Smartphone Xiaomi Mi Max 3 4 / 64GB - advantages and disadvantages

On July 19, 2018, the Chinese company Xiaomi presented a new product - a smartphone, which was the third version of the Mi Max series of smartphones. The main features of the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 are that it is inexpensive and has an impressive screen (6.9 inches). Smartphones, the screen of which is more than 6 - 7 inches, are already referred to as phablets. Phablet is something between a smartphone and a tablet.

Pros and cons of phablets

Benefits

Excellent possibilities for viewing multimedia. The large screen size makes watching movies much more enjoyable than with a regular smartphone.

The large diagonal allows you to enjoy your favorite games more comfortably than on a smartphone. The controls are at a suitable distance from each other. For this reason, pressing the wrong control key is excluded. The graphics of games for smartphones are not worse than for computer games, but a smartphone cannot convey all this. A phablet is quite capable of conveying the full completeness of game textures.

Video communication for communication is used more and more often. The phablet will make this function even more convenient. From the big screen, the interlocutor looks so close, which is undoubtedly a plus for the large screen. The interaction is much better, since the interlocutor is as if near. Phablet blurs the boundaries!

The phablet is well suited to be used as a navigator. All items on the large screen are clearly visible, which is favorable in terms of safety and search speed.

The phablet is perfect for reading books. Many settings can make the reading process comfortable and suitable for a particular user.

When browsing sites on the Internet, the phablet is also much more convenient than a smartphone with a small diagonal. Advertising is much easier to get around if the screen has a large diagonal. Also, various links can be too small and it can be problematic to get to them.

When typing text documents and messages, screen size plays an important role.

The battery for phablets has an impressive capacity. Thus, the device works offline much longer than smartphones.

Also, if we consider the phablet as something in between a phone and a tablet (sometimes they are called tablet phones), then by purchasing a phablet the buyer saves money, because he no longer needs a smartphone or a tablet.

But as the merits relate mainly to the size of the device, so the size can become a disadvantage.

Cons of phablets:

The large size of the device makes it difficult to carry it in the usual way. He needs a special bag or larger pockets.

Large dimensions, as a rule, do not allow using the phablet with one hand. It is also not very convenient to make calls from it. This is because it is not comfortable in the hand, and the speaker and microphone are located far from each other.

Characteristics of the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 phablet

The aspect ratio of the smartphone is 18 to 9. What does this say? Although the diagonal is large, the smartphone has become elongated and it is quite convenient to hold it with one hand.The advantages of the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 device, with which the Chinese company positions it, are power and functionality, suitable for solving various kinds of tasks. Consider the characteristics of Xiaomi Mi Max 3 and see how they meet the stated requirements.

The table shows the basic data for a smartphone.

So, let's take a closer look at the novelty of 2018 - the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 phablet.

Smartphone package

The smartphone comes in a white box, traditional for Xiaomi. Inside are the smartphone itself, a smartphone charger that supports fast charging, a USB Type-C cable, documentation, a key to remove the SIM card slot.

Design

The display on top is equipped with sensors (lighting and proximity), a speaker, a selfie camera. There is no monobrow in this model. There are standard stripes at the top and bottom of the screen. Thus, there was a place on the front panel for all sensors. The phone fits perfectly in the hand, as its edges are rounded.

The rear camera is located vertically and consists of two photomodules and a flash. The rear panel is equipped with a fingerprint scanner, which is located in the middle. The back panel is metal with hidden plastic antennas at the top and bottom.

The right edge of the phone contains the volume buttons and the power key. The left edge is a SIM card slot. The slot consists of half of plastic and the other half of metal, so care must be taken when removing it. The top of the phone is equipped with an infrared sensor, a 3.5mm audio jack and an additional microphone for noise cancellation. The bottom of the phone is a USB Type-C port.

Display

The display surface is protected by durable glass. The display takes up almost the entire front of the phablet. There are no mechanical buttons, they are replaced by touch ones. The bottom and top bezels have been reduced compared to the previous version. The screen brightness is 520 nits, which is 16% more than the predecessor Xiaomi Mi Max 2. Contrast and color gamut have also undergone improvements. The contrast corresponds to 1500: 1 (50% improvement). The display retains good visibility in bright light. The screen can withstand up to 10 touches at a time.

Back panel

The back panel is made of aluminum, which speaks for its strength and reliability. The color scheme is presented in the following colors - black, blue, gold.

Memory

The device is available in two versions: the first - with 4 GB of main memory and 64 GB of built-in, the second - with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of built-in. Also, users have the opportunity to expand the memory by 256 GB using a microSD card. But in this case, the phone will only have one SIM card, since the SIM card slot and the microSD card are the same.

Hardware part

The device is equipped with the following sensors: compass, gyroscope (for virtual reality glasses), light and proximity sensor, accelerometer and Hall sensor (used for better location and when interacting with a magnetic case, the screen turns off automatically)

Camera

Xiaomi has strived to make the rear camera no worse than the flagship devices. For this purpose the camera consists of two photo modules with a resolution of 12 and 5 megapixels, the aperture is f / 1.9. The camera is equipped with artificial intelligence, which allows the smartphone to automatically recognize the location and conditions under which the shooting is taking place. In the dark, the quality of images does not deteriorate due to the focusing Dual PD. This also makes autofocusing fast and accurate. Front camera specifications: resolution - 8 megapixels, aperture - f / 2.0, flash is present. With the help of the front camera, the user has the ability to unlock the phablet in the face.The camera is equipped with artificial intelligence, which indicates a high level of device reliability. The smartphone allows you to take photos with bokeh effect. In manual settings, you can change the focal length and shutter speed.

Examples of pictures:

Sound

The Xiaomi Mi Max 3 includes two speakers that are used to output stereo sound. This sound is reproduced in video (games or movies). This effect is obtained by using the earpiece speaker at the top of the device. But the sound is slightly lower compared to the main speaker.

Charging

The battery capacity is impressive at 5500 mAh. Autonomy is in game mode - 10 hours, and when watching movies - at least 16 hours. There is a fast charging function (Quick Charge 3.0). Thanks to her, the phablet is fully charged in 90 - 135 minutes. Also, the gadget can serve as a battery for other devices that support OTG. The manufacturer promises that the device will live up to two days without recharging and with full use of all smartphone functions.

Processor and navigation

The satellites that this phablet supports: GLONASS, GPS and the Chinese BeiDou.

The high performance of the smartphone is provided by the eight-core Snapdragon processor version 636. Xiaomi Mi Max 3 is equipped with the Android 8.1 Oreo operating system (the proprietary shell for Xiaomi is MIUI 9, which contains the Xiao AI voice assistant). Most phablets are used for games. Xiaomi Mi Max 3 also supports all the tools that improve the gaming experience.

Xiao AI Assistant

Just like other assistants, Xiao AI assistant is voice controlled. This function can translate the text of some menu items. The assistant performs Internet searches, includes audio files, sends text messages and makes calls at the user's request. Xiao AI will also surprise its users by plotting the best route, moving the alarm clock to another time, taking a photo and even buying movie tickets! With the help of this assistant, it is possible to control other company products (TV, TV set-top box, air purifier, fan, rice cooker, etc.). At the moment, the assistant is only available to Chinese users.

MIUI 9

MIUI 9 proprietary firmware includes a number of new features. The Smart App Launcher function analyzes what is on the smartphone screen and offers certain applications accordingly. The smart assistant quickly finds files stored on your smartphone. For a convenient search, queries are used (for example, date or keyword). The firmware system has been improved and now works faster. Frequently used applications launch faster, cleaning works automatically, and tactile communication is better. The default function is to separate many tasks on one screen. There was a quick opportunity to put the smartphone on silent mode.

Communications

Communications include wireless adapters, Wi-Fi MIMO, Bluetooth 5, 4G VoLTE technology, 2G, 3G, 4G. NFC function is not provided.

Unlocking

The user has the opportunity to choose how to unlock the smartphone. There are two ways: fingerprint or face scan. Both are reliable and convenient for quick unlocking.

Reviews

According to the user, the phablet has a nimble processor, is suitable for games, holds a charge well, the quality of the pictures is also pleasing. Many people like the large screen, which is great for watching movies. The sound is not as good as we would like. Face unlocking is a big plus for many.

The cost of the device in Russia is from 22,800 rubles.

Pros and cons

In accordance with customer reviews, the following strengths and weaknesses of the new device have been identified, and they are listed below.

• Performance;
• Capacious battery (5500 mAh);
• 3.5mm audio jack;
• Artificial Intelligence;
• USB Type-C;
• Face recognition is carried out using an intelligent system, which increases the security of the device.

• No support for NFC function;
• Bulky (weight is 221 grams);
• The diagonal of the screen is 6.9 inches, but this point is a disadvantage for those who are used to the usual smartphone screen sizes. Those who deliberately choose a phablet do not consider this characteristic a minus.

I would like to note that Xiaomi has released a budget phablet with good characteristics, but, like any thing, the novelty has both advantages and disadvantages.