Xiaomi Mi3 review: smartphone compromise. Xiaomi MI3: an example to follow or an ordinary "china phone"? Mobile phone xiaomi mi3

The young but ambitious Chinese company Xiaomi Tech over the past few years has already become famous for its inexpensive, but high-quality and productive mobile devices, as well as its own proprietary MIUI shell.

Manufacturers from the Middle Kingdom can actually already compete with well-known world brands. Examples of this are smartphones Meizu MX3, Oppo Find 5 and ZTE Nubia Z5S (as well as the past, which I personally like more). Now we have before us the third smartphone in the line, Xiaomi Tech, which received the corresponding index - Mi3 (Mi-Three).

The well-thought-out policy of the manufacturer in relation to previous products has allowed to attract the attention of the "mobile public", and now the announcement of each new smartphone of the company is an expected event. The excitement, of course, is not the same as around Apple products, but the ideologue of Xiaomi Tech Lei Jun is already compared by many to the founder of the Apple company, Steve Jobs.

What is so interesting about the new Mi3? As is usually the case with the products of Chinese companies - their more than pleasant price-performance ratio. Quite a flagship performance is offered here at a very reasonable price.

Specifications

Operating system	Android 4.3 + MIUI V.5
Body materials	Plastic
Screen	5.0 ", IPS, 1920 x 1080, 441 ppi
CPU	4 cores, 2.3 GHz, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, MSM8974AB
Video processor	Adreno 330
RAM	2 GB
Built-in storage	16/64 GB
Interfaces and data transmission	USB 2.0, Wi-Fi (b / g / n / ac), Bluetooth 4.0, (A) GPS / GLONASS, NFC
Connection	2G (850/1900), 3G (850/2100)
Cameras	13 MP main with autofocus and flash, 2 MP front
Battery	3050 mAh
Basic sensors and sensors	Light sensor, proximity sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope
Dimensions (edit)	144 x 73.6 x 8.1 mm
Weight	145 g
Price	14,000 / 18,500 rubles

Everything is at the level of the flagships of the border of 2013-2014. Particularly pleasing is the considerable battery capacity while maintaining adequate weight and dimensions of the smartphone. But the lack of a slot for a memory card, if necessary, seriously overpay for an additional volume of internal storage - on the contrary, it is annoying. Why the "leading Chinese" manufacturers like Meizu, Oppo and now here, Xiaomi, have decided that they can act in the style of Apple, when the same HTC, Samsung and Sony in their flagships quite retain the ability to expand the amount of built-in memory, is not very clear. Yes, and LTE support for someone in our time may no longer be enough.

Separately, I note that a smartphone version based on the NVIDIA Tegra 4 platform is available in the native Chinese market. But, alas, they bring only a more classic version to us - Qualcomm Snapdragon 800.

However, enough theory, let's move on to the review of Xiaomi Mi3, which the online store best-of-china.ru kindly provided us for the test.

Let's start, as always, with the packaging and delivery set.

Packaging and delivery set

Xiaomi Mi3 comes in a medium-sized cardboard box. It is plain and brown, but the packaging looks very good.

Inside, we are already accustomed to being immediately greeted by the smartphone itself, additionally covered with a transport film. And the rest of the kit, as usual, is located below.

The Xiaomi Mi3 comes with:

• Charger (5 V, 1 A);
• USB cable;
• User documentation;
• A clip to remove the SIM card slot.

The set is very modest - there is not even a headset. But everything that is made at a good level, looks laconic and strict.

Appearance and design

Like the vast majority of modern smartphones, Xiaomi Mi3 is made in the standard form-factor, an ordinary “candy bar with a touch screen”.

The exterior of the case is very restrained and combines both sharp edges and some roundness. The back panel is completely made of matte silver plastic, and the front side is covered with protective glass, under which the screen is located. All four sides are part of the lid - there are no extra joints.

According to the design concept, Xiaomi Mi3 resembles Nokia Lumia smartphones, and this similarity only increases the abundance of the declared color options for the case, including yellow and blue.

However, in our stores so far, mainly black, white and silver are available. The latter in the version with 16 GB of internal memory just came to our test.

The front panel is black in all cases. The glass rises slightly above the edges of the case, looks thick and reliable. The thickness of the case is 8.1 mm, there are no protruding elements, even the camera module is flush with the lid.

But if the thickness of a smartphone for such a battery capacity can be recognized as low, then the width of 73.6 mm with a screen diagonal of 5.0 "now looks too big. For example, the already mentioned Oppo Find 5 and ZTE Nubia Z5 / Z5S with the same display size - almost on half a centimeter already.

The height of 144 mm and the weight at the level of 145 g are adequate for the form factor.

In general, the smartphone lies quite comfortably in the hand - everything here is at the level of other five-inch models. The grip cannot be called particularly reliable - the local plastic, although not glossy, is still smooth.

Above the screen is a standard set of elements: light and proximity sensors, a front camera, a slot for the earpiece and an LED indicator. The manufacturer's logo is also placed here. The speaker grill is recessed, which is not very good in terms of clogging potential. But its location and dimensions are convenient and optimal.

The indicator of the smartphone's status and missed events is made in the form of a small but bright multicolor LED. It is customizable, and by default, when charging, it shines in red, yellow and green in sequence; for missed events - blue. The indication is carried out in the form of smooth pulsation with an interval of approximately two seconds. True, at very large angles, its glow may not be noticed.

Below the screen are three standard Android buttons, from left to right: Menu, Home and Back. They are equipped with white uniform backlighting, the brightness is slightly above average.

When the backlight is inactive, the buttons are almost invisible.

In the upper left corner of the rear panel is the main camera lens, dual LED flash and an additional microphone. These elements are located at the level of the body in small recesses and will not be scratched.

The bottom end is reserved for the USB connector and a call speaker. The earpiece microphone is hidden under a long speaker grill. This arrangement (in the style of the iPhone) looks good: the sound will not be muffled if the smartphone is on a flat surface, and should be heard better from the pocket.

At the top there is a 3.5 mm jack for a headset, a slide-out tray for a regular full-size SIM-card and a noise-canceling microphone.

You can use the supplied paper clip or similar item to remove the tray.

The plastic tray is neatly made, but does not look very reliable: in case of rare operations with a SIM-card, it is better to handle it carefully.

On the right side panel, in the upper part, there is a volume rocker, and a little lower - a power / lock button.

The left side is blank.

The quality of materials and workmanship of the case is very good. All parts are tightly connected to each other. Plastic and glass are thick and feel durable. The case does not squeeze through, there is no backlash or squeaks. It passes the curl test well. The paint quality of the plastic is also very good. Outwardly, the smartphone looks discreet, but at the same time it is quite interesting.

In terms of ergonomics, sharp corners do not seem to be the best solution, and the frames around the screen could have been made narrower. However, the rest of the ease of use and control is fine. The buttons are pressed clearly and with a click. The operation of the sensors, sensors and vibration motor raises no objections.

Xiaomi continues to delight enthusiasts with its products. At the beginning of last year, we got acquainted with the Xiaomi Mi2, and just a few months later the Xiaomi Mi2S came out. Both models provide the user with a powerful quad-core Qualcomm platform in a compact package, which is quite rare. In addition, they boast stock MIUI firmware and good battery life. Do not forget about the high quality of smartphones and attractive prices. However, the disadvantages for the domestic user are the difficulties with the acquisition and the lack of full-time support for the Russian language. Given the interest in these devices, both of these moments are now quite solvable.

Trying not to scatter its resources across a wide model range, the company does not release new items very often. But at the end of last year, she introduced the long-awaited update - the Xiaomi Mi3. The device boasts the latest generation Qualcomm platform and 5 ″ Full HD screen. The device uses MIUI firmware and lacks a memory card slot. The smartphone has a fairly compact monolithic body, which is also a difference from its predecessors. These changes have brought the solution closer to the products of other manufacturers on the market, so the competition promises to be strong. On the other hand, the manufacturer has a positive user experience and a good story. Let's see what other interesting features the new product has.

Specifications

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

The device in the tested version 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 memory card support. So, if necessary, you should look at the modification with built-in 64 GB memory.

The screen measures 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 a maximum data transfer rate of 42 Mbps (DC-HSPA +). There is one slot for a SIM-card of the "Mini" format. Traditional Micro-USB is used for charging and connecting to a PC. It is compatible with OTG (including drives, mice, keyboards and other hardware) and MHL.

The device has a built-in wireless adapter with the declared support for 802.11a / b / g / n / ac networks, a 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 - 2.1 megapixels as usual. Both cameras are capable of recording Full HD video.

This time they used a monolithic case and a non-removable battery with a capacity of 3050 mAh.

Xiaomi Mi3 Smartphone Specifications

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, Krait 400, 2.3 GHz, Quad Core
• GPU Adreno 330
• Operating system Android 4.3
• Touch display LCD TFT IPS, 5 ″, 1920 × 1080, capacitive, multitouch
• RAM 2 GB
• Internal 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 with Android Beam support
• GPS, AGPS, Glonass, gyroscope, compass, accelerometer, pressure sensor, temperature sensor
• FM radio
• Cameras: 13 MP (autofocus, LED flash) and 2 MP
• Non-replaceable lithium-ion battery 3050 mAh
• Dimensions 144 x 74 x 8.3 mm
• Weight 142 g

The device in question has become noticeably closer to the top models of other manufacturers. It is 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, is made by such models 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 difficult, since, as we said above, the device is not officially supplied to our market. In our opinion, in terms of the totality of its characteristics, it is more correct to compare this model with the first group of products from top brands than with numerous solutions from less well-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, Quad Core, Krait 300, 1.7 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, Quad Core, Krait 400, 2.3 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, Quad Core, Krait 400, 2.3 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, Quad Core, 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 (edit)	144 x 74 x 8.3 mm, 142 g	126 x 62 x 10 mm, 143 g	139 x 71 x 8.9mm, 143g	137 x 70 x 7.9 mm, 130 g	144 x 74 x 8.5 mm, 170 g
Average price (J.Market)	T-10632786 T-10632967	T-10383671 T-10383906	T-10505130 T-10459740	T-10703893	T-10491965
Offers (J.Market)	L-10632786-10

Equipment

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

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

The package includes a miniature charger with USB output (5 V, 1 A, in our example - with an American plug), a Micro-USB cable, a key for the SIM card compartment and a couple of leaflets in Chinese. Headphones are offered to be purchased independently. Let us mention that the manufacturer offers several of its own models.

Appearance and usability

Smartphones with 5 ″ screens today are on the border between practical devices as a phone and models with larger screens, focused on working 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 scenarios of use he requires. Xiaomi Mi3, unlike its predecessors, is made in monoblock format.

Dimensions (144 x 74 x 8.3 mm) and weight (142 g) are combined very well. For a model with a five-inch screen, they can be considered good. The chosen form is quite interesting and stylish, so that you can even call the design original. The main body is made of plastic and painted with matt silver paint. Perhaps, it is the surface of the case that causes the greatest criticism upon close 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. It is surrounded by an almost imperceptible glossy black plastic insert. In the upper left corner, there is a silver manufacturer's logo. Slightly to the right of it there are light and proximity sensors, in the center there is a narrow slot for the earpiece, followed by the front camera window and a multicolor notification LED.

The black bezels around the screen are just over fifteen millimeters high and about four millimeters wide when you count on the glass. Touch control buttons are in the usual place under the screen. The duration of the automatically activated backlight can be adjusted or even turned off altogether. True, the signatures are practically invisible without it.

Thanks to the rounded sides, the device is comfortable and secure in the hand. On the right side are the volume 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 the familiar tray format, which can be opened with a special key or a paper clip, and is designed to accommodate standard Mini-SIMs. A small grill for an additional microphone is visible next to it, and in the other corner is the headset jack.

At the bottom we see a grill, one half of which hides an external speaker, and the other - 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, too, the plug does not fully fit into the connector.

In the upper left corner at the back there is a block of the main camera, a dual LED flash and a small hole of unknown purpose, possibly associated with an additional microphone. There is another logo and some technical icons at the bottom of the back panel.

The smartphone makes a very good impression by combining its main external characteristics - screen and body dimensions, weight and shape. The only caveat concerns the coating of the case, which did not seem to match the level of the rest of the elements.

Screen

One of the most significant differences between the new items and its predecessors is the use of a Full HD 5 ″ screen. Apparently the manufacturer decided that the time has come for such a format. So, given the platform, the new model will be able to claim a place among the most modern devices. The touch screen supports up to 10 simultaneous touches and has a special mode for easy glove operation.

Alexey Kudryavtsev, editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections, carried out a detailed examination using measuring instruments. You can read the 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, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, there is an effective antiglare filter, which in terms of reducing the brightness of the reflection is not worse than that of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply the Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo (for ease of comparison, translated into shades of gray), on which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Xiaomi Mi3, then they can be distinguished by their size):

The screen of the Xiaomi Mi3 is quite a bit lighter. The doubling of reflected objects in the Xiaomi Mi3 screen is very weak, which 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 type screen - One Glass Solution). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass / air type) with greatly different refractive indices, all other things being equal, such screens look better in conditions of strong ambient light, but their repair in case of cracked outer glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, even better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much easier, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.

With manual brightness control and with the display of the white field on the whole screen, the maximum brightness value was about 450 cd / m², the minimum - 3 cd / m². The maximum brightness is high, which means, given the effective anti-reflective filter, readability even on a sunny day outdoors should be at a good level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable level. In the presence of automatic brightness control by the light sensor (located to the left of the front speaker slot). In automatic mode, when the ambient light conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. 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 too bright, but it could be lower), in an office illuminated with artificial light (about 400 lx), the brightness rises to 344 cd / m² (a bit too much), in a very bright environment (equivalent to outdoor lighting on a clear day, but no direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or slightly more) is set to 460 cd / m² (which is what you need). The brightness slider is 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 can be traced). 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 at about 40 kHz, so it is impossible to visually see the screen flickering, and the presence of such modulation can in no way affect the comfort of working with this device.

This smartphone uses an IPS-type matrix. The micrographs show the typical IPS subpixel structure:

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

The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift even with large gaze deviations from perpendicular to the screen and without tint inversion. For comparison, we present photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of Xiaomi Mi3 and Nexus 7, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to about 200 cd / m². White field perpendicular to screens:

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

Color reproduction is good and colors are saturated 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 did not change much on both screens, but the contrast at an angle in the case of the Xiaomi Mi3 decreased noticeably due to the significant increase in the black level. And white box:

The brightness at an angle at the screens has decreased (at least six times, based on the difference in exposure), but in the case of the Xiaomi Mi3, the drop in brightness is slightly larger. The black field, when deviated along the diagonal, lightens strongly and acquires a purple or yellowish tint. The photos 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 a different angle:

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

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high - about 745: 1. The response time for the transition black-white-black is 19 ms (10 ms on + 9 ms off). The transition between gray tones of 25% and 75% (by the numerical value of the color) and back takes 30.5 ms in total. The 32-point gamma curve showed no blockage in highlights or shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 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:

The color gamut is almost equal to sRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix filters mix the components together to a moderate extent:

As a result, the colors visually 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 spectrum of the absolute black body (ΔE) is slightly more than 10, which is considered not a very good indicator even for a consumer device. However, in this case, the color temperature and ΔE do not change much from shade to shade - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of the color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the 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 the first is selected, the picture becomes "warmer", when the second is selected, it becomes "colder". However, in both cases, ΔE rather increases, and the color temperature for the default profile is generally closer to the standard. Below are two pictures from the screen, the top one was taken when choosing 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) colors are slightly 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 lowered to a comfortable value. It is also permissible 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 flickering and no 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 deviation of the gaze from the perpendicular to the plane of the screen. Nevertheless, the overall quality of the screen is high.

Sound

The main speaker of the smartphone is located at the bottom, so that it will not be blocked when placing the device on the table, but in games you can cover it with your hand. The maximum volume level can be assessed as average. We expected a little more from smartphones of this size. From the point of view of quality, we have met the frequency response even better - the preference is given to the middle frequencies, so music recordings on this device do not sound very interesting. In addition, complex compositions lose their detail at high volumes.

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

In the smartphone options there is an item on the noise canceling system for conversation. However, we did not notice its influence in this scenario, as well as the effect of the additional microphones. The main one has a standard sensitivity, there are no comments on the transmission of speech to them. A more detailed check showed that the grill on the upper part 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. The secondary front camera boasts only 2.1 megapixels (1920 × 1080 pixels). At the same time, both cameras are capable of shooting video up to Full HD inclusive. The flash can be used as a light for movie recording.

The standard software 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 mode, access to the gallery of records, a shutter button and a menu.

In the case of a simple option, the latter offers quick access to some features, in particular HDR and panorama. Switching to full mode will allow you to control exposure, white balance, and other photo parameters. In the program settings, you can select the size and aspect ratio, quality, recording coordinates, turn off the shutter sound, assign shooting or zoom functions to the volume buttons.

Sample photos are shown below.

	In general, the sharpness is good.
	The text has been worked out well and is practically not damaged.
	Noises in the shadows are almost invisible, but the noise reduction works quite hard.
	In low light, the camera does relatively well.
	Sharpness across the field and according to plans is not bad.
	In the shadows, the camera makes a lot of noise, but the noise reduction cleverly hides it at the cost of losing detail.
	The camera does well in macro.
	Another example of a good macro.
	In HDR mode, the camera not only expands the dynamic range, but also improves the sharpness and color saturation.
	In most cases, the flash is good for low or no light.

	Illumination ≈3200 lux. The camera is doing well.
	Illumination ≈1400 lux. The situation does not change much, even the problems with the white balance remain.
	Illumination ≈130 lux. The work of the shumodav becomes noticeable.
	Illumination ≈130 lux, flash. The flash improves the situation, but the picture falls short of 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 the title of flagship. She has no significant shortcomings. The optics work well and do not overwhelm the edges of the frame. The Sony Exmor sensor is backed up by a good program. Of course, the work of the noise control is rude, but the noise itself is practically invisible. Sharping in the pictures is very difficult to find, but at the same time the pictures are quite sharp, which already puts the smartphone camera at a high enough level. This is not to say that the camera is good at resolving small details in medium and long-range shots, but, in any case, they do not merge into a shapeless mess.

If the camera does a good job in low light, then everything is much worse in low light. While strong shadow noise is very cleverly handled, detail inevitably suffers.

A camera of this level can already be compared with the camera of the Samsung Galaxy S5. Of course, in many respects it falls short of the Korean flagship, and in general it does worse in terms of work, but, nevertheless, it demonstrates a very decent result.

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

In the simple video mode, the user can enable Fast Motion and filters. The first hides shooting at a changed tempo, the resulting file has a 720p30 format and five times less duration than in the usual case. It is strange that in the full version it was called Slow. It also allows you to change the frame resolution, white balance and some other parameters. The video format is MP4 and the AAC codec, while the three settings for the main camera correspond to the following parameters: 1920 × 1080 ≈30 fps AVC [email protected] 15 Mbps, 1280 × 720 ≈30 fps AVC [email protected] 8 Mbps, 720 × 480 ≈30 fps AVC [email protected] 2 Mbps. Sound in all cases AAC LC, 96 kbps, two channels. In reality, only the main microphone is used to record sound in videos (and, accordingly, the sound is monaural). 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 shooting is not good. Ripples are noticeable in the video, and the focus jumps over objects quite chaotically, although the sharpness when filming 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. To write this article, we used the MIUI JXDCNBA8.0 version. By the time the tests were completed, the manufacturer had released update 9.0, but no information about the changes could be found.

The disadvantage of the device in question is the lack of support for input in Russian in the standard version of the firmware (the issue of full localization for the target audience is less significant). However, by the efforts of enthusiasts, fully Russified versions have already been developed. In addition, due 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 solvable.

It doesn't make much sense to talk 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 the 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 jump to dialing, messages, or the camera. The power off button menu also contains items for rebooting, enabling the "airplane" mode and turning off the sound signals.

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

You can diversify the look using widgets. The basic set includes traditional switches, clocks, contacts, calendar, mail, search, music, pictures and more.

By swiping down the top status bar, you can quickly access various switches for interfaces and functions. System notifications are also displayed here and it is possible to control some of the programs, for example, the music player.

The stock firmware contains programs, the purpose of most of which is clear from the name: Camera, Gallery, Music, Settings, Market (MIUI 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, the interface of which does not have an English version.

One of the more interesting built-in utilities is Security. This multifunctional program has several functions: cleaning and optimizing the system, controlling the consumption of Internet traffic, blacklisting for calls and messages, monitoring battery consumption and managing power saving modes, antivirus, a system for controlling permissions for applications.

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

The standard Explorer file manager allows you to carry out all the basic operations with documents on the built-in drive. In addition, it can function as an FTP server, making it easy to exchange documents with a PC or other devices. It also has support for Windows networking, which allows you to work with NAS 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 the update and install it through the Updater program. From there, you can reboot the phone into MI-Recovery, which will provide options for cleaning the smartphone and installing an update in the update.zip format.

Backup 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, when messages, calls and other personal information will be hidden, as well as adding selected applications to the protected list so that a password is required to run them.

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

Recorder functions as a voice recorder. At the same time, it is possible to record a telephone conversation. True, the quality in the second case is not very high.

Among the smartphone settings, of interest are: support for working with gloves, locking the smartphone in case of putting it in a pocket, separate volume control for different sources, detailed notification settings, "do not disturb" mode, changing the appearance of the battery indicator, displaying the current data transfer rate, managing power consumption modes , assignment of additional actions for the buttons, setting the indicator light, setting the control buttons of the headset, a special mode "in the car".

Telephone part 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 keeps in touch with them. There are no comments on the operation of voice communication and access to the Internet. The data transfer speed depends mainly on the provider and the load of its base stations. In testing, we noted the indicators at the level of 8 Mbps per reception.

The set of supported Bluetooth services is quite familiar - file exchange, sound transfer, player control and others. The file transfer speed to the smartphone turned out to be lower than usual - about 80 KB / s. In the opposite direction, it was at a good level - more than 150 KB / s.

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

We also checked the wireless display function. In Android devices, it is implemented using the Miracast protocol. The receiver was a Netgear adapter. 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, which does not allow realizing 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 on his work. The speed and accuracy of determining coordinates at altitude.

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

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

Performance

We have already seen the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 platform in several top models. In terms of performance, it is perhaps the best choice for smartphones today. So for comparison in the tables, we used the performance 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 the comparison of the various operating modes of the Xiaomi Mi3 itself. Like the previously reviewed devices of this manufacturer, it has a performance-autonomy setting.

Its three positions are responsible for the choice of algorithms for the operation of the frequency control system of processor cores. 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, in the absence of load, the system can operate on one core and the minimum frequency, which is 300 MHz.

The first group of tests shows that the Xiaomi Mi3 not only has a fast platform, but also effectively realizes its potential, overtaking the competition. At the same time, the "economical" mode, as expected, is about 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 question of "optimization" for AnTuTu in this case.

We had no doubts about the excellent performance of the model in question in graphic tests. 3DMark, which seemed to be presented quite recently, copes with the speed assessment only in the most difficult subtest.

Epic Citadel achieves maximum results in all configurations, and only using the economy mode reduces its performance in the highest quality mode. Although here they remain high enough for comfortable play.

We conclude our performance testing with a section with benchmarks for the Web browser. As a reminder, we use Google Chrome to run them.

It is worth noting that under a long-term serious load (for example, playing Dungeon Hunter 4) in productive modes, the upper part of the smartphone heats up noticeably, and from both sides at once. It becomes uncomfortable to hold it in your hands. So, given the speed of the platform, it may be worth using Balance mode on an ongoing basis, since it is not easy to find significant advantages from 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.

Video playback

Few have doubts that the Qualcomm platform installed in a smartphone will not have any difficulties when playing videos of modern popular formats. It turned out to be subject even to videos with a resolution of 4096 × 2160 pixels and 1080p50 with a profile [email protected]

So our standard Method Roller Plate looks perfect.

We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone (although the first 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 "Testing techniques for video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)"). Screenshots with an exposure of 1 s helped to determine the nature of the frame output of video files with different parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p) and 1920 by 1080 (1080p) pixels) and the frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 frames / With). In our tests, we used a stock video player. The test results are summarized in the table:

Okay No Okay No Okay No Okay No

Note: If both columns Uniformity and Skips green ratings are set, this means that, most likely, when watching movies, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and skipping of frames will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with the playback of the respective files.

According to the criterion for outputting frames, the quality of video playback on the screen of the smartphone itself is high, since frames (or groups of frames) can be displayed with a more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without frame drops. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p), the image of the video file itself is displayed one-to-one, right on 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 novelty has a non-removable battery with a capacity of 3050 mAh. A standard charger with a current of 1 A fully restores it in 2 hours and 30 minutes. It makes no sense to use a power supply unit with a high current, the test showed that the time does not decrease.

Like the previously reviewed Xiaomi devices, the Mi3 provides control over the processor modes, which allows you to reduce the often excess core frequencies and increase battery life. In testing, we only checked the Balance and Battery Saving options, since High Performance is not relevant for our scenarios. The brightness of the screen 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 economy mode even turned out to be shorter than in the balanced one. Unfortunately, it was not possible to determine the reason for this behavior of the smartphone.

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

Prices

The question of the cost of devices that are not officially presented on the local market is rather complicated. Judging by the few offers in Moscow at the time of this writing, then for a model with 16 GB of memory, you should focus on the figure of 17,000 rubles, and with 64 GB - at 20,000 rubles. On foreign Internet sites, smartphones are asked for $ 400 and 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 intermediary services and delivery).

If you set the requirements for a Full HD screen 5 ″ -5.2 ″, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600/800 platform and the cost of up to 20,000 rubles, then the aforementioned LG G2, Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE +, Sony Xperia Z1 will be among the interesting competitors. Sony Xperia Z2 and ZTE Nubia Z5S will soon join them. 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, case design and 4G / LTE support. The Xiaomi Mi3 does not have a definite advantage, but it looks very worthy in this list.

Outcome

The new high-end model from Xiaomi is definitely a success. First of all, it is worth noting the use of the most productive Qualcomm platform in the Xiaomi Mi3 at the moment. Although, as we have already said many times, from a practical point of view, its power will be in demand in very rare cases. Fortunately, the manufacturer has provided for the "conversion of gigahertz to hours", having implemented in the device control of the algorithm for selecting the operating frequency of the platform, which can significantly increase the battery life of the device under medium and high load. In general, the device in this parameter corresponds to the modern level, although it does not break records (in contrast to the speed). It is also worth noting the presence in the smartphone of a high-quality 5 ″ Full HD screen, a good camera, dual-band Wi-Fi, NFC and a perfectly working navigation unit. Remarks may be about the limited choice of flash memory and the lack of support for memory cards. We will also mention a not very clear situation with the implementation of MHL and 802.11ac.

The second key feature is the use of an interesting and practical MIUI as a stock firmware. True, domestic users will have to independently resolve the issue with the Russian language, but this is relatively easy.

From the point of view of the case design, the model can be called original. Avoiding a removable battery allows for a slim, comfortable and stylish design. Although the base material used and its coating did not seem very much in line with the level of a smartphone.

The complexity of choice in this segment is significantly increased by the ambiguous situation with the cost of a smartphone. On the local market, good models of well-known manufacturers compete 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 the cores and gigahertz are not just a line in the description of the device, but really demanded characteristics.

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

A curious situation has developed in the Chinese mobile phone market. For a long time, China was associated only with ultra-cheap, almost falling apart in the hands of the model. But just a few years ago in the Middle Kingdom, as if out of nowhere, several startups appeared with powerful smartphones in every sense.

Companies Xiaomi, Meizu and Oppo, not caring too much about marketing, have managed to build a reputation for themselves as manufacturers of beautiful, functional and, importantly, reliable devices. Getting a top-level smartphone cheaper than the products of global brands is an attractive offer for any user.

It is not surprising that information on the fantastically high demand for the models of the aforementioned "three tigers" of the Asian segment of "smart phones" appears on the Internet every now and then. Many believe that virtually obscure companies have managed to wipe their noses from venerable vendors like Samsung or Sony.

Package

This time we decided to tell separately about the packaging, it is very remarkable. Xiaomi has definitely decided not to spend a single extra cent on anything that does not directly concern the smartphone. The MI3 box is made of cardboard so thick it looks like wood.

The set is an example of brevity. Something similar in form and content can be seen in Amazon products. In addition to the smartphone, the box contains only a USB cable and a clip for the SIM card tray. No headphones, no charger, and even more so other "unnecessary".

Appearance

You can talk for a long time and tediously about the software merits of a smartphone, but if its plastic essence has not changed over the years, and the design remains rounded and blurred, no "gaze control" will make the heart of a potential buyer tremble. The MI3 model is in luck. This device has charisma. The wonderful appearance of the phone seems to show the user - here I am in all my glory, the best, ideal smartphone.

Of course, all this concerns individual tastes and preferences, but we think that MI3 will appeal to everyone. And it seems that there is nothing in it that we have not seen before (there is something in the Chinese smartphone from different models of Nokia Lumia, you can draw parallels with Panasonic Eluga and flagship representatives of Sony Xperia). However, we are by no means talking about plagiarism - MI3 is an absolutely independent product with a carefully thought-out, stylistically verified design, which has its own "face".

From an aesthetic point of view, the model could be called the prettiest of the presented smartphones, if not for the annoying "deception". Xiaomi has tried very hard to make the MI3 cover look like a metal one, but in fact it is made of plastic. Until you take the device in your hand, you will never guess that the back panel is not made of aluminum. This, at least, applies to the gray specimen that we tested.

The quality of the plastic seemed to us high. Xiaomi claims that the body of the smartphone is made of polycarbonate, like the flagship models of Nokia and Samsung. Some of those whom we gave MI3 to hold, on the contrary, pointed to "cheap plastic" and suspected the silver coating that it would peel off quickly. Here's another example of different tastes.

Both buttons - volume control and inclusion - are metal. They are located on the right side of the device. It is a pleasure to use the keys, they are easily distinguishable tactilely on the rounded edge, the moment of pressing is felt clearly.

Xiaomi MI3 and Nexus 5

Three touch-sensitive control buttons are located under the display. Above the screen, you can see a speaker, a front camera, light and distance sensors, a multi-colored LED indicator, and a company logo. In the off state, the display is not completely black, as, for example, in the same iPhone 5 or Nexus 5, but with a slight lilac tint. This slightly spoils the appearance of the device, since the matrix does not merge with the edging.

Unlike the rounded right and left sides, the bottom and top edges are flat. At the bottom is a wide external speaker, to the left of it is a microUSB port. Above, in addition to the standard audio jack, there is a SIM card tray. Interestingly, in the era of micro- and nanoSIM, MI3 developers preferred the outdated standard of the usual "SIM".

The body of the smartphone is monolithic, so you won't be able to replace the battery. There is no memory card slot, so you cannot expand the available volume either.

The panel with the matrix and the protective display protrudes slightly above the body, so you should be careful when laying the phone “face down” - despite Gorilla Glass, there is a chance of scratching the screen.

The smartphone turned out to be larger than its "classmates". It is 5 mm longer than the Meizu MX3 and almost a centimeter longer than the Samsung Galaxy S4. Both competitors are narrower than the hero of today's review by almost 2 and 4 mm, respectively. But in terms of thickness, MI3 is only slightly inferior to the Korean device - 8.1 against 7.9 mm. All three devices weigh about the same, about 140 g.

Display

After getting acquainted with the top-end Chinese smartphones, there was a feeling that the highest quality matrices are received by these models, created by companies that have recently been unknown to anyone.

MI3 has a 5-inch IPS-matrix with a resolution of 1080 × 1920 pixels (441 ppi). The display quality is excellent and resembles the screen of the Meizu MX3 we recently tested.

In the settings, you can choose one of three options for color temperature and bright or standard saturation. The range of settings is not very wide, but it allows you to adjust the image to suit your preferences.

A very responsive touch layer should be noted separately - the screen responds instantly to the slightest, almost airy touch. In addition, you can activate the "With gloves" mode, which works no worse than in the top representatives of the Nokia Lumia line.

The display and design of MI3 are the two main advantages of the smartphone from Xiaomi. It is gratifying that Chinese developers have paid attention to those things that many manufacturers forget about or are trying to save money on.

Sound

We rarely pay much attention to the audio capabilities of smartphones. Most often, the sound they give out through the headphones can be called "sterile", and there is no need to talk about external speakers at all - everyone is already accustomed to loud, but creaky and rattling beeps. Only occasionally are there exceptions in the form of the HTC One.

Judging by the settings menu, Xiaomi has seriously worked on the musical component of MI3. In addition to the equalizer, it has a function to improve the sound quality of MiSound. We have already seen something similar in some smartphones, including those from the Taiwanese HTC.

After activating MiSound, the generally nondescript sound in headphones acquires saturation and depth. There are also settings for the headphones here, with three of the four referring to the Xiaomi headset, none of which we, unfortunately, had. It is still possible to activate profiles, but the quality of track playback is clearly degraded. By the way, the control buttons in the iPhone headset in MI3 do not work.

The smartphone can be used as a music player - you just need to buy not the cheapest headphones, activate MiSound, turn on the "Regular" profile and, if desired, "conjure" with an equalizer.

Camera

In terms of megapixels and quality of photos, the MI3 model bypasses the competitor in the face of Meizu MX3. At the same time, the pictures taken by the 13-megapixel camera cannot be called flawless. During the day, the shots are excellent, in rooms sometimes there are problems with color reproduction - the colors are shifted towards the blue spectrum.

In low light conditions, some images look like they are hazy. Probably, this is how the "noise control" works. By the way, there is really no strong graininess.

The device received a very good photomodule, the capabilities of which are sufficient for a mobile device. Nevertheless, there are smartphones on sale that can take better pictures - take, for example, the Nokia Lumia 1520 or the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Functionality

Those users of Android smartphones who like to try third-party launchers know that MIUI from Xiaomi actually makes a completely different device out of the usual "Google" device. The fact that MI3 is running Android 4.3 means little - anyway, Xiaomi will change the OS in the new firmware beyond recognition.

Note that Chinese developers release weekly updates to their launcher, "pulling up" to the latest OS versions and adding functionality. When the smartphone first appeared with us, it was based on Android 4.2. At the first connection to the network, the device offered to install MIUI with Android 4.3, and at the end of testing, another assembly appeared with minor improvements.

MIUI's organization logic is reminiscent of iOS. There is also no separate menu with applications - all shortcuts and folders appear immediately on the desktop. However, unlike the "apple" platform, the brainchild of Xiaomi boasts huge possibilities for customization. Here you will find a lot of preset wallpapers, and the ability to download them in a special catalog, and different themes, and a dozen transition effects, as well as the broadest possibilities for customizing notifications and key actions (for example, you can take photos with the Back button on the lock screen).

The bottom UI bar can contain up to five application shortcuts and even folders. Initially, the user has access to three desktops, and the leftmost one is reserved for the search bar - just like in iOS 6. In this case, however, you can place program icons in the “search” window. In total, you can create as many desktops as you like - we stopped counting when we were in our 40s.

The lock screen allows you to do one of four things: unlock your smartphone, open the dialer, messages, phone book, or start the camera. It all depends on which way you pull the round slider. If a music player is playing in the background, buttons appear around the ring to control it.

The MIUI notification panel has two tabs. The first displays information about the latest actions and traffic, the second - the so-called "switches", that is, quick settings (enable / disable the "Airplane" mode, lock / unlock auto-rotate, adjust the backlight levels, etc.).

It seems that all products of the Chinese company Xiaomi are becoming successful even before the release. A huge army of fans around the world provides its smartphones with the necessary attention, and sales only emphasize the correctness of the strategy of one of the most prominent manufacturers from the Middle Kingdom. As part of the review of Xiaomi Redmi (Red Rice, Hongmi, "Red Rice"), we found out that the Chinese public sector was very good. Now let's find out how things are with the flagship Xiaomi Mi3, which replaced the Mi2S model (review). The smartphone was provided for the test by the Best of China online store.

Specifications Xiaomi Mi3:

• Network: GSM / GPRS / EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), UMTS / HSDPA (850/900/1900/2100 MHz)
• Platform (at the time of announcement): Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with MIUI
• Display: 5 ", 1920 x 1080 pixels, IPS, 441 ppi, Gorilla Glass 3
• Camera: 13.1 MP, f / 2.2, dual flash, autofocus, video recording [email protected]
• Front camera: 2MP
• Processor: Quad Core, 2.3 GHz, Snapdragon 800 MSM8274AB
• Graphics chip: Adreno 330
• RAM: 2 GB
• Internal memory: 16 or 64 GB
• Memory card: no
• GPS and GLONASS
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Wi-Fi (802.11a / b / g / n / ac)
• microUSB 2.0
• FM radio
• Battery: non-removable, 3050 mAh
• Dimensions: 144 x 73.6 x 8.1mm
• Weight: 145g
• Form factor: candy bar with touchscreen
• Type: Smartphone

Video review and unpacking

Design and equipment

Xiaomi Mi3 is sold in a large box with a minimum of designations. The front side is decorated with a logo, and on the back there is a sticker with characteristics (16 or 64 GB), serial number, IMEI and other information (buyers need to take a Snapdragon 800 model with WCDMA mark in order for the device to function in our 3G networks). The modest contents do not correspond to the dimensions of the package: the phone itself is inside (the 3050 mAh battery is not removable, inserted into the device), a needle for the SIM tray, documentation, charging with a plug not for our sockets (1000 mA is not enough), microUSB cable. Considering some exoticism of the device and difficulties in purchasing accessories, I would not refuse a case and a branded headset in the kit, would you?

Above the screen there is an earpiece, light and distance sensors, a 2-megapixel camera, and an LED indicator. Under it there was a place for three backlit touch buttons. On the left is empty, on the right is the volume rocker and the power button, at the bottom is microUSB, a speaker (average volume, rattles) and a microphone (hidden under one grill), at the top is an audio jack, a SIM card slot (mini format) and a microphone (probably). On the back, there are certification marks in Chinese, a 13MP camera with dual LED flash and a microphone.

Xiaomi Mi3 is made in a design fresh for the company. And although you can see something from the Nokia N9, Lenovo K900 and Sony Xperia Z, the smartphone as a whole looks original and attractive. My main concerns before meeting live were about ergonomics and size. However, as in the case of the HTC One (M8) (review), which also looks sturdy in the photo, they were not confirmed. That is, Mi3, of course, is larger than the LG G2 with a larger diagonal and its dimensions are larger than that of the LG Nexus 5 (even if it has a diagonal of 4.95 ", not exactly 5"), but it still fits well in the hand due to rounded sidewalls and is convenient to use. The dimensions of the Mi3 are 144 x 73.6 x 8.1 mm, the M8 is 146.36 x 70.6 x 9.35 mm, the Galaxy S5 is 141.7 x 72.5 x 8.2 mm, the Xperia Z1 is 144 x 74 x 8.5 mm.

The entire front side is covered with Gorilla Glass 3 and, together with black inserts that almost merge with the screen, looks impressive. The display with a diagonal of 5 "and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (441 ppi) is made using IPS technology and is produced at the Sharp and LG factories. I do not know at whose capacities the screen of my sample is made, but I can say that it is not bad, although not the most The brightness is sufficient, although there is no margin and 80% corresponds to 40-50% of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8, the color rendition is pleasant, the responsiveness is high, but there is a lightening under slopes. Whether it will strain in everyday life. There is a possibility of detecting touches with gloves, the oleophobic coating is also available. In the settings, you can adjust the temperature and I took advantage of this by setting a cold one - with a natural and warm display, it turns yellow noticeably.

At first glance, it may seem that the body of Mi3 is made of metal. The base is still here made of plastic. A board is put into it and a high-tech sandwich covers the screen on top.

The Chinese Xiaomi Mi3 has a lot of colors, and they depend on the modification. According to the official website, the WCDMA version for the China Unicom operator (our case) is available with 16 and 64 GB of memory, and the device with a small drive can be white, silver and black, and the model with a large storage is available with a white and black base. But subscribers of China Mobile with TD-SCDMA on Tegra 4 are more fortunate. For them, there is additionally pink, blue, yellow and another version of the black Mi3 (that is, seven pieces in total). But that's only for 16GB. The 64GB TD-SCDMA version has the same assortment as WCDMA for 16GB. Confused, I agree.

I do not exclude that different colors have different textures of plastic, while silver plastic has matte plastic. And it does an excellent job of hiding fingerprints, and micro-scratches on it are not visible at all. The assembly of my sample Xiaomi Mi3 is five-plus. If it were not for the plastic that is slightly squeezed and creaky in microUSB, it would be ideal.

Software

Xiaomi Mi3 is currently running Android 4.4 KitKat based firmware. All potential buyers should keep in mind that the phone is sold with Chinese firmware with a bunch of unnecessary services and without the Russian language. This misunderstanding is corrected simply - through the firmware from MIUI.su. Install the APK program, check the update, download the file and upload it from the settings by selecting the installation file. Route is not required, as is dancing around the tambourine in the case of Red Rice.

MIUI is characterized by a very advanced launcher and functionality in relation to bare Android. One of the main features is themes that change not only wallpapers and icons, but also widgets, unlocking method. The standard lock screen displays the weather, the artist's name, and the circle can be opened to go to SMS, phone and camera. If you hold down the home key on this screen, the flashlight will start. In the interface, you can customize the transition effect between tables, a grid (4x4 or 4x5). The shutter (lowered by swipe down from any screen height) can contain two tabs, or one with buttons in the lower area. Clearing the memory and closing the current task can be tied to the keys under the screen (the hold time is adjusted in half-second increments). The multitasking menu displays four icons and the list scrolls left and right. If some program cannot be removed from the RAM, then a lock will be set on it with a swipe down. I still can not help but note the icons of the player and notes, which can turn into a widget by swiping up or down.

There are two tabs in the settings - favorites (the most frequently used, you cannot edit the list) and that's it. In the "Screen", you can distinguish between temperature (warm, natural and cold) and saturation (bright and standard). In "Sound" there is a proprietary sound amplifier MiSound, built, as I understand it, on the Dirac technology. When activated, it is possible to adjust the sound over the headphones (standard Xiaomi headphones, Xiaomi earbuds and caps, as well as ordinary non-Xiaomi headphones) and adjustment in the equalizer - I'll tell you about the sound below along with the player. In "Battery" you can select the indicator style (percent, line or graph), as well as the power mode (efficient, balanced and energy saving). I will tell you about the difference between them and the benefits below. Let me remind you that the LED indicator is at the top, and in the corresponding menu in the settings, the user can set the colors for notifications, calls and messages. The MIUI.su firmware contains the Sony Xperia keyboard - one of the best. Together with a Google account on the phone, you should create a Xiaomi MiCloud account, through which contacts, SMS, call logs, notes are archived, as well as data archiving to the cloud.

There is no application menu - all programs are on the tables, like in iOS. You can drag them between the tables with your finger, or by holding your finger on the icon and scrolling the tables with your other hand. The set of programs in the case of the MIUI.su firmware is more than sufficient, and useless software for Chinese operators and users has been cut out of it. At the same time, there are almost no applications from Google either, but there is a Play Market through which you can install everything you need.

There is a clock application, voice recorder, FM radio, flashlight, calculator, compass, calendar, notes, weather, mail, file manager.

In PonPonTile, NFC tags are configured to start tasks.

Xiaomi system applications include MiCloud cloud storage, MiCredit e-wallet, which is problematic to replenish, downloads, updates, backup, protection (screen lock), user reviews and a SIM service. Kuaipan is a cloud storage.

The "Gallery" provides for sorting pictures by catalogs. There is a photo editor. Films can be launched from here, or through "Video". Swipes to the left and right while watching a video adjust the brightness and volume. It is possible to create a screenshot from the menu. The program includes an online cinema with a large catalog, albeit in Chinese.

It is clear what the Themes are for. Paid ones are difficult to acquire, but there is no shortage of good free ones.

Mi-Market is a branded application store. Everything is in Chinese, but I don't think that this will stop the fans of free games and software.

The standard music player against the background of Sony's Walkman, HTC and Meizu branded audio players no longer seems very convenient (previously it seemed quite good). I do not like the navigation through the directory at the bottom, not full screen, and the fact that the button to go to the current track is in the upper right corner. Covers and lyrics are sucked from the Internet, but the quality of the pictures leaves much to be desired. And he rarely finds them - either I'm listening to the wrong music, or Xiaomi's source is not very good. Okay Shpongle doesn't know, but Maroon 5? There is an online music catalog and you will have to deal with the hieroglyphs. The sound quality in conjunction with the JBL Synchros S700 I would describe as "average" with no volume headroom. Proprietary software "improvements", I think, can be renamed to "worse", since they obviously do not make the sound better. But here it all depends on the headphones. The cheaper and worse they are, the higher the likelihood of sound straightening by the source software. If we compare the sound with MX3, a direct competitor to Mi3, then there can be no doubts - Meizu is much better.

There is also an online store with Xiaomi products, but needless to say that everything is in Chinese and there is no delivery to Russia? However, soon the Chinese will come to us and everything will be fine, I hope.

As for the stability of the software, I have several times encountered crashes from games, a sudden suspension of the Play Market, as well as freezing of simple programs such as a calculator, mail and operating instructions. The phone itself came to life in ten seconds, without reacting before any commands (by the touchscreen or keys). Fortunately, new firmware is released every week. Unfortunately, hefty fix lists raise quality control concerns.

Camera

The Mi3 uses a 13-megapixel camera with autofocus, dual flash, f / 2.2 aperture. There are more than enough settings and shooting modes, and in general the results are quite decent in all tested conditions. From the nuances, it can be noted that if you take 3-4 frames from one point, then at least one will be blurred. Examples:

The second caveat concerns the flash. In about half of the cases, it overexposes the object:

The third nuance manifested itself twice: the focus was automatically placed on the lower part of the frame, while the rest went into "soap". Like this:

In general, I repeat, the camera of the Xiaomi Mi3 is solid. But not the best, yes. I was not happy with the video camera in Mi2S and not happy with it in Mi3. However, progress is evident. In the new model, sound recording has been tightened, although the electronic stabilizer is still not very effective, and the tracking autofocus is hyperactive and tends to adjust at the slightest change of plan. In my opinion, it is better to turn off stabilization and constant focus. Shaking is still better than an "aquarium", and touch-focus is no worse than a twitching machine gun. Examples in Full HD outdoors, indoors and at night:

Benchmarks and performance

Xiaomi Mi3 for WCDMA networks is built on the Snapdragon 800 processor with 4 cores of 2.3 GHz each. The chipset includes an Adreno 330 graphics chip and is complemented by 2GB of RAM. This filling, despite the release of Snapdragon 801, is still relevant and is inferior to the fresh solution quite a bit. Moreover, in synthetic tests, one might say, there is no difference at all, but it seems to be present in power consumption.

results in energy saving mode

The smartphone can work in three modes - energy saving, balanced and productive. With the first mode, the processor frequency is constant at 1 GHz, but there is almost no difference between the others. Benchmark results in three modes (productive, normal and economy): AnTuTu - 34 862, 33 215, 18 873; Quadrant - 20 137, 19 064, 10 637; Geekbench 3 - 959/2810, 912/2327, 529/1616; GFXBench - 11.1 / 27.1 fps, 11.7 / 27.0 fps, 7.6 / 16.2 fps; 3DMark - 19,005, 17309, 10 911; Epic Citadel - 55.6 fps, 54.2 fps, 43.8 fps. At the same time, in the mode with limited speed, the smartphone copes with ordinary tasks without any complaints, and even pulls some toys without problems. Without restrictions, all modern games are going with a bang (except for GTA SA). But this barrel of honey was not without a fly in the ointment. And the name of this "seasoning" is overheating. And it should be noted that on firmware with Android 4.3 the results were higher: AnTuTu - 36 100, Quadrant - 21 257, Geekbench 3 - 971/3067, GFXBench - 11.2 / 27.6 fps, 3DMark - 18 946, Epic Citadel - 56.1 fps. In addition, since 4.3, the results between the productive and normal modes differed by the margin of error. Now at least some difference.

In the Stability Test, heating in half an hour reaches 51 degrees, which can somehow be called acceptable with a stretch, but 57.3 degrees in half an hour in NOVA 3 my tongue does not turn. The phone heats up from the back side and heats up the glass very much, which is unpleasant to hold on to with your hands, not to mention abruptly interrupting the game and leaning the screen against your face to talk. It seems that Mi3 is even hotter than the LG Nexus 4, about which real temperature legends were made. And it is surprising why the public and the owners are silent about such an unpleasant feature of the Xiaomi flagship. Or is my sample unsuccessful? In the Stability Test in balanced / productive modes, the 2.3 GHz frequency lasts no more than a minute, after which it drops to 1.7-1.9 GHz and jumps back and forth, sometimes dropping to 1.3 GHz. In the power saving mode, the frequency is always at 1 GHz, and the heating reaches 41.6 degrees.

results on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

Another important factor that can limit the user's dreams of turning the Mi3 into a gaming smartphone is discharge. In balanced / productive modes, half an hour in NOVA 3 with 80% brightness (we usually test at 50%, but the display on Mi3 is very dim for a top - why give it a head start?) Drain the battery by 22% versus 15-17% for competitors (heating, as mentioned above, 57.3 degrees). That is, the Mi3 is capable of producing a little over two hours of dense games with the wildest heating, unless, of course, the overheating protection works (I have not tested it - it's scary). With energy saving, the discharge under the same conditions is 9%, which is noticeably better (low heating - 37.5 degrees). It is not so comfortable to play with savings, but it is possible. When playing a movie with maximum brightness and all working wireless modules, the phone can withstand a little over 7 hours. That is, like the Sony Xperia Z1 and slightly worse than the LG G2 with a similar hardware base (but keep in mind the low maximum brightness of the Mi3 screen). There is no supernatural heating in video player mode. In mixed mode, without an emphasis on games that suck the charge, users can count on 5 hours of screens for a day or two, without limiting themselves in going online. The presented results on heating and discharge were obtained with firmware on Android 4.3. This material will be updated with results from Android 4.4 in the coming days.

conclusions

If the past Xiaomi flagships were taken by the fact that they were one of the first and, probably, the only ones to offer advanced stuffing from Qualcomm at an interesting price, then Mi3 with Snapdragon 800 does not have this competitive advantage. Firstly, because it was seriously delayed (the release was postponed several times). Secondly, because competitors are not asleep and lovers of affordable performance have turned their attention to other models. In particular, on the LG Nexus 5 (review), which turned out to be much easier to get. In addition, the competition in the 5 "segment is very tough and Xiaomi does not play into the hands of" gray "devices from A-brands. And the requests from buyers do not stand still, they become more capricious and demanding.

The Xiaomi Mi3 is a smartphone compromise. The screen has good performance, but the panel is not bright and the tilt behavior is not the best. The camera is solid, but there are not enough stars from the sky. The interface is interesting, but ridiculous bugs and Chinese limbs sticking out here and there spoil the whole impression. Performance is good, but engineers have forgotten about heat dissipation and overlooked the optimization of energy consumption. The sound from the speaker and headphones, alas, also did not become the hallmark of Mi3. But you can turn a blind eye to all these compromises if you get a model at a price close to the 1999 yuan recommended in the Celestial Empire. That is, for 11-13 thousand you can take, weighing the pros and cons, and then, for example, LG Nexus 5 and Meizu MX3 look more interesting proposals (review).

Finally, I will say that in 2014 Xiaomi will officially come to the Russian market. Fixing on our counters will definitely not be an easy walk, but the company has repeatedly proved that it can and knows how to surprise. True, fans of the brand need to prepare mentally in advance for the fact that Russian prices will definitely not be Chinese. Thanks again to Best of China online store, who provided Xiaomi Mi3 for review.