Xiaomi Mi6 review. The best Android flagship for girls. Xiaomi Mi6 review: powerful suitability with a dual camera Xiaomi mi6 what's in the box

Display	5.15 inches, IPS, 1,920 × 1,080 dots
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (8 cores)
Video accelerator	Adreno 540
RAM	6 GB
Persistent memory	64 or 128 GB
Main camera	Dual 12 MP module (Sony 389)
Front-camera	8 megapixels
operating system	Android 7.1.1 with MIUI 8.0 add-on
Interfaces	USB Type-C
cellular	Two nanoSIM
Wireless interfaces	Wi-Fi a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 5.0 LE
Navigation	GPS, A-GPS, BDS
Battery	3 350 mAh, fast charging Qualcomm QC 4.0
Sensors	Fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass, barometer
Dimensions	145.2 x 70.5 x 7.5mm
Weight	168 g

Appearance and usability

Xiaomi has ditched large high-end smartphones and returned to 5.15-inch diagonal. And just like the Mi5 generation without an index, the fresh Mi6 received two versions: in a glass or ceramic body.

The ceramic version is the flagship one, therefore it is equipped with a more powerful filling. It is presented so far only in black. The larger glass version is sold in three colors: black, white and blue with gold trim.

The smartphone screen has a very high brightness and contrast, rich color reproduction and feels great both in the dark and under the bright sun. Almost AMOLED, but without the inherent problems with OLEDs.

In addition, the screen has undergone major improvements from the software side. The smartphone has received improved algorithms for preserving vision. Now the minimum display brightness is equal to one candle - the most pleasant and correct value for using the device in complete darkness.

Also, Mi6 has an improved reading mode, familiar to us from other smartphones of the company. However, the flagship practically does not change the color of the display, while simpler Xiaomi devices simply turn on the yellow backlight.

Hardware platform and performance

Xiaomi Mi6 became one of the first smartphones based on the new single-chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 platform. It should be emphasized that they are serial, since almost every brand announced the release of such a device, but only Samsung and Xiaomi offered them to the mass consumer.

In this comparison, Mi6 takes on a special charm. The new processor can handle any load now and will do it for several more years: the performance margin is simply colossal. Benchmarks give the corresponding data, recording the novelty in the category of the most powerful smartphones.

In addition, the new processor reduces heat dissipation. The device does not heat up above 45 degrees even under heavy load.

Operating system and software

Like other smartphones of the company, Xiaomi Mi6 runs under control. The first copies of the device were delivered with the eighth Chinese firmware. At the moment, an international (global) version of the add-on is also available, based on the fresh version of Android 7.1.1.

The system has advanced options for customizing the shell, functionality of the smartphone and connected peripherals, appearance and reaction to various events.

Improved screen algorithms in reading mode and in low light, improved power consumption are important differences from previous versions.

Autonomy

The capacity of the Xiaomi Mi6 non-removable battery is 3 350 mAh. An excellent figure for a flagship, but small for users of mid-priced economy smartphones, including Xiaomi devices of the Redmi 4 and Redmi Note 4 lines.

Contrary to expectations, a well-optimized software shell and a modern processor allow Mi6 to achieve excellent autonomy. On it you can watch a movie for 8 hours at maximum screen brightness with the wireless interfaces turned off. Reducing the backlight level by up to 25% increases the operating time to 14 hours.

In a mixed mode of operation, the smartphone lasts at least a day. The net operating time of the display at maximum brightness is at least 5 hours. And this is with the synchronization of 10-15 applications in the background, constant correspondence, calls, watching videos and using the device as a navigator.

The new chipset allowed the company's engineers to implement another important function - fast charging of the promising Quick Charge 4.0 standard. With its help, Xiaomi Mi6 charges from 0 to 100% in just 1 hour 30 minutes. To make the battery last as long as possible, the charging algorithm works non-linearly: the smartphone charges 50% in just half an hour, 80% in an hour.

Cameras

Usually, Chinese smartphones cannot boast of the quality of shooting. But this is another matter. The main camera is one of the main advantages of the Xiaomi Mi6.

As befits a modern fashionable flagship, Mi6 received a dual main camera. Each module hides the flagship Sony IMX298 with a 12 megapixel matrix, used in the previous generation of the company's smartphones. But, as we know, the camera does not always depend on the hardware configuration. This was the case with Mi5, the photo capabilities of which were never revealed by the developers. Apparently, they were in a hurry to master the module for Mi6, because everything is in order.

The latest flagship is equipped with 4-axis camera stabilization, and it works really well. Also worth noting is the improved sharpness of images.

For an ordinary user who does not scrutinize each frame meticulously, these properties will manifest themselves primarily when shooting in the dark and in cloudy weather. These complex scenarios work better for Xiaomi Mi6 than any of the Chinese smartphones.

Not every system camera allows you to take such photos.

The front camera was designed according to the Chinese canons: as you know, the entire population of the Middle Kingdom is very fond of taking selfies. If desired, you can use it to get artistic images. The quality of simple shots for social networks can hardly be discussed.

Sound

Xiaomi has picked up another mobile trend this season - stereo sound. Mi6 was the first of its devices to receive two external speakers: one is installed on the bottom end, and the second is an enhanced conversational emitter.

The combination in this case was only half beneficial: the upper one sounds much quieter, the stereo sound is slightly distorted. Probably, if you dig into the settings or wait for the official full version of the global firmware, the problem will be fixed programmatically.

In the meantime, Xiaomi Mi6 still has the most interesting sound of external speakers among all the company's smartphones. It is juicy, deep, bass, as much as possible for a mobile device. Music plays about the same, half the cost of which is the audio path.

The fly in the ointment was added by the decision of engineers to follow the example of Lenovo and Apple and abandon the traditional headset jack. The role of a mini-jack is played by a universal data connector. Fortunately, the USB Type-C in Mi6 is powered by an advanced USB 3.1 chip, so you can charge the device and listen to music in a wired headset at the same time.

The package contains an adapter for ordinary headphones. But Xiaomi has taken care of the customers by providing something better. You can now purchase an updated version of the Xiaomi Hybrid headset with USB Type-C instead of the 3.5mm connector.

Wireless interfaces

In line with the flagship status, Xiaomi Mi6 received support for all modern communication standards. The latest Bluetooth 5.0 LE with reduced power consumption and increased range is used to connect to peripheral equipment. There is NFC - you can use Android Pay and Troika. The Wi-Fi module works in all common bands and has good range, easily communicating with the router through 3-4 reinforced concrete walls.

The Xiaomi Mi6 navigation module supports GPS, A-GPS, BDS, GLONASS satellites are not displayed when searching. The cold start is almost instantaneous: it takes no more than 10 seconds.

As always, the novelty received a cut-off range of LTE operating frequencies, including Band 20. Unfortunately, the short testing time did not allow us to determine whether part of the European bands was blocked by software or hardware. However, in the networks of "Beeline", "Megafon", Tele2 of the Volga region, excellent reception and transmission is noted both with voice connections and in the EDGE / 3G / LTE data transfer mode.

Outcome

Pros:

• Compactness.
• A large number of colors.
• High quality dual module camera.
• Modern energy efficient processor with a performance margin for several years.
• Good sound in speakers and headset (thanks to USB Type-C).

Minuses:

• No 3.5mm audio jack.
• Fragile glass body.
• Slippery coating.
• Low (compared to the average segment of Xiaomi smartphones) autonomy.

The Xiaomi Mi6 is priced at $ 410 (with coupon Mi664GZY) for the 64GB version and $ 480 (with GRMi4G coupon) for the version with 128GB storage. The main competitors of the new items were OnePlus 3T ($ 400), ZTE Nubia Z17, Mi5s ($ 300) and Samsung Galaxy S7. Most of them are inferior to Mi6 in autonomy and performance, but in terms of image quality, the Galaxy S7 will certainly have an advantage. The choice in any case remains with the buyer.

The company sees the keys to the success of the Xiaomi Mi6 as design, dual cameras with portrait mode, the most powerful chip and design on the market. The flagship Mi5 was very popular and is still in demand, while the Mi5S was in much less demand. The new Mi6 is made, rather, in the image and likeness of Mi5 and it has every chance to at least repeat the success of last year's hit. Consider?

Specifications Xiaomi Mi6:

• Network: GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), WCDMA / HSPA (900/1800/1900/2100 MHz), FDD-LTE (1, 3, 5, 7, 8), TD-SCDMA, CDMA
• Platform (at the time of announcement): Android 7.1.1 Nougat with MIUI 8
• Display: 5.15 ", 1920 x 1080 pixels, 428 ppi, 600 nits, 1500: 1 contrast ratio, Sunlight Display, IPS
• Camera: dual, 12 MP main (1.25 micron, f / 1.8, 27 mm) + 12 MP portrait (1 micron, f / 2.6, 52 mm), 2x optical zoom, 4-axis optical stabilization (main module), PDAF focus, dual LED flash, 4K video recording
• Front camera: 8 MP, f / 2.2, Full HD video recording
• Processor: 8 cores, up to 2.45 GHz, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
• Graphics chip: Adreno 540, 710 MHz
• RAM: 6 GB LPDDR4X, 1866 MHz
• Internal memory: 64/128 GB UFS 2.1
• Memory card: no
• GPS and GLONASS
• Bluetooth 5.0 HID
• Wi-Fi (802.11a / b / g / n / ac), 2x2 MU-MIMO
• USB Type-C
• IR sensor
• Two nano-SIM slots
• Fingerprint scanner under glass
• Splash proof
• Battery: 3350 mAh, Quick Charge 3.0
• Dimensions: 145.17 x 70.49 x 7.45mm
• Weight: 168g (182g with ceramic)

Video review and unpacking

Design and equipment

The package bundle of the smartphone pleases and saddens at the same time. The silicone case evokes positive emotions, while the 3.5 mm to USB-C adapter evokes negative emotions, which certainly indicates the absence of an audio jack in the phone. Mi6 became the first in the Xiaomi range without the traditional socket.

During the announcement, the public was shown four colors: black, white, blue and ceramic (a special black version with ceramic instead of glass and gold accents). At first, only completely black was available for purchase, but now the situation is improving a little. If you want to criticize the company for its poor choice in the first weeks of sales, then you should not, otherwise you will scare away. Better say "thank you" for rolling out not white, as was the case with the Mi5.

I saw the blue and black Mi6 live. Both colors look cool. And if black attracts with its solidity, restraint and solidity, then blue with a shiny golden frame and a change in shade at angles and lighting seems to challenge all classic colors - in almost any company it will be the most elegant and will definitely arouse interest. I can't say that the blue Mi6 gets boring quickly. I use it every now and then for a couple of months and I am always happy to return to it, it can definitely charge the owner with positive emotions. We'll leave the white for the ladies, and the ceramics for the rarity hunters and lovers of slippery sensations (read the Xiaomi Mi Mix review to find out the whole truth about the ceramic case).

The blue Mi6 is very similar to the blue Honor 8, but they cannot be confused in any way - the location of the fingerprint scanners and the golden design of the Xiaomi flagship frame leave no room for doubt. Visually, the "six" is very good. A real beautiful flagship device. With tactile sensations, too, complete order, if you lower the protruding wells of the cameras and the slightly crookedly exposed 3D back - from one edge the glass slightly cuts the hand, if you drag your finger against the grain, there is a gap at the top. In the black version, the horizontal alignment is normal, but the vertical alignment is slightly knocked off. Now the Mi6 process technology should already be debugged and the glass should be level, but the bezels of the cameras could have been made somehow differently. And for some reason, the light stripes under the antennas get dirty.

The design of the phone is sturdy - it is not afraid of compression, bending and twisting. But not practical thanks to the materials. I advise you to carry the device in a case (what a success - there is just a free case included), since the back glass is very fond of scratching.

The left side hides a tray for two SIM-cards, microSD is not supported here. On the right is the volume rocker and the power button. The IR transmitter is in the most obvious place for him - at the top. A small LED indicator was placed above the screen on the right. Under it there are three touch-keys, and in the central (Home) there is a fingerprint scanner. The side ones can be swapped, you can also bind functions to them by a long press. It is interesting that the fingerprint scope occupies about 1/3 of the area of \u200b\u200bthe button and with unsuccessful grips with inaccurate placement of the finger on the pad, reading failures occur. If you hit your finger accurately, the smartphone will quickly unlock.

The main multimedia speaker is hidden behind the right group of holes at the bottom end, the additional one also plays the role of a spoken speaker - it is above the screen. The difference in volume and quality between them is colossal, which makes the stereo effect inexpressive (in the ZTE Axon 7 or iPhone 7 Plus it is not much better). Well, for the model, let's assume that with one normal speaker Mi6 sounds nice - I like it more than the Samsung Galaxy S8 +.

The 5.15 ”IPS Full HD display delivers 600 nits of brightness and a 1500: 1 contrast ratio. Compared to Mi5 and Mi5s, if it has changed, then it is hardly noticeable. Of the advantages - juicy color reproduction and high brightness. Of the minuses - the matrix grid visible to the eye and the panel burnout under diagonal slopes (fortunately, it is noticeable only when displaying dark shades). The oleophobia is good, the glass of the display is not scratched as much as the back, but it still scratches. In the settings, you can adjust the temperature and select the contrast.

Software

The phone is based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat and if you prefer a pure OS this is not the case. Here MIUI of the eighth version rules, which, although it is one of the best firmware, is still ideologically in a different plane.

The main points that I like about the Xiaomi shell: the ability to easily change the wallpaper on the locker, lowering the curtain with a swipe on the table, the weather icon as a widget and displaying the weather in the curtain, themes. You can flexibly customize the status bar, organize a second workspace and clone applications (relevant for programs in which you cannot maintain two different accounts). Key settings sections:

The phone has been tested all the time with the global firmware version provided by Xiaomi. Google services are available in it, there is a Play Market and there are no Chinese applications. Pre-installed programs:

As mentioned above, Mi6 does not have a 3.5mm jack and owners of wired headphones will have to use an adapter. The sound produced by the Qualcomm Aqstic codec (WCD9341) will satisfy most users. In fact, the difference between the latest Snapdragon 835 phones and smartphones with dedicated DACs and amplifiers is not big enough to be on the hunt for musicphones. Better to take care of buying quality headphones, as they affect the sound the most. And due to the lack of an audio jack, I advise you to consider wireless options, of which there are a lot of them now.

Camera

Xiaomi began experimenting with dual modules with the Redmi line, where the second camera did not bring any particular benefit. For Mi6, a working scheme from Apple iPhone 7 Plus was chosen - two sensors of the same resolution (12 megapixels), but with different focal lengths. They allowed for portrait mode with beautiful bokeh and 2x optical zoom. The main camera supports optical stabilization, has pixels of 1.25 microns and an aperture of f / 1.8, and the additional one received 1 micron pixels and an aperture of f / 2.6. Phase focus, double two-color flash.

The camera application includes many modes, including portrait and manual. There are many parameters and some of them are surprising. For example, the quality of the photo. Will someone deliberately shoot low? Tip: before shooting, turn off the Dual camera watermark function in modes (if you do not turn it off, then all your photos will have a Mi6 dual camera watermark).

no magnification and 2x optical zoom

without HDR and with HDR

Just taking a bunch of pictures on the Mi6 seemed boring to me, since the camera on the phone is pretty fancy. So I decided to compare it to the LG G6 and Samsung Galaxy S8 +. Detailed material about this is available in a separate article, but here I offer photographs and a short conclusion.

LG G6 - Samsung Galaxy S8 + - Xiaomi Mi6:

LG G6 - Samsung Galaxy S8 + - Xiaomi Mi6

Alas, next to the Korean G6 and S8 +, the Chinese flagship Mi6 showed itself about nothing. He did not show the best result in any of the presented plots, but at times he turned out to be the worst by a wide margin. Whatever one may say, but just integrating a cool module into the phone does not mean that the photos will necessarily be high-quality. At the same time, Mi6 cannot be called a bad camera phone, it is simply no match for the generally recognized favorites. Many companies are trying to catch up with Apple and screw portrait mode to a single module or dual, but with the same focal length (like Huawei with an additional monochrome sensor), but the result is always the same and it is sad. For good portraits, you need the telephoto lens that the Mi6 has. Take a look at the comparison shots (separate comparison):

Xiaomi Mi6 and Apple iPhone 7 Plus

the iPhone 7 Plus is ahead in exposure, color and subject stroking accuracy. Also, the Apple product is better at shooting inanimate objects with beautiful bokeh. But Xiaomi Mi6 is a little better at fighting noise in low light conditions, for which it gets a virtual like from me. Portraits from the iPhone 7 Plus are better than the Mi6, but the Mi6 has better portraits than the Huawei P10 (review).

no effects and with effects

On the 8MP front camera, you need to shoot wide in order to fully utilize the sensor. By default, selfies are taken with Smart Mode for medium face correction. There is also Pro-beauty with slimming adjustment and skin retouching. The effects can be turned off, but as soon as you unload the camera from the RAM, the "beautiful" selfies will return. The themselves, by the way, are good.

The video is recorded in the maximum resolution of 4K and if you prefer the best quality, you will have to go into the parameters and change Full HD to 4K before each shooting. It pisses me off. The quality of recording stars from the sky is not enough. And if the video sequence is pretty good, then the sound is sad. Especially with a concert (video examples).

Performance and benchmarks

The close relationship with Qualcomm allowed Xiaomi to be the first after Samsung to launch a smartphone with Snapdragon 835 on wide sale. This is an extremely successful hardware solution that includes 8 cores with a frequency of up to 2.45 GHz and a graphics accelerator Adreno 540 (710 MHz). The iron portrait of Mi6 is complemented by 6 GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 64/128 GB of permanent memory. First, the numbers from the benchmarks:

If they don't tell you about anything, then under this paragraph there will be a video demonstrating a bunch of demanding games. With the release of the Snapdragon 835, gamers no longer have to worry about throttling and frames per second in their favorite toy. Xiaomi has never been a leader in optimizing top-end Qualcomm chips, but Mi6 almost always has a constant 30 or 60 fps (depending on which fps the toy is locked at) with maximum visual settings. In this case, the processor is not very hot and is very economical.

The smartphone has a 3350 mAh battery with support for Quick Charge 3.0 technology. Thanks to the small diagonal for the flagship (5.15 ”), optimal resolution (Full HD) and the chip (Snapdragon 835), the phone demonstrates excellent autonomy. According to our measurements, at maximum brightness, Mi6 played video without stopping for almost 10.5 hours, and the discharge per hour of play with the panel brightness at a comfortable level was only 6%. Imagine what it would be like if it were AMOLED? In everyday life, it is not difficult for him to last up to two days on a single charge with a medium-intensity load and he sits down weakly in standby mode.

conclusions

When buying a Xiaomi Mi6 from China, it will cost you about 25 thousand rubles (we recommend GearBest.com), and officially in Russia they ask for 30 thousand rubles for it (although you can get a very good discount in the Mi-Shop brand store). And for the money, you get top-end performance, excellent battery life, one of the most functional Android firmwares, and an advanced camera with a decent portrait mode. With such a balance of advantages and prices, not paying attention to the smartphone would be a real crime.

Xiaomi flagships, at least in our market, are not just smartphones - they are a banner, they are a symbol. They do not become sales leaders, but they are mentioned in the comments to any review, where they write something like “I’ll buy three Xaomi Mi X better for this money”.

But recently, a sad trend has emerged - until recently, the current trump card in the form of Mi 5S for only $ 250 began to be easily interrupted by words about last year's hardware and slightly less offensive, but still unpleasant statements about the lack of moisture protection and stereo sound. Therefore, to say that the Internet community was waiting for an update is to say nothing. And here is the trump Mi6 in my hands - a weapon of victory over the damned, greedy, capitalists for at least the next six months.

Design

Mi6 is perhaps the second Xiaomi smartphone that I really liked, without any reservations “for my money”. The first, of course, is the ceramic MiMix.

Yes, the ancestors were nothing, but each with its own nuances. Mi5 was spoiled by the edging around the flattened Home button and the ends made of soft aluminum, which quickly became covered with small scratches and burrs. It is better not to show the design of the back of the Mi5S to pregnant women, children, but the front with an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor built into the glass was good.

In Mi6, the Chinese did not invent anything and took the front part from last year's Eski, and the back from the usual five, rounded the glass and ends, and used polished steel instead of aluminum.

The build quality is perfect, there is no trace of the flimsy Mi5 and cracks like in the iPhone 7. Videos with attempts to bend, scratch the six have already appeared on the Internet, and in them the new flagship from Xiaomi has shown itself just fine, that is, at the level of the flagships of the A-brands.

After 3 days of use, I got a deep groove across the entire screen, but let someone who's iPhone did not scratch the air throw a stone at me. But to bend without a chance, let me remind you that 5S in skillful hands turned into a donut.

Bottom line: as for me, this is one of the most beautiful flagship smartphones on the market ... when it comes to black and white. The design of the blue version was outsourced to Chinese gypsies, so, of course, there was a lot of "gold", the rest was sent to the top ceramic version - only some elements will be gilded there. Later, there will be a silver mirror version a la Sony Xperia XZ Premium.

Ergonomics and elusive beauty

Replacing the case materials had a significant impact on the weight of the device - with a 5.15-inch screen diagonal and dimensions comparable to the iPhone 7, the Mi6 weighs an impressive 168 grams in the regular version and 182 in the ceramic one, which is 30-35% more than the Mi5.

I probably would have resigned myself to such a weight and would not have mentioned it at all, had the six not been so slippery. Thanks to the shape of the case and the olephobic coating, which is not only in front, but also behind. Completely eliminate the problem, a complete thin silicone case can, it's a pity, however, that it feels like a bag from Auchan.

Otherwise, there are no questions about ease of use - everything is in its place, the dimensions are great for one-handed operation.

Scanner and IR

The experiment with the ultrasonic sensor in Mi5S was obviously unsuccessful, so in the new version they returned to the usual optical scanner and did the right thing. Everything works just fine - the reading speed is almost at the level of the best smartphones from Huawei in this business, the number of errors even with wet fingers is minimal. Returned to Xiaomi Mi6 and the prodigal IR port, cut out in Mi5S. I was glad to have him back when I could not find the remote control for the air conditioner ... in order to turn it on for heating in mid-May, of course.

Minijack and waterproof

There is no minijack, there is moisture protection. The second is most likely a consequence of the first - apparently, the Chinese did not succeed in making a smartphone protected from moisture with a hole in the case with a diameter of 3.5 mm, I simply do not see any other reasons to remove the jack.

Xiaomi does not recommend immersing the smartphone in water, and you probably should not immerse it, because I already did it for you. After two minutes of washing in running water, all the buttons of Mi6 failed and they restored their functionality only after thorough drying with a hairdryer.

The kit includes a usb-c adapter - a minijack, but not a headset, which looks redneck considering that Xiaomi produces quite good in-ear headphones. I could have released a special version with a USB-C connector for my flagship.

Was it worth sacrificing jack for the sake of moisture protection, which has not even received an IP rating and in theory only protects against splashes? I don't think so. Xiaomi buyers are used to saving money, but in this case, the company pushes you to additional expenses associated with the purchase of a bluetooth headset, or condemns you to search for headphones with a usb-c connector, and again for additional expenses. On the other hand, perhaps this is good news for the market, and soon we will see affordable and high-quality Airpistons from Xiaomi.

Although, wait, you can suffer for free with the adapter ... Xiaomi ... suffering ... everything came together.

Screen and stereo sound

The Xiaomi Mi6 has a good screen, which did not cause me the slightest discomfort when switching from the iPhone 7 Plus.

According to the characteristics, everything seems to be like the two generations before: IPS, 5.15 inches, Full HD, but there are improvements, and they are noticeable right away - the colors have become richer, almost AMOLED. Brightness automatically adjusts as much as 4096 steps in the range from 1 to 600 nits, undoubtedly important information for you.

The Chinese first swung at stereo speakers and were able to make two speakers, but the quality and volume are mediocre. The main speaker was equipped with a spoken speaker, but despite this Xiaomi Mi6 I want to ask to clear my throat and try again.

The sound has definitely added in volume, covering one speaker with your hand while playing or watching videos, you will still hear something, but the frequencies did not work out - one middle, there are few highs, low ones are locked at maximum volume, which in turn is quite average. The Xiaomi Mi 6 loses even in comparison with the iPhone 7 Plus, and it is far from the standard.

POWER! AAAAAAA !! 1

All you need to know about the hardware of the new Chinese flagship is that the first smartphone with Snapdragon 835, which means that lovers of parrots in Antutu can already run to branded stores and leave pre-orders.

Although you can not run, firstly, wait until they figure out the delivery from China, and secondly, on the current firmware version 8.2.0.2 on Android 7.1.1 my copy of Xiaomi Mi6, although it gives out 183,000 in anttu, but the sensations that the smartphone flies, no.

There are jams, applications crash, freeze or run longer than you expect, despite the fact that there is 6 GB of RAM. There are no problems with games by itself, only with full hd resolution there are no problems with them on snapdragon 821. Under load Xiaomi Mi6 practically does not heat up and does not trotlite - after the fifth run in antutu only 15,000 less, and the temperature does not exceed 38 degrees. Thanks to the ten-nanometer process technology. Another obvious advantage of the new platform is support for Bluetooth 5.0, however, two stereo headsets, like the Galaxy S8, cannot be connected.

PowerAAAAA !! in Xiaomi Mi6, undoubtedly, there is, but I still did not understand where it can be used, even in the anttu there is only ten more than the One Plus 3T. Apparently, it's worth the wait, and the firmware is about to be released, on which everything will work as it should. It is a pity that no firmware will add support for memory cards - the amount of internal memory is fixed: 64 or 128 GB, and 256 gigabytes is not even allowed for the ceramic version.

No power bank needed

During the time that I spent with the Xiaomi Mi6, I forgot what charging during the day is. If the iPhone 7 Plus was usually enough for me at best until seven in the evening, then the Chinese without any problems live up to late night with the final 6-7 hours of screen activity and the balance of 10-15%. Thanks to the new platform, thanks to the Full HD screen, thanks to the 3350mAh battery and thanks to Xiaomi for not messing it up with the firmware. We are waiting for the firmware. From fast charging of the Qiuck Charge standard from 0 to 100, the smartphone gains a little more than an hour.

Twice as many arguments

This is not the first time Xiaomi has installed two cameras in their smartphones, but if last time the concept with a separate black-and-white module was spied on from Huawei, now it is hiccuping engineers from Cupertino.

At first glance, the main module is similar to Mi5S - 12 megapixels, four-axis stabilization, 27mm, except that the aperture is now higher - f / 1.8. But if you dig deeper, it turns out that the sensor here is Sony IMX386, which in the Sony line belongs to the middle class, while its predecessor had a top-end and larger IMX378. The second module has 52mm optics, f / 2.6, but without stabilization, this is a small sensor from Samsung. The quality of the main camera suits me perfectly, it is clearly not worse than the iPhone one, and in a detailed comparison, it will most likely turn out to be even better, but in general the level of pictures is one - high, but still lower than that of the Galaxy S8.

Xiaomi, recently, has been actively working on the software revision of the photo part of its flagships, so the quality is likely to improve even further, as happened with the Mi5S. A televitch to make you cry ... in fact, it is again plus or minus at the level of an iPhone, except that there are much more chromatic aberrations around the branches against the background of the sky, they can be removed by software, which the Chinese will most likely do in new firmware.

This is how Xiaomi Mi 6 shoots.

And these are examples of shooting on Apple iPhone 7 Plus in the same conditions.

New products, created according to the latest trends - with elongated screens and narrow frames, get all the attention, because the interest in smartphones that have not fallen into the "current" quickly disappears. In such cases, a tangible price reduction or the lack of alternatives among new products can save you. In the case of the Xiaomi Mi6, both factors played a role. This smartphone now costs about 21,000 rubles and there is nothing to replace it with.

Appearance and ergonomics

Xiaomi Mi6 received a body made of glass and metal, but in the black version, the smartphone is perceived as completely glass. The reason for this is the glossy ends with exactly the same gloss and fingerprints as the back cover. Yes, the case is easily soiledbut getting rid of prints and smudges is easy, especially if you're wearing a dark sweater.

The back panel has curves on all four sides, but the side ones are most pronounced. It is because of them that the Xiaomi Mi6 feels very thin and comfortable. It is quite possible to use it with one hand, but in order to reach the navigation buttons from below, you still have to intercept.

The lenses of the main dual camera are covered with separate glasses and are slightly recessed into the body, this is a big plus. In everyday use, when placing the device on a table with the screen facing up, they should not contact the surface. The flash is hidden under the glass of the rear panel, which is also a nice little thing.

The entire frontal surface looks monolithic. At right angles, the edges of the IPS matrix are completely indistinguishable. For a second, it even seems that the gadget is covered with some kind of opaque glass cover. The truth is revealed only by the visible peephole of the front camera, a narrow speaker grill and a fingerprint scanner, which, by the way, is hidden under a single glass of the front panel. It is touch sensitive and is located in a special recess. Presses are read even when the display is off, that is, no additional actions are required for quick unlocking. On the sides of it there are navigation keys with backlight in the form of a dot. A similar look and notification indicator on the right above the display.

At the bottom of the smartphone is a USB Type-C port and two symmetrical grilles, the speaker is only on the right. The second is combined with spoken, which provides a stereo effect when listening to music and watching movies. Above, the Mi6 only has a microphone and an IR transmitter.

The smartphone does not have a traditional 3.5 mm audio port. Headphones with USB Type ‑ C not included.

In terms of assembly, the device cannot be found fault with. All components are fitted very tightly, there are no visible backlashes. The travel of the side keys is optimal and tactile. The fingerprint scanner works very quickly, but to improve its accuracy, I recommend keeping the same finger at different angles, like different fingerprints. This will avoid read failures.

Important: in many reviews Xiaomi Mi6 for some reason is credited with protection against water and dust according to the standard IP67 is a bug... Only protection against splashes is officially declared, that is, it cannot be drowned, which confirmed tests of our foreign colleagues.

Screen

The smartphone is equipped with a 5.15 ‑ inch IPS ‑ display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The brightness range is gigantic: from 1 to 600 nits, which allows you to comfortably use the screen both in pitch darkness and in very bright sun. In terms of saturation, the picture is also wonderful, but the temperature has its own nuances.

There are three color tone options and three contrast options in the screen settings, but none of the possible combinations will give you natural white. By default, cold tones will prevail, but this will be noticeable only when compared with other displays. However, even so, Mi6 has one of the best screens among Xiaomi smartphones.

Performance

The smartphone received the flagship eight-core Qualcomm processor Snapdragon 835 & 6GB random access memory. This is more than enough for everything from 4K video playback to heavy 3D games. , for example, goes as smoothly as possible and without a single hesitation. The frame rate doesn't drop even in total chaos with 7 players on screen.

The top level of performance is confirmed by the result in the AnTuTu benchmark. The smartphone scores over 203,000 points. In Geekbench 4 this is 1,924 points in a single-core test and 6,590 in a multi-core test.

The built-in memory is 64 GB. For most users, this should be enough even taking into account the lack of a slot for a microSD memory card. After all, we live in the era of 4G and cloud services.

OS

Fresh available for Xiaomi Mi6 MIUI 9.2 based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat... It makes an exceptionally pleasant impression, it works quickly and smoothly, there are no hesitation and "brakes".

home screen and shutter with quick launch icons

All applications are still installed on the desktops. The leftmost table is the helper ribbon, where you can find quick launch shortcuts, notes, calendar entries and, of course, the search bar.

viewing the notification directly in the blind

Notifications can now be partially expanded and viewed directly in the curtain, having read in more detail a new message in the messenger or a letter in the mail. In the settings, you can also activate the display of icons for all notifications directly in the top status bar. They are hidden by default.

multitasking screen and split screen

The multitasking screen displays thumbnails of windows in landscape orientation. Directly in it, you can go to split screen mode. To do this, click the corresponding button in the left corner and drag the desired sketch up. This function does not work with all applications.

themes to choose from

The theme store, as before, offers a large selection of different interfaces, from "eye-catching" to quite stylish and visually pleasing. The shells, sharpened specifically for MIUI 9, have become more flexible and neat. They do not change the size of unknown icons and do not distort the notification curtain.

pre-installed Microsoft and Google applications

There are many pre-installed applications, only from Microsoft there are five of them: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Skype. At the same time, WPS Office also exists in parallel with them. Fortunately, everything can be removed at once, which is very convenient. You just need to go to the desktop settings menu with a pinch, select all unnecessary applications with a tap and drag them in bulk to the uninstall icon at the top of the screen.

proprietary application "Security"

You can control the amount of caches, traffic, power consumption and memory use using the universal proprietary utility "Security". With this thing, no cleaners and optimizers are needed.

In general, visually MIUI looks holistic and coherent... It is perceived as a complete ecosystem with a full set of proprietary services designed to provide the user with everything they need. There are separate applications for music and video, a file manager, a handy utility for sending and receiving files, a screen recorder, and even a handy "cleaner" with built-in antivirus. All these tools look simple, understandable and clean.

Cameras

The smartphone received a dual main camera. The main sensor is a 12MP Sony IMX386 with f / 1.8 aperture, 1.25μm pixels, OIS and phase focus. Both outdoors and indoors, when shooting static subjects, shots are often successful. Judge for yourself.

Shooting modes can be switched with simple swipes to the right and left, but there is also a set of quick options. These include automatic alignment, which allows you not to overwhelm the horizon, no matter how the smartphone is tilted.

2x zoom example

As an additional sensor, a 12 megapixel Samsung S5K3M3 with an f / 2.6 aperture is used - this is a telephoto lens for a 2x lossless zoom. It is activated by pressing "2x" in the application for shooting. The quality of the images speaks for itself.

background blur examples

Background blur mode is, but it is purely software, and it is the second sensor, the telephoto, that is used for it, so the photo is taken at a double zoom. The quality of the bokeh is acceptable, but the dependence on light is strong, so at dusk or in conditions of dim light indoors, you can not hope for a successful portrait.

The 8 megapixel selfie camera is quite ordinary, but its angle is somewhat narrower than that of competitors, and the flash from the screen is not enough. It will be problematic to do group selfies with an outstretched hand, but, surprisingly, this mode is provided for the main camera. Selfie shooting blindly with the screen turned down is a dubious pleasure.

Autonomy

A 3,350 mAh battery provides an average of one and a half days of active use with 5-6 hours of screen glow (30-40% brightness). This wave is enough to not worry about recharging all day long. In rest mode with mobile Internet and Wi-Fi turned off, only 1% of the charge is lost overnight, but if Wi-Fi is left active, then this is already 6-7%.

Xiaomi Mi6 supports Qualcomm QuickCharge 4.0 fast charging. It charges 55% in half an hour, and completely - in about an hour and a half. A complete 18 W power supply allows you to achieve such speeds.

Conclusion

In terms of work, calls and communications, there are no complaints about the smartphone. It does not lose signal, does not hang in the cold and has no problems with LTE or contactless payments via Android Pay. In terms of autonomy, the Mi6 is also stable, without sudden discharge or other surprises.

On AliExpress, this flagship now costs about 21,500 rubles. With the use of cashbacks, a little more than 20,000 rubles will be released. With such a price, the Xiaomi Mi6 will be an excellent offer for those who are not chasing fashion and modern trends. It is a powerful smartphone with a nice design, good camera and decent battery life. The device does not have any special features and some peculiarities, but it fully justifies its price.

A relatively compact full-screen sub-flagship would be a good alternative for the Mi6, but for now there are no such models on the market... The smartphones closest to this definition are LG G6 and Xiaomi Mi MIX 2, but they cost 28-30 thousand rubles. Anything that is cheaper is a completely different class and different dimensions, which means that the search for an alternative in any case is associated with compromise decisions and sacrifices. In other words, there is no smartphone with narrow frames that is close in price and capabilities, and this allows Mi6 to remain a relevant solution for its class.

Xiaomi Mi6 specifications

• body: glass-metal with splash protection;
• OS: Android 7.1.1 Nougat + MIUI 9.2 (after update)
• screen: IPS ‑ matrix with a diagonal of 5.15 "and a resolution of 1920 × 1080;
• processor: eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 with a frequency of 2.45 GHz and a graphics accelerator Adreno 540;
• RAM: 6 GB;
• built-in memory: 64 GB;
• communications: Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, 2x2 MIMO, NFC;
• navigation: GPS, GLONASS, Beidou;
• main camera: Sony IMX386 at 12 Mp (f / 1.8) with pixels of 1.25 microns, OIS and phase focus + 12 Mp (f / 2.6) "telephoto" Samsung S5K3M3;
• front camera: 8 MP;
• fingerprint scanner: front;
• battery: 3 350 mAh with fast charging via USB Type ‑ C;
• dimensions: 145.17x70.49x7.45 mm;
• weight: 168 grams.

New products from Xiaomi attract the attention of not only enthusiasts, but also ordinary users who are looking for a quality product at an adequate price. Xiaomi Mi6 is the flagship model in the line of the first half of 2017. Has the company managed to create an interesting device for both geeks and ordinary users? Let's figure it out!

Specifications

• Screen: 5.15 inches, IPS OGS, 1920x1080 428ppi, oleophobic coating, polarizing filter, 2.5D.
• Operating system: Xiaomi MIUI 8 (Android 7.1.1).
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835.
• CPU: 8x Qualcomm Kryo 280 (4x 2.45 GHz + 4x 1.9 GHz).
• GPU: Adreno 540.
• RAM: 6GB LPDDR4x 1855MHz 64-bit.
• Built-in memory: 64 GB or 128 GB non-expandable.
• Cameras: dual main: 12 MP (optical stabilization, phase detection autofocus, 27 mm, f / 1.8) + 12 MP (52 mm, f / 2.6); frontal: 8 MP.
• Battery: 3350 mAh, non-removable.
• Dimensions: 70.49 x 145.17 x 7.45 mm.
• Weight: 168 g (182 g for ceramic version).
• SIM slots: 2 nano-SIM.
• Communication: FDD-LTE: B1 / B3 / B5 / B7 / B8; TD-LTE: B38 / D39 / B40 / B41, Bluetooth: 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n / ac (Dual-Band), GPS (A-GPS), GLONASS, BeiDou, FM radio, IrDA , NFC, USB OTG.
• Sensors: light, proximity, accelerometer, gyroscope, Hall sensor, fingerprint, compass, step detector.
• Available colors: black, white, blue.

Equipment

The smartphone comes in a box made of thick cardboard. In addition to the smartphone, the kit includes a charger (Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0), a USB Type-C cable, an adapter for connecting wired headphones and headsets (USB Type C → 3.5 mm Jack), a case, a "clip" for removing SIM cards and a small amount pieces of paper. It's nice that the company puts a high-quality soft silicone case into the box for the flagship smartphones! Otherwise, only the necessary accessories.

Appearance

There are three color variations: black, white and blue. The first two are traditional colors. And the combination of blue and gold, on the contrary, is the first to be found in Xiaomi. The new solution looks fresh and stands out from the background of other devices, it is difficult to remain indifferent.

At the disposal of the editors was Xiaomi Mi6 in a conservative black color, this is the version that is officially presented to Russian users. The color looks strict, yet not boring. In fact, it is a universal choice that is equally suitable for men and women.

Externally, Xiaomi Mi6 is a rethinking of the ideas laid down in last year's Mi5, taking into account the latest trends. The first thing that catches your eye is the absence of sharp edges and an abundance of glossy elements! The rounded stainless steel side bezel blends seamlessly with the rounded rear glass, which houses the dual camera and dual-tone LED flash. Not a single protruding element!

The display is covered with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5, with a barely noticeable rim between it and the side frame. An important difference from its predecessors is the absence of additional dark frames around the screen, only a thin strip in the color of the case, even in white and blue cases.

A front camera, proximity and light sensors, as well as an earpiece and LED indicator were placed above the screen.

Below the display is a home button with a built-in fingerprint sensor. The scanner is fast, no lagging, even with careless swiping. As in Mi5s - the key is touch-sensitive, there is no mechanical movement. To the left and right of the scanner there are two touch buttons - dots with backlight.

At the bottom, the only connector is USB Type-C 1.0, which is used for charging, transferring files and connecting headphones. to the right of the port is the multimedia speaker and to the left is the microphone. Also at the bottom there are symmetrical antenna dividers.

Above is a second microphone that is used for noise cancellation and stereo sound recording. Unlike competitors, Xiaomi does not abandon the IrDA to control equipment, the transmitter is located next to the microphone.

The volume rocker and the power button are on the right. The keys are easy to feel and have a predictable stroke.

On the left is a tray for two nanoSIM cards, there is no support for microSD memory cards. An attentive eye immediately notices a gasket on the tray - one of the elements of tightness. The manufacturer claims protection against splashing in the rain. Full immersion in water looks impressive, but it is not recommended to do this, there is no exact information about the protection standard.

Beveled edges, lack of sharp corners, and thin bezels around the display made it possible to fit the 5.15-inch display into the relatively compact Xiaomi Mi6 body. The smartphone fits perfectly in the hand! Unfortunately, the device is not ideal in terms of ergonomics. The first complaint is related to the weight, the Xiaomi Mi6 is noticeably heavier compared to last year's Mi5: 168 grams versus 129, which makes the novelty seem too weighty.

The glass device with a glossy side bezel looks impressive! At the same time, the body turned out to be slippery, constantly striving to slip out of hands. A complete cover that hides all the beauty and provides a tenacious grip is designed to remedy the situation.

Display

The Xiaomi Mi6 uses an IPS-matrix with a diagonal of 5.15 inches and a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels or just FullHD. The display is protected by a rounded 2.5D Gorilla Glass 5 with a good oleophobic coating: the finger glides easily, prints are rubbed off.

The screen has exemplary indicators of color rendering, contrast and saturation for IPS-matrices. The only controversial point is the level of maximum brightness, on a clear day the display looks dull. At the same time, thanks to the use of a polarizing filter, the information is read even in direct sunlight, no glare.

Additional parameters include auto brightness, adjustment of contrast and color temperature, as well as reading mode. The touch panel supports 10 simultaneous touches.

Iron

Xiaomi Mi6, like other flagships of the company, uses the most productive solution from the Qualcomm line - Snapdragon 835... The single-chip system contains 8 Kryo 280 cores operating at different frequencies - 4 cores up to 2.45 GHz and the remaining 4 up to 1.9 GHz. Graphics - Adreno 540. Served by a chipset of 6 GB of RAM and a high-speed UFS 2.0 flash drive with a capacity of 64 GB or 128 GB.

Today, this combination provides the highest possible performance in the world of android devices. No gaming issues, let alone day-to-day operations. The smartphone copes with any task with ease, the performance reserve will last for more than one year!

The weak point of modern mobile systems is the level of heating and energy efficiency. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 platform is built on a new 10nm process technology, which reduces heat and power consumption. In the case of Xiaomi Mi6, these are not empty words, the device is extremely difficult to warm up to critical temperatures, the case always remains barely warm.

Software

The reviewed smartphone runs MIUI 8 based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat. The firmware is the latest global version at the time of the review. There are a minimum of pre-installed applications, no Chinese rubbish!

The look and feel of the shell is heavily distanced from anything other manufacturers do! Once having figured out the abundance of functions and chips presented, you will hardly want to return to a clean system.

Of the interesting features, the ability to clone applications deserves special attention. This allows you to use two accounts in applications that do not initially support multi-account. For example: WhatsApp, Viber, VKontakte and other instant messengers.

App lock by fingerprint or password will protect confidential data from prying eyes! The function works correctly, you can customize the behavior.

The built-in startup and permission manager will help you track the behavior of third-party applications.

Unfortunately, some useful chips of the bare system bypass MIUI. So, in Android Nougat, the ability to scale the interface was added, but in MIUI 8 based on Android 7.1.1, this feature is still not available. We also failed to find a dual-window mode, which is supported by competing shells. In addition, some applications do not work correctly, for example, in Instagram the status bar becomes unreadable, and the old-style switches are displayed in the Google keyboard. The only hope for the imminent release of MIUI 9.

The system pleased us with its responsiveness, during testing it was not possible to provoke the shell to hang! However, a controversial point is the degree of localization, in some places there is not translated text, which is strange for a firmware with a huge number of Russian-speaking fans!

Communication

Xiaomi Mi6 supports a complete list of modern wireless interfaces. In addition, special technologies are used, for example, special Wi-Fi 2x2 MU-MIMO antennas, which, in combination with a compatible router, give a significant increase in signal speed and stability. A great reason to upgrade your home router! NFC supports all available protocols, compatible with Android Pay and Troika cards.

There are no complaints about the quality of cellular communication, the smartphone confidently holds the network. Two SIM cards work on one radio module, that is, while using one of them, the second becomes inaccessible. The only gripe is the lack of a rapidly developing LTE Band 20 in Russia.

Sound

For audio processing in Xiaomi Mi6, the DSP built into the Qualcomm Hexagon 682 chipset is responsible, there is no separate amplifier and digital-to-analog converter. For the loudspeaker, support for stereo sound is declared, the effect is achieved by using the spoken speaker to help the main speaker. In fact, the sound is surround, it turns out to highlight the left and right channels - the desired effect is achieved! The sound in the headphones is also detailed, averaged over the nature of the sound, there is no frequency skew.

A simple equalizer is built into the firmware, as well as sound presets for Xiaomi headphones. Improvers help to slightly change the character of the sound to taste, there are no phenomenal transformations.

A controversial decision remains the rejection of a separate port for connecting headphones. Compatibility with old accessories is achieved with a complete adapter from Type-C to 3.5 mm Jack, and the company has also released a line of wired Type-C headphones. In practice, there are no problems with using the adapter, you quickly get used to the new connection scheme, no rejection. The only difficulty arose in the car, due to the impossibility of simultaneously connecting the charging and the AUX cable. Still, the future belongs to wireless technologies, Xiaomi is pushing users to buy all kinds of Bluetooth accessories, and the abandonment of the analog port is an attempt to speed up the process.

Camera

No flagship in 2017 is complete without a dual camera! The approach to using the two modules varies: B / W for better detail, a wide-angle lens, or the opposite - a telephoto lens. For Xiaomi Mi6, the last option was chosen!

The smartphone is equipped with two 12 MP modules. The main one is Sony IMX386 with a focal length of 27 mm and an aperture of f / 1.8. Optional Samsung S5K3M3 with 52mm focal length and f / 2.6 aperture. It should be noted that the main module is equipped with four-axis optical stabilization and phase detection autofocus.

This combination provides an honest 2x magnification with one caveat. The second module is activated only in conditions of sufficient illumination, I think that this is due to the less fast telephoto lens optics. In other situations, a software enlargement of the image from the main module is used, which can be seen from the data in EXIF, pay attention to the information on aperture and focal length.

In fact, there are no questions about the quality of the zoom, the frames are equally good. It is safe to say that there is a use for optical zoom, it all depends on the imagination of the photographer!