Xiaomi’s largest smartphone yet, Xiaomi Mi Max has made its debut in the Indian market. Xiaomi’s smartphones have been known for making a buzz in the market with their great features at very competitive prices. Like the other smartphones in Xiaomi’s portfolio, would the Mi Max be able to entice Indian customers? We find out in this post. We spent some time with Xiaomi’s latest phablet and here is our Xiaomi Mi Max review with reasons to buy and reasons to not buy (with video).
Specifications & Features Of Xiaomi Mi Max
Before we share the Xiaomi Mi Max review, here is a quick glance at the specifications and features of the phone:
- Processor: 1.4GHz hexa-core Snapdragon 650
- GPU: Adreno 510
- Display: 6.44-inch full HD (1920×1080 pixels resolution, 2.5D curved glass)
- Operating System: Android 6.0 Marshmallow with MIUI 7
- RAM: 3GB
- Storage: 32GB (expandable up to 128GB via microSD card)
- Rear Camera: 16 mega pixel with dual LED flash, f/2.0 aperture, PDAF
- Front Camera: 5 mega pixel with f/2.0 aperture
- Battery: 4850mAh
- Connectivity: 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS
- Dimensions: 173.1×88.3×7.5mm
- Weight: 203 grams
- Hybrid Dual SIM
- Fingerprint scanner, IR sensor
Price & Availability
It is priced at Rs. 14,999 for SD 650 SoC+3GB RAM+32GB storage variant and Rs. 19,999 for SD 652 SoC+4GB RAM+128GB storage variant. It will be available to buy from Amazon India, Flipkart, Paytm, Snapdeal, Tata CLiQ and mi.com via flash sale starting July 13, 2016.
Xiaomi Mi Max Review: Reasons To Buy
Here are 10 reasons why you should buy the Xiaomi Mi Max smartphone.
1. Design
The Mi Max flaunts its all aluminium body that looks very elegant. It is Xiaomi’s largest smartphone yet and gives more of a tablet like feel. Bezels across the screen are very thin and give it a very impressive look. It is a well built phone that looks very premium.
2. Display
The phablet features a large 6.44-inch full HD display with 1080p resolution and 2.5D curved glass. The screen is sharp and vivid. The large display of this phone is suitable for watching videos and playing games. Viewing angles are good but sunlight legibility of the screen is a bit disappointing. We have mentioned about it in the later segment of this post, i.e. reasons to not buy.
3. Camera
This is another department where Mi Max impresses us. It sports a 16 mega pixel primary camera with dual LED flash, f/2.0 aperture and PDAF. There is also a 5 mega pixel front snapper with f/2.0 aperture. The phone supports 4K video recording. Camera app of the device is easy to use and comes with numerous manual controls. There are different modes and filters as well which users can apply. It captures very crisp and detailed images with good color reproduction. We are impressed with the image quality of Mi Max’s camera and it is one of the best we’ve seen in this price range.
4. Hardware & Performance
The Mi Max is armed with a 1.4GHz hexa-core Snapdragon 650 processor paired with Adreno 510 GPU. It houses 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. In hardware and performance department, it matches closely with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. The phablet handles gaming with ease without any signs of lags or stutters. Multitasking on this phone is also very smooth. Overall performance of the phone is great for its price.
5. Software
Mi Max runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system wrapped under MIUI 7 and will receive MIUI 8 update soon. The software is smooth and responsive and is heavily customized. It comes with a lot of customization options and allows users to change wallpapers, lock screen style, system icons and sounds.
6. Battery
It is fueled by an enormous 4850mAh battery that survives for more than a day without struggling. It also supports Quick Charge 3.0 technology.
7. Fingerprint Sensor
The device features a fingerprint scanner on the back for additional security. The fingerprint scanner is quite fast and accurate in unlocking the phone.
8. USB OTG
It supports USB OTG that allows you to watch movies and videos directly on this phone using pen-drive without transferring them.
9. IR Blaster
I comes with an IR blaster that allows users to control the compatible appliances.
10. Hybrid Dial SIM
It is a hybrid dual SIM phone which allows you to use two SIM cards or one SIM card and one microSD card simultaneously on this phone.
Video: Xiaomi Mi Max Review: Reasons To Buy
Xiaomi Mi Max Review: Reasons To Not Buy
Here are 4 reasons why you should not buy the Xiaomi Mi Max smartphone:
1. Massive Size
If you are going to buy Mi Max, then keep it in mind that it is huge! It features a mammoth 6.44-inch display which makes it very difficult to use it with single hand. It measures 7.5mm in thickness and weighs 203 grams. It is not suitable for one handed operations and also feels a bit heavy to hold.
2. Average Sunlight Legibility
The large display of Mi Max is sharp and vivid, but the sunlight legibility is below average. Despite increasing brightness of the phone to maximum, it doesn’t impress us in broad day light.
3. Quick Charger Not Bundled
While it supports Quick Charge 3.0, Xiaomi doesn’t offer a Quick Charge 3.0 charger in the box. The battery of the phone is massive and takes a lot of time to charge with the charger that comes bundled in the box. To charge the massive 4850mAh battery quickly, users will have to purchase the charger separately.
4. Average Speakers
The audio from speakers is just average. It is not as loud and clear as it should be.
Verdict
For the price, Xiaomi has plenty of features to offer. Xiaomi Mi Max is an impressive smartphone that offers premium design, massive display, enormous battery, smooth performance, fast fingerprint sensor and more. But we will remind you again, that it is a mammoth phone. Go for it, if you are fond of large screens or huge smartphones!
Video: Xiaomi Mi Max Review: Reasons To Not Buy
Also Read: Moto G4 vs LeEco Le 2 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Comparison [With Video]
