In its third iteration, the stunning Xiaomi Mi MIX series continues to turn heads. The new Mi MIX 2S is officially available for sale today in Malaysia, and it’s one of the most affordable and not to mention beautifully-built flagship devices in the market today.
A little over two years ago, the rapidly-growing tech giant delivered an unexpected gem to the smartphone world – the Mi MIX. The one-of-its-kind concept phone was revolutionary – near-bezel-less and almost all-screen, beautifully designed and built, and offered kick-ass innards.
Renowned designer Philippe Starck of course had plenty to do with its good looks. The device single-handedly kickstarted a new trend of “full-screen” devices, now a pretty much common sight. Nowadays, if you’re not full-screen, you’re out.
Xiaomi more or less stuck with a similar formula with the Mi MIX 2, but bringing with it some welcomed enhancements including a real front speaker, different ratio display, stronger hardware and uprated cameras.
The latest Mi MIX 2S is a further enhancement of the second-gen, akin to a “S” upgrade of the iPhone. The device will look and feel familiar, and retains much of its predecessor’s design and dimensions. In fact, aside from the vertical camera array ala iPhone X, you’ll be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the old and new, especially from the front.
As a super summary, the Mi MIX 2S rocks the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845c chipset, coupled with 6GB of RAM and up to 128GB of storage. The dual-camera system consists of 12MP (wide) + 12MP (telephoto) f/1.8 shooters based on the flagship Sony IMX363 sensor. Pretty impressive cameras, enough to earn an overall score of 97 on DxOMark, tied to the iPhone X, mind you.
I’ll save you from my babbling about the technical specs, for that you can read the previous Mi MIX 2S post.
I’ve had the pleasure to play around with the Mi MIX 2S for about a week. Enjoy the unboxing photos (and I’ve included short Insta videos below, as well).
Quick unboxing
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjeXk8dHynr/
#60secreview
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjeZf-zHwIl/
In the box
- Mi MIX 2S unit
- Power adapter
- USB Type-C cable
- USB Type-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter
- SIM ejector tool
- Hard case
- User guide
First impressions
Coming from a Mi MIX 2, the new MIX is certainly familiar, in a good way of course. It’s impeccably-built, with craftsmanship that will rival the best. Design-wise there’s little to complain about, aside from my usual gripe about the ridiculously-placed selfie camera. Yes, it still sits on the bottom left chin of the device.
It feels great in the hand, and the device has some solid weight to it, which isn’t a bad thing at all. It tips the scales at 191g, which is a tad heavier than its predecessor (185g).
Thankfully, there’s no notch, so suddenly it’s a standout feature. Instant win. Same can’t be said about the just-launched Mi 8, though.
Weirdly, Xiaomi removed the bottom right speaker grille from the Mi MIX 2S, which may drive OCD people crazy. The Mi MIX 2 is better balanced in this regard.
In terms of overall user experience, it’s fluid and fast. I know not everyone favours MIUI, but it’s one of those UI layers I can live with. Turn on fullscreen gestures and it’s a pretty sweet experience. The Redmi Note 5 and older Mi MIXs have them too.
The cameras, based on my short time with it, offer quick focusing and good details. I especially like the natural skin tones and accurate bokeh from the dual-camera system.
The selfie camera is still a huge compromise, and unless you like chin shots, you’d need to rotate the phone for more appealing selfies. Not a huge deal-breaker to everyone, but I secretly wish for Xiaomi to do better. OK, it isn’t a secret wish. It’s an order, Xiaomi.
I haven’t had the time to extensively test battery life and performance just yet. I’ll reserve that for the full review.
I’m including a couple of sample photos (unedited aside from watermarks) so you can have a preliminary impression of its shooters.
Pricing and availability
The Mi MIX 2S is available in two configurations: 6GB RAM + 64GB storage for MYR1,999(without GST) and 6GB RAM + 128GB storage for MYR2,199 (without GST).
The first 100 buyers will receive a Mi Wireless Charger.
The device is available in Black, with the White variant coming at a later date. Sales start from today, 1 June 2018 at all Mi Stores and authorised Xiaomi retailers nationwide, as well from the official Mi Store on Lazada.
So, what do you think of the Mi MIX 2S?
[nextpage title=”Sample shots”]All photos are unedited aside from watermarking. Click on image for larger view.
