line

The new high-end model from Xiaomi is definitely a success. First of all, it is worth noting that Xiaomi Mi3 uses the most powerful Qualcomm platform to date. Although, as we have repeatedly said, from a practical point of view, its power will be needed in very rare cases. Fortunately, the manufacturer has provided for the “translation of gigahertz into hours” by implementing in the device a control algorithm for selecting the frequency of the platform, which can significantly increase the battery life of the device under medium and high load. In general, the device corresponds to the modern level in this parameter, although it does not break records (unlike speed). It is also worth noting that the smartphone has a high-quality 5″ Full HD screen, a good camera, dual-band Wi-Fi, NFC and a perfectly working navigation unit. Comments may include a limited choice of flash memory capacity and lack of support for memory cards. Let us also mention the not very clear situation with the implementation of MHL and 802.11ac.

The second key feature is the use of interesting and practical MIUI as standard firmware. True, domestic users will have to resolve the issue with the Russian language on their own, but this is relatively easy.

From the point of view of the case design, the model can be called original. Refusal of a removable battery allowed us to create a thin, convenient and stylish case. Although the base material used and its coating did not seem very up to the level of a smartphone.

The ambiguous situation with the cost of a smartphone significantly increases the difficulty of choosing in this segment. On the local market there are quite good models from well-known manufacturers competing with it and it will be very difficult to decide. In any case, Xiaomi Mi3 will clearly be of interest to a certain category of users for whom cores and gigahertz are not just a line in the device description, but truly sought-after characteristics.

In conclusion, we invite you to watch our video review Xiaomi smartphone Mi3.

In China, the Xiaomi brand is associated with high-quality technology, and is known throughout the world as a manufacturer capable of selling a couple of hundred thousand smartphones in a few minutes. At one time, our editorial office has already visited the models Xiaomi Mi2a and Xiaomi Red Rice. This time we will look at a new product based on the Nvidia Tegra 4 system-on-chip – Xiaomi Mi3. The smartphone received a 5-inch Full HD screen, a 3050 mAh battery and learned to shoot in RAW format.

From the lock screen you can go to messages, calls, camera, desktop or notification panel. The desktop contains shortcuts to installed applications and widgets. There is no separate list. To view the latest running applications, you need to hold down the home key; you can immediately block applications so that they are not unloaded when clearing the memory, or delete all current ones. To go to the menu with widgets, pinch gesture. Folders are created by dragging shortcuts onto each other or from the widget row.

The notification panel allows you to customize the arrangement of elements, its appearance, and the ability to call it from the lock screen. The settings menu consists of two tabs, one contains abbreviated settings, the second contains complete ones.

Hardware platform

Xiaomi Mi3 is the first smartphone based on the Nvidia Tegra 4 chip to come to our editorial office. The system-on-chip includes four Cortex-A15 cores with a frequency of 1.8 GHz, a companion core for working with simple tasks, a 72-core graphics accelerator, 2 GB of RAM and 16 or 64 GB of permanent memory. You can expand the memory using Flash drives connected via a USB OTG adapter.

The performance of the new generation of Nvidia chips in some applications reaches a threefold increase compared to Nvidia Tegra 3. As benchmarks show, there are no impossible tasks for Tegra 4, although it does not reach the level of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800.

The video player pleases with support for all popular video and audio codecs. If the sound volume is not enough, you can increase it by clicking on the penultimate item with hieroglyphs. Even lower is a similar line with the familiar 3D designation - controversial functionality; it’s unlikely that anyone will want to watch 3D video from a five-inch screen, although it’s not superfluous when connecting a smartphone to a TV. The sound quality and volume when using headphones is excellent, there is nothing to complain about. This statement is also true for the music player. It is also endowed with good functionality, although not all of its functions are easy to find. For example, to find an equalizer, you need to delve into the jungle of settings, and to get there, you need to click on a small icon, the appearance of which does not fit in with the sound settings.

Playing video files

Codec\Name	FinalDestination.mp4	Neudergimie.mkv	GranTurismo.mp4	Spartacus.mkv	ParallelUniverse.avi
Video	MPEG4 Video (H264) 1920×798 29.99fps	MPEG4 Video (H264) 1920×816 23.98fps	MPEG4 Video (H264) 1920×1080 60fps, 19.7Mbit/s	MPEG4 Video (H264) 1280×720 29.97fps	MPEG4 Video (H264) 1280×536 24.00fps 2726kbps
Audio	AAC 48000Hz stereo 96kbps	MPEG Audio Layer 3 44100Hz stereo	AAC 48000Hz stereo 48kbps	Dolby AC3 44100Hz stereo	MPEG Audio Layer 3 44100Hz stereo 256kbps

The earpiece volume is above average. In a noisy environment it will be right next to each other. It is possible to record a conversation, with or without a warning sound. The volume of the multimedia speaker is below average, and its quality is no different.

Searching for satellites with A-GPS enabled takes 10 seconds, which cannot be said for searching solely via GPS. The smartphone spends minutes trying to determine the coordinates. There are no complaints about the speed of data exchange in the Wi-Fi network, and the quality of reception is also not satisfactory.

The autonomy and increased heating of Tegra smartphones have always been their weak point. With the transition to a more advanced manufacturing process and a 50% more capacious battery, one would expect an improvement in these indicators. In fact, there is no difference in autonomy between predecessor smartphones. In economy mode, when the processor frequency is reduced to 1020 MHz and the number of working cores is reduced to two, the smartphone scored 589 points in Antutu Tester, having worked for three and a half hours - quite good, but in the “Balance” mode, it is impossible to achieve such results. In everyday use, the difference between the “Economy” and “Balance” modes is half a day, where in the first case the smartphone lasts for one and a half days, and in the second, a day.

Operating time indicators
Mode\Model	Xiaomi Mi3	Xiaomi Mi3 (Economy)	LG Nexus 5 (ART)	LG G2
Music	3%	1%	6%	4%
Reading	13%	13%	17%	11%
Navigation	24%	22%	23%	18%
Watch HD video	18%	17%	30%	15%
Watching HD videos from Youtube	31%	30%	37%	27%
Antutu Tester (points)	—	589	386	419

In reading mode, all wireless communications are disabled, including data transmission on the mobile network, and the display brightness is set to 50%. When listening to music, automatic data synchronization and data transfer worked. The sound volume in the headphones is at 12 out of 15 possible levels. All music files are in MP3 format, bitrate 320 Kbps. Navigation includes getting directions in the Google Navigation app. The brightness is set to 50%, all data communication modules are disabled. When playing a video, data transfer on the mobile network is active, the display brightness is set to 50%, the sound volume in the headphones is at level 12 out of a possible 15. The video file format is MKV, resolution 1024x432 pixels, frame rate 24. Playing a video from Youtube was accompanied not only by working on a Wi-Fi network, but also by active data transfer. The display brightness is set to 50%, the sound volume in the headphones is set to 12 out of 15 possible levels.

Display

The smartphone is equipped with a 5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and a density of 441 PPI. The screen has wide viewing angles and the ability to customize the image, from saturation level to color temperature. Using a colorimeter, we found that the optimal color temperature value is achieved when using the “Standard”, “Natural” and “Standard”, “Vivid” modes. Brightness indicators range from 6 to 356 cd/m². The first value allows you to comfortably work with your smartphone in complete darkness, but the maximum brightness cannot be called high, although at this time of year it is quite enough.

As for the factory screen calibration, everything is more or less good here. The color gamut is close to the sRGB value and practically does not depend on the selected settings. The same can be said about the gamma curve. In almost all cases, dark halftones are displayed darker, and light halftones are brighter, although this cannot be considered a disadvantage, since in most cases the amplitude does not exceed the acceptable limits.

Modes “Standard”, “Natural”

Modes “Standard”, “Cold”

Modes “Bright”, “Natural”

Modes “Bright”, “Warm”

Modes “Bright”, “Cool”

Cameras

Xiaomi Mi3 is the first Android smartphone capable of shooting in RAW format. Ten-megapixel images (this resolution is used with an aspect ratio of 16:9) are 25.9 MB in size. In the settings you can specify manual values ​​for ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and focus mode. In addition, the camera can recognize QR codes.
The video capabilities of the main and front cameras are similar. The main drawback is focusing errors.

In general, the camera allows you to take good photos (especially when using manual settings) and record good video, although it is far from the level of the best Mi3 camera phones. Perhaps the developers will be able to improve the quality, which will make the Xiaomi Mi3 not just a geeky smartphone, but also an excellent camera phone.

Examples of photos taken with the Xiaomi Mi3 smartphone

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Example of Full HD video shot by Xiaomi Mi3 smartphone

Video review of the Xiaomi Mi3 smartphone

Results

The cost of a smartphone for Ukraine, regardless of the color of the case, is 4,500 UAH. For this money, the user gets one of the most sophisticated smartphones with an excellent 5-inch Full HD display, cameras with new capabilities, performance at the level of the best solutions from other developers, a high-quality body with a metal frame, excellent sound in headphones, wide multimedia capabilities and one of the best shells for Android.

Liked
+ Build quality
+ Sound in headphones
+ Camera capabilities
+ MIUI 5.0 shell
+ Productivity
+ Autonomy
+ Screen

Type Smartphone Standard GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, TD-SCDMA High speed data transfer GPRS, TD-SCDMA SIM card type Micro-SIM Number of supported SIM cards 1 operating system Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) + MIUI 5.0 Type of shell monoblock Keyboard type screen input Dimensions, mm 144×73.6×8.1 Weight, g 145 Protection from dust and moisture — Accumulator battery Li-Ion, 3050 mAh Operating time (manufacturer's data) no data Diagonal, inches 5 Permission 1920×1080 Matrix type IPS PPI 441 Dimming sensor + Touch screen (type) touch (capacitive) Other super sensitive touch screen CPU NVIDIA Tegra 4 + GPU GeForce ULP (72 core) Kernel type Cortex-A15 Number of Cores 4 Frequency, GHz 1,8 RAM, MB 2048 Built-in memory, GB 16/64 Expansion slot — Main camera, MP 13 Autofocus + Video shooting 1920x1280 pixels, 30 fps, HDR Flash LED Front camera, MP 2 WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n Bluetooth 4.0 (A2DP) GPS + IrDA — NFC + Interface connector USB 2.0 (microUSB, MHL) MP3 player + FM radio + More media player, video telephony, a-GPS/GLONASS module, Google services, proximity and lighting sensors, gyroscope, electronic compass, social networks

The Xiaomi Mi Max 3 phone was launched in China in July 2018. Having started production of the third generation, the company did not deviate from the philosophy of the entire series and created a worthy successor to Mi Max 2. The recent new product has become one of the most anticipated in the mid-price segment. The device has a decent screen size, impressive battery life, a high-quality dual camera, and a fashionable and modern frameless design.

Although Mi Max 3 release date – July 19, 2018, not everyone is familiar with such a worthy smartphone.

We invite you to take a closer look at this very interesting gadget in our new review. We will tell you in detail about the appearance of Mi Max 3, its technical characteristics, specifications, features, advantages and disadvantages, and also talk about who would be comfortable using it and pay attention to the latest Mi Max 3 news.

Packaging and equipment

The developers did not make any changes to the packaging design. This is a no-frills white box familiar to fans of the brand. In the upper right corner there is the “Mi” logo, and in the global version ( Mi Max 3 Global) there is also a corresponding inscription “ Global Version", located on the side of the top cover.

The smartphone's equipment is also standard. It consists of:

1. The device itself
2. Wired charger
3. SIM slot key
4. Instructions in Chinese
5. Warranty card

Wireless charging is not included.

As for the included charger, it is offered in two types. When purchasing Mi Max 3 on Aliexpress, do not forget to ask the seller to add an adapter to the Chinese charger. The global version, which is also sold in Russia, includes a familiar European-style charger.

Appearance and Design

Mi Max 3 looks similar to the enlarged Redmi Note 5 smartphone of the same line. In size, the device is closest to Mi Max 2. The smartphone has the following dimensions:

• Height 176.15 mm
• Width 87.4 mm
• Thickness 7.99 mm
• Weight 221 g
• Screen diagonal 6.9 in (17,526 cm)

The question may arise: how, with such dimensions, is a smartphone endowed with a rather large diagonal? This was made possible thanks to the special frameless design of the model.. There are practically no frames on the sides, and at the top and bottom they are thinner and the same size.

It seems that the screen is devoid of edges. The device looks very attractive and feels unusual in the hand thanks to this. 2.5D glass on Mi Max 3 it is located only on the front, the navigation buttons are virtual.

The new Mi Max 3 has a thin and tenacious all-metal matte body with the usual rectangular shape for the line. It is slightly rounded at the edges, which visually makes the smartphone even more sophisticated.

The smartphone is available in black, gold and blue colors.

The presence of hidden V-shaped antennas gives the rear panel a complete look without all the extra stuff. They are hidden between the ends of the gadget and its back cover.

In general, the back panel is made in the style of the iPhone X and looks familiar. There is a fingerprint scanner in the center, a vertical dual camera with a two-color flash in the upper left corner, and a logo at the bottom.

The power and volume buttons are on the right side of the case. They press quite well, without play.

On the left side there is a slot for a nano-SIM

The USB Type-C 1.0 port is located on the bottom edge of the device, between the stereo speaker grilles. It is worth noting that in this smartphone there are speakers under both the right and left grilles. This is not often found in the Xiaomi line; More often than not, one lattice is purely decorative.

It is important to have a headphone jack size 3.5 mm. It is the standard connector that is missing in many models of modern mobile phones. In Mi Max 3, the problem that may arise when listening to music or watching videos is most successfully resolved by the developers.

Many people are interested in the question, is there NFC on this smartphone?

Unfortunately, this important option is not provided here. At the same time, there is a special infrared port created specifically for controlling household appliances.

It is more convenient to use a smartphone with two hands. It is difficult to hold it with one hand, but it is still possible, for example, when talking.

If we compare Mi Max 3 externally with previous models in the line, we note that it has become more progressive, modern and at the same time complete. It seamlessly combines both the design fundamentals of previous devices and popular modern elements.

Screen

Smartphones from the Mi Max line have large screens, but the third generation model has surpassed them all. One of the features was the screen 6.9 inches in size(or 17.526 cm) with rounded corners and an aspect ratio of 18 to 9.

The screen to overall body size ratio is impressive - 85%.

The eight-inch Mi Pad 4 tablet currently has a larger display.

Other display features:

• Permission- Full HD +, 2160 by 1080, built-in IPS matrix, standard viewing angles
• Number of pixels- 350 ppi
• Brightness— 520 cd/m², automatically adjusted
• Contrast– 1500 to 1, images are clear and well detailed
• Up to ten touches are possible at a time. A special oleophobic (anti-grease) coating is effective against fingerprints and other contaminants.

Operating system and smart gestures

The smartphone is equipped with a 14-nanometer eight-core processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 with clock frequency 1800 MHz. and kernels Kryo 260. There is also a built-in graphics accelerator chip Adreno 509.

The smartphone is ideal for those for whom the often found 32 GB of file memory is not enough.

The standard version of the device has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory.

The improved model is equipped with 6 Gb of RAM and 128 Gb of file storage. There is also support for microSD memory cards up to 256 Gb.

Mi Max 3 has default firmware installed MIUI 9.5, based on Google's free Android 8.1 Oreo software. It is distinguished by its flexibility, speed of response and beauty of animation. The database will be of interest to both beginners and more experienced users. A new version of the global firmware MIUI 10 will soon appear with an updated curtain and a multitasking menu for smartphones with very vertically elongated screens. It will be possible to see up to four running applications at one time, scrolling through them vertically or even viewing information on the tiles.

It would seem that it is very difficult to control a smartphone with such a large diagonal: there is a risk of unstable control with one hand and the gadget falling. The developers could not help but take these points into account, thanks to which the device is equipped with a special method of controlling “smart gestures”, which greatly facilitate its use. Let's talk about some of them.

The technology is not new for Xiaomi mobile phones, but is found only on a few models. This is very convenient if the device is large: there is no need to reach for the fingerprint scanner, the gadget will automatically unlock when it detects the owner’s face in front of it. We described in detail how it works, configuration features and possible problems in our recent article.

One-handed operation on Mi Max 3 has become easier due to the presence of built-in swipe gestures. For example, when you swipe from the bottom of the screen, the device will go to the home screen, and if you hold your finger down, the task manager will open and multitasking will be activated. To switch between recent applications, you need to hold the swipe from the right or left side of the screen. Even to go back, you don’t have to press the corresponding touch button: just swipe to the center from any edge of the display.

Communication and sound

The smartphone has high quality sound thanks to the presence of two stereo speakers. When using headphones, the sound is also very high quality, there are special settings. Excellent conversational speaker, the voice of the interlocutor is transmitted extremely accurately. And the user’s speech while talking on the phone is improved by two microphones. There is Bluetooth 5.0, FM radio, support for LTE, EVDO and Wi-Fi of various frequency bands.

The device is capable of supporting most frequency bands, including BAND 20. Detailed list:

• GSM: B2, B3, B5, B8.
• CDMA 1X/EVDO: BC0.
• WCDMA: B1, B2, B5, B8.
• TD-SDMA: B34, B39.
• TDD-LTE: B34, B38, B39, B40, B41.
• FDD-LTE: B1, B3, B4, B5, B7, B8, B20.

Camera

The device is complemented by a dual camera consisting of twelve-megapixel and five-megapixel sensors.

• Optical sensor- Sony IMX363.
• Every pixel 1.4 microns in size.
• Aperture – 1.9.

Includes fast hybrid function autofocus Dual Pixel AF, but there is no optical stabilization. An additional bonus is the LED flash and blur function thanks to the additional lens.

Front-camera has a sensor of eight megapixels with a size of 1.12 microns and an aperture ratio of 2.0.

The “AI bokeh” option is necessary to create a beautiful background blur and depth of the photo, and “AI Face” makes it possible to quickly unlock Xiaomi Mi Max 3 by scanning your face.

Cameras are supported by artificial intelligence: the gadget is capable of supporting such utilities as AI Scenario. The algorithm identifies 206 scenarios from 25 categories and applies special settings to improve each photo.

In general, the photos on this smartphone are beautiful and of high quality. There are no complaints about the performance of the cameras.

Autonomy

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 has the largest battery currently in the Xiaomi lineup. Under the back cover is located battery capacity 5500 mAh, with the ability to quickly charge. Parallel charging through multiple threads is allowed without intense heating.

The manufacturer promises that in the absence of a SIM card and at moderate brightness, the device can work up to 10 hours of gaming without interruptions, 17 hours of watching videos or 233 hours of listening to music tracks.

The kit includes charging with the following parameters: 9V / 2A 18W. Due to the presence of the already mentioned QC 3.0 support The smartphone charges from 0 to 71 percent in one hour.

Availability of a special intelligent mode Smart Scenes, which remembers the user’s habits and activates “night mode” when the owner goes to bed, increases the operating time of the gadget without recharging.

And finally, the last useful thing: the smartphone can operate in power bank mode, that is, it can be used as a charger itself. Its output power is 5V/1.2A.

Mi Max 3 price

Sales of the smartphone started in China on July 20. Despite the fact that the start of sales in Russia was originally planned for the end of October, you can already purchase a device with 64 GB of file memory at a cost of 17,800 rubles. in gold or black. The option with 128 Gb and blue color has not yet appeared.

General conclusions

Let us summarize the above review. Xiaomi Mi Max 3 is a great option for everyone who prefers smartphones with a very large display and long battery life. It’s not for nothing that the device is called a phablet: it can replace both a phone and a tablet at the same time. Convenient, for example, when traveling or when working on the phone. The gadget has progressed, practically maintaining the cost of its predecessor.

Pros:

Capacious battery with a capacity of 5500 mAh
6.9" screen with Full HD+
High-quality dual camera with Sony IMX363 optical sensor
Interaction with AI Scenario algorithms in camera
Hardware memory 4 or 6 Gb
Supports memory cards up to 256 Gb
Standard 3.5 mm jack
Facial recognition program "AI Face"
New processor from Qualcomm.
Frameless design
Adequate price

Minuses:

NFC not supported
Imperfect GPU
Not very convenient one-handed operation
Considerable weight 221 g

Full model name	Xiaomi Mi Max 3
Announcement/start of sales worldwide	2018, July/2018, July
Dimensions	176.2*87.4*8 mm
Weight	221 grams
Color options	black, blue, gold
OS and firmware	Android 8.1 Oreo + MIUI 9.5/10
Communication Features
SIM cards	support for two hybrid, nano-sized
Communication protocol in 2G networks	GSM 850\900\1800\1900 - SIM 1, SIM 2 CDMA 800 and TD-SCDMA
Communication protocol in 3G networks	HSDPA 850\900\1900\2100 CDMA2000 1*EV-DO
Communication protocol in 4G networks	LTE band 1 – 5, 7, 8, 20, 34, 38 – 41
Operator support	MTS, Beeline, MegaFon, Tele2, Yota
Data transmission in networks
WiFi	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot
Bluetooth	5.0, A2DP, LE
GPS	available, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
NFC	absent
Infrared port	available
Iron
Shared processor	Qualcomm SDM636 Snapdragon 636, eight cores, Octa-core 1.8 GHz Kryо 260
GPU	Adreno 509
RAM	64/128 Gb
File memory	4/6 Gb
Connectors, ports
USB	Type-C 1.0RC
3.5 mm	available
SD slot	microSD, up to 256 Gb, combined with SIM 2
Screen
Type	IPS LCD capacitive, 16M colors with 1500:1 contrast ratio and 84% NTSC color gamut
Size	6.9 inches
Protection	2.5D glass
Cameras
Main	dual 12 MP (f/1.9, 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF) + 5 MP, depth sensor
Functional	LED flash, HDR, panorama
Video recording	2160p@30fps, 720p/1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@120fps
Frontal	8 MP, f/2.0, 1.12µm, 1080p@30fps
Sensors
Illuminance	available
Approximations	available
Gyroscope	available
Compass	available
Hall	available
Accelerometer	available
Barometer	absent
Fingerprint's scanner	available
Accumulator battery
Battery type and capacity	Li-Ion 5500 mA*h
Battery mount	non-removable
Other characteristics
Set	USB cable: 1 SIM eject clip: 1 Instructions: 1 Warranty card: 1 Charger: 1
Connection	Dual 4G VoLTE, 2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi 802.11ac MIMO, Bluetooth 5, GPS and GLONASS, IR port
Audio	two stereo speakers
Supported frequency bands	GSM: 2, 3, 5, 8 CDMA 1X/EVDO: BC0 WCDMA: 1, 2, 5, 8 TD-SCDMA: 34, 39 TDD-LTE: 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 (120MHz 2535MHz~2655MHz) FDD-LTE: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20

In our new article, we tried to make the most complete and honest review of the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 smartphone phablet. We reviewed all the technical characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of this model. We hope that this article was useful to you and helped you make the right choice!

Already back in 2013, Xiaomi was just trying to gain a foothold in the smartphone market, and therefore had no room for error. Therefore, Xiaomi Mi 3 was presented - a phone with an aluminum-magnesium body and a 5-inch Full HD screen covered with Gorilla Glass 3.

Equipment

A few years ago, Xiaomi produced all its products in packaging made from recycled materials. There was even a demonstration of how strong the cardboard box was, supporting the weight of several people. However, everything inside is modest - in addition to the smartphone, we get a charger, a microUSB cable, some paper instructions and a paperclip for removing the SIM card tray.

Design

Before Xiaomi Mi3, all other smartphones can be safely called inconspicuous, since Xiaomi tried to produce the most inexpensive models. The by-product was that few people could notice them on the market. Finally, the situation changed and the Mi-3 showed what a budget car could be.

Now the smartphone has received not only interesting characteristics, but also a fairly recognizable design, as well as higher quality body materials.

Basically here we see polycarbonate, which is still widely used by most manufacturers. The advantage of this material is that the case does not collect fingerprints, and scratches will be almost invisible. The material is durable, but slippery and it is better not to hold the smartphone with wet hands - it may slip out.

Xiaomi designers decided not to reinvent the wheel and Xiaomi Mi 3 received a neat body without unnecessary details. Externally, it is quite reminiscent of Lumia line phones or even Nokia devices.

Although the device turned out to be reliable and simple, its dimensions are far from compact. With a 5-inch screen, the phone is one of the largest. It has almost the same dimensions as the Galaxy S5, but unlike our device, the Samsung smartphone has smooth lines and curved corners, and the shape of the Mi3 body makes it visually larger.

Above the display there is a front camera, a speaker mesh, proximity and light sensors, as well as a notification LED.

Under the 5-inch screen there is a row of touch buttons – Back, Home and Menu. Long pressing on any of them opens the manager of recent running applications. In the settings you can slightly change the “long press” options.

The keys have adjustable backlighting.

On the right side there is a power button and a volume rocker. You can easily find them by touch and press easily.

On the top edge there is an unexpected SIM card tray, a 3.5 AUX headset jack and a perforated microphone grille.

At the bottom of the case there is a microUSB connector and the main speaker, which is hidden under perforations.

Display

The Xiaomi Mi3 screen has a 5-inch IPS matrix with Full HD resolution. The pixel density is 441ppi. Depending on the assembly plant, Mi3 may have a display from Sharp or LG. It is still possible to argue about protective glass - it is either Gorilla Glass 3 or Dragontail. The main thing is that the glass performs its function and reliably protects the display. The sensor is of high quality, responds to touch even with gloves, and recognizes up to 10 touches simultaneously.

The image on the screen is displayed in high quality. Viewing angles are close to ideal for an IPS matrix. The detail is high, the fonts are smooth. In the settings you can set one of several color temperature and saturation options.

In bright sunlight, the picture remains readable and bright. Automatic adjustment of screen brightness does not always work perfectly, so it is better to set a comfortable level manually.

Performance

At the time of release, Xiaomi Mi3 received one of the fastest processors - Snapdragon 800, which has already appeared more than once in other top smartphones. Therefore, even the LG G2 became a competitor to the Xiaomi Mi-3. As for the performance of our smartphone, we are interested in seeing the results of work in different modes. So in the settings of Mi3 you can choose the work - productive, balanced or energy efficient.

In maximum mode, the processor starts operating at a frequency of up to 2.3 GHz; in minimum mode, to save battery, the frequency is reduced to 1 GHz. If the system is in standby mode, the minimum frequency will be about 0.3 GHz.

Xiaomi Mi3 benchmark results:

• AnTuTu v4.x – 34317;
• GeekBench v3 – 966/2976;
• Mobile XPRT 2013 – 238/70.

As a result, we see that according to the test results, Mi3 outperforms its competitors and perfectly reveals its potential in real conditions. The smartphone is also not bad in graphics tests, but it is far from flagships. The main thing is that the platform is powerful enough for most modern tasks.

Note that under heavy load the smartphone will become very hot, and not just the back panel. Because of this, you will have to turn on the balanced operating mode as often as possible.

Technical specifications of Xiaomi Mi3

Manufacturer	Xiaomi
Model	Xiaomi Mi 3
Announcement date	2013, September
Network support	GSM/HSPA
- 2G	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
- 3G	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
Bluetooth	v4.0, A2DP
WiFi	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, access point
Dimensions	144 x 73.6 x 8.1 mm (5.67 x 2.90 x 0.32 inches)
Weight	145 g (5.11 oz)
Accumulator battery	Non-removable, Li-Ion 3050 mAh
Display	(~65.0% of the smartphone surface)
- permission	1080 x 1920 pixels (~441 ppi)
CPU	Qualcomm MSM8274AB Snapdragon 800
- CPU frequency	Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400
- graphic arts	Adreno 330
Memory	16/64 GB, 2 GB RAM
USB	microUSB v2.0, USB Host
Camera	Photo/Video
- main	13 MP, f/2.2, 28mm, autofocus, dual LED flash
- frontal	2 MP, f/2.2, 1080p@30fps
operating system	Android OS, v4.3 (Jelly Bean), with update to v4.4.2 (KitKat), planned upgrade to v6.0 (Marshmallow)

Camera

Xiaomi Mi3 received a main 13-megapixel CMOS camera with f/2.2 aperture and dual LED flash. In the settings you can set the desired brightness level, resolution, ISO values, picture clarity, shutter speed. All this can be configured in a couple of taps. Also in manual mode you can select one of three focusing options, white balance and effects.

As for the quality of shooting, during the day the photos are of high quality. Macro photographs are also pleasing. But under poor conditions, the camera produces poor results.

The sharpness of the photos is good, you can also photograph text. Noise reduction works well, shadows have no artifacts or noise. It is only in low light that detail begins to suffer. You can safely use the HDR shooting mode, in which the Xiaomi Mi3 camera reveals its qualities - excellent sharpness, good color rendition and saturation.

The front camera has a resolution of 2 megapixels and is only suitable for simple selfie photos.

Xiaomi Mi3 shoots video with a resolution of up to 1080p, there is software image stabilization. Video is recorded in mp4 format, codec aac, sound – aac lc, 96 Kbps, stereo.

operating system

As usual, MIUI firmware is installed on Xiaomi smartphones. This is one of the best alternatives to stock Android. Unfortunately, the standard version of the firmware on Mi3 does not support the Russian language. You will have to manually do Russification or even install a custom assembly. For the lazy, there is the option of installing a third-party keyboard with a Russian layout.

MIUI does not have Google services pre-installed. Everything can be solved using GoogleInstaller.

The MIUI shell is as simple and convenient as possible; we get unlimited interface customization options and a lot of useful functions not available in stock Android.

The Xiaomi Mi3 firmware is based on the MIUI shell, with corrected childhood problems that were present on previous smartphone models.

Battery

Despite the plastic body, the back cover of Xiaomi Mi3 is non-removable, which makes access to the battery difficult. Its capacity is 3050 mAh, from standard charging to 100% charged in 2.5 hours.

Xiaomi Mi3 test results for battery life in different scenarios:

• 3G talk mode – 25 hours;
• mobile Internet 3G – 21 hours;
• screen off and continuous music playback – 50 hours;
• standby mode – 500 hours;
• reading mode, balanced mode – 12 hours;
• reading mode, battery saving mode – 10 hours 50 minutes;
• video playback mode, balanced mode – 9 hours;
• video playback mode, battery saving – 9.5 hours;
• Epic game mode, balanced mode – 4.5 hours;
• Epic game mode, battery saving - 5.5 hours.

As you can see, we usually get about an additional hour of work in energy-efficient mode.

Video – Xiaomi Mi3 Review

Results

pros

• high performance;
• good battery life;
• high-quality screen;
• The camera takes good pictures in good lighting;
• high-quality assembly.

minuses

• slippery plastic body;
• far from the most compact;
• non-removable battery;
• gets hot under load.

This smartphone is ideal for those who are looking for a phone for every day. It holds a charge well and has enough performance for any task. The only serious drawback is that Xiaomi Mi3 initially received not the most stable firmware, on which applications crashed. The only option is to immediately update to the final version of MIUI or install stable custom firmware.

The smartphone can compete with top-end smartphones in some comparisons. For quite a bit of money, we get a high-quality phone with a 5-inch Full HD screen and one of the fast Snapdragon 800 processors. You can turn a blind eye to the design, since Xiaomi has redesigned it towards originality only in the following models.

What I didn't like

Poor quality USB connector

What I liked

Powerful processor, good software

What I didn't like

1) The camera is of poor quality, focus is lost in video shooting mode.
2) Angular body, sharp corners.
3) The screen sticks out from the body (I think it’s easy to break, although it fell 5 times).

What I liked

1) Excellent system and updates every week (the phone will be up to date). 2) Good battery, enough for a full day (Capacity 3050). 3) Excellent hardware (all applications and games will not slow down). 4)Good build quality. 5) Price (took before the price increase). 6) Pretty good screen. 7)Quickly picks up GPS satellites.

What I didn't like

There is not enough brightness in the sun

What I liked

Hardware for cheap money, screen, camera, battery.

What I didn't like

Communication quality, constantly losing network

What I liked

Display, battery, miui

What I didn't like

What I liked

CPU

What I didn't like

There is no 32gb version. In the sun the screen still lacks brightness. There are a lot of unnecessary Chinese programs installed. Large in size.

What I liked

Large bright screen. Powerful iron. price. Assembly. Battery. Sound. Camera. Branded miui shell. Functional. Many sensors up to the barometer. Gps and Glonass are just a fairy tale.

What I didn't like

What I liked

Design, filling

What I didn't like

The screen on top is brighter than on the bottom, since the LEDs are only on top (but this is not so noticeable, but sometimes it is noticeable on a white background when reading, and for me this is the most significant problem in this model.
I noticed this on the first or second day, but I definitely only realized it yesterday, and all the joy and delight from the phone disappeared somewhere.
And to be honest, this makes me depressed about the purchase.

What I liked

No lag, games also run without problems, good connection, good battery - for 3 days of average use (photos, videos, a little internet, calls), the charge is enough, appearance, good viewing angles.

What I didn't like

The main drawback, all the others are not important!!! If the phone falls and the glass breaks, then good luck! The touchscreen immediately stops working, and expensive parts, replace the glass with a 7 thousand screen. You just can't change the glass

What I liked

Light, beautiful, fast, without lags, the new Miui 6

What I didn't like

The camera was very disappointing. It seems that the component responsible for image stabilization is missing. The pictures are not clear. The Samsung camera with an 8 megapixel matrix takes better pictures than the 13 megapixel Xiaomi MI3 camera.
There is also such a lag. You launch the calculator built into the shell, and you are thrown out to the initial screen. The same thing happens with the built-in radio. The calculator was torn down and replaced with another one. But I still don’t know what to do with the radio.

What I liked

Everything flies. Good battery. An excellent solution is the MIUI shell and the service associated with MIUI. The Antutu benchmark gave the best result of 35344.

What I didn't like

Perhaps this is work time. The case is not collapsible, this is both a plus and a minus of this device, the impossibility of changing the battery as a result. Lack of slot for microSD card. The operation of the Power Settings tab is unclear, if you set Energy Saving, the phone does not turn off 3 cores, but simply lowers the frequencies of the first core, and the rest remain at a frequency of 2265 MHz, in normal mode, all 4 cores operate at a peak frequency of 2265 MHz, then everything becomes more interesting, Performance, 4 cores also work at peak frequency, BUT ANTUTU produces, hold on, 25000?! I'm sorry, what?! What it is? But this is of course a trifle. Of course, it is worth noting the rather strong heating of the upper left corner of the phone (near the MI logo), especially in heavy games. The cases are simply disgusting, it’s quite difficult to find a normal case, these plastic “Bathtubs” in which you need to place your smartphone just infuriate me. It is also worth noting the not very good optimization of GTA San Andreas, which, although it works at max, produces an average of 40 fps which sometimes drops to 25. Probably one of the disadvantages for many will be the location of the speaker, it is located on the lower edge and is easy to close with your hand. Sometimes when you turn on Glove Mode (highly sensitive screen), there are phantom touches on the sensor, which can be treated by locking and unlocking the smartphone.

What I liked

Of course, this is the price, only 13,450 rubles, it is worth noting the excellent MIUI 5 firmware, which no Android smartphone can compete with, a beautiful 5.5-inch Full HD display from SHARP (I got one), the power of Snapdragon 800AB, Adreno 330, (Note 3 =D) nervously smokes on the side, I really liked the design, it’s like Nokia Lumia, but Nokia has WP 8, which I don’t like at all, I would like to note the work of GPS, with a cold start it searches for satellites for 10-15 seconds , Not a collapsible body, because of this there are no backlashes, although if you lightly tap your fingers in the area of ​​the buttons, you can hear a rattling sound. The working hours are debatable, on the one hand there is enough for a day, but this is frankly not enough. Because I have English as my main language, I don’t like stupid translations through PROMT, all firmware is installed correctly. 13 MP camera with dual flash, 2 GB LPDDR3 RAM.

What I didn't like

Weak maximum display brightness. The camera often takes blurry pictures (although I may have tinkered with the settings badly)

What I liked

Pleasant to the touch plastic, minimalistic design. The firmware is very well thought out and convenient, more convenient than iOS (I didn’t expect it). Powerful hardware, does not slow down anything, despite the fact that the firmware consumes a lot of memory (almost 1 gig). Very light for its size.

What I didn't like

Design..... I want to hide it in a case and quickly, but the covers are normal for it only in China

What I liked

The first phone on Android (out of seven branded ones.. for personal use.. mercilessly sold for endless jambs and glitches) from which I don’t turn back! Of course, the firmware! In general, I won’t even bother - in terms of hardware and performance, everything is OK

What I didn't like

When shooting a video, the sound is quite bad, the automatic update, although good, is fraught with “surprises” when you discover that the phone has rebooted and requires you to enter a PIN code (that is, the phone has been disabled for some time for others) - but this can be treated by disabling the auto update . Sometimes it starts working on its own (the software can be buggy - maybe it’s just me). It can be treated by turning off the screen and turning it back on (or using the home button).

What I liked

The battery life is pretty good, excellent build, fast GPS, excellent clear screen, good sound in headphones, excellent packaging, constant automatic updates, cool camera, fits well in the hand.

What I didn't like

Oddly enough, powerful hardware has a downside: when the snapdragon 800 works at maximum performance, the device gets very hot and the charge melts before our eyes, and the game does not necessarily have to be super demanding on hardware.

What I liked

Stylish case, screen, miui firmware, powerful hardware. Satellite navigation works quickly, quickly connects to wifi points