Xiaomi has just announced two new smartphones in Madrid – the Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite. The Android One-powered duo follows the success of the Mi A1, Xiaomi’s first pure stock Android device. While the beauty about the new phones is the pure stock Android experience, Xiaomi is focusing on upgraded cameras and artificial intelligence (AI).
Mi A2: A better Android
The Mi A1 was (and still is) a fantastic device – a neat package, priced right and an able performer. And it looks like Xiaomi is really upping the game this time with the Mi A2.
Just as the Mi A1 was based on the Mi 5X, the Mi A2 follows the same route – this time it’s the Mi 6X underneath.
This of course isn’t a bad thing. The device gets a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 AIE chip mated to up to 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 128GB of storage.
Compared to the Snapdragon 636 which is found on the Redmi Note 5, ZenFone Max Pro and ZenFone 5, the Snapdragon 660 performs 20 percent faster.
And pitted against the Snapdragon 625 found on the Mi A1, it’s a massive 79 percent increase in performance.
The Mi A2 retains an aluminium unibody design but now thinner at 7.3mm thick. It’s available in three colours: Black, Gold and Blue.
Xiaomi is putting plenty of focus on photography with the new Mi A2. The phone boasts a 12MP f/1.75 (Sony IMX486) main shooter with a 20MP f/1.75 (Sony IMX376) secondary shooter.
The sensor features a larger 1.25-micron pixel size for better low light performance. Moreover, it supports pixel binning – a technical process that combines four pixels into a large superpixel to capture more light. Effectively, the phone gets a 2-micron pixel size.
This time round, the Mi A2 also gets a whopper of a selfie camera – a 20MP unit that also support pixel binning and features AI beautification, Portrait Mode and comes with a selfie light.
The phone features a familiar 5.99-inch Full HD+ 18:9 display protected by Gorilla Glass 5.
Xiaomi didn’t do too much in the battery department, perhaps challenged by the slim form factor of the device. It gets an average 3,010mAh battery that supports Quick Charge 3.0 and charges via USB Type-C. Nonetheless, expect a full day’s worth of juice.
There’s a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor but surprisingly lacks a headphone jack.
The Mi A2 runs Android 8.1 Oreo out-of-the-box.
Mi A2 Lite
For those on a budget, the Mi A2 Lite is a perfect balance of price and performance. The phone is based on the Redmi 6 Pro, featuring a 5.84-inch Full HD+ display with a notch and a 19:9 screen aspect ratio.
Underneath, there’s last year’s mid-range champion processor – the Snapdragon 625, which also powers the Mi A1.
Xiaomi says it’s a first for an entry-level smartphone and claims it’s more powerful than other mid-range processor. I’m not convinced, although I can attest to the chip’s performance.
Anyway, the Mi A2 Lite comes with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM, and up to 64GB of storage.
In terms of optics, it gets a 12MP + 5MP dual-camera setup and a paltry 5MP selfie camera that comes with AI Portrait Mode.
The phone features a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, and a massive 4,000mAh battery. The dual-SIM boasts a triple tray SIM slot for two nano-SIMs and a microSD card.
Disappointingly, it comes with a micro-USB port, but perhaps it’s not a surprise for a device in its price point.
Like its more expensive sibling, the Mi A2 Lite comes in Black, Gold and Blue.
Pricing and availability
Mi A2
- 4GB RAM + 32GB of storage – EUR249 (MYR1,183)
- 4GB RAM + 64GB of storage – EUR279 (MYR1,325)
- 6GB RAM + 128GB of storage – EUR349 (MYR1,658)
Mi A2 Lite
- 3GB RAM + 32GB of storage – EUR179 (MYR850)
- 4GB RAM + 64GB of storage – EUR229 (MYR1,088)
Both phones will roll out globally starting late July. The phones are expected to hit Malaysia at the end of July.
As a budget option, the Mi A1 is still an extremely compelling buy at MYR579 (3GB + 32GB storage) and MYR799 (4GB + 64GB storage). Pick one up from Lazada or Shopee.
