Smartphone Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S - advantages and disadvantages

Having successfully settled in China, India and far beyond its borders, Xiaomi is not going to stop. Since 2011, the company has released over 50 smartphones, several laptops and tablets. The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S smartphone appeared on the market in the spring of 2018. According to the results of the third quarter of 2018, the company is in the top five among global manufacturers of mobile equipment.

The history of the appearance of the model

For the first time, the Mi Mix 2s was presented to the general public on March 27, 2018. It became a new, improved version of the Mi Mix 2, released in 2017. 2s received a powerful processor and an updated Android 8 Oreo operating system. All ceramic body parts were designed by the French industrial designer Philippe Starck. Below we will consider the capabilities of the smartphone and a special limited version.

Attractive design and features

Of all the existing Xiaomi lines, the Mix series has always been the most recognizable. The 2s complements its predecessor MI Mix2. A huge screen, a back ceramic cover - the look of the smartphone attracts the eye. When it first appears out of the box, the device attracts with its design - it immediately becomes clear that this is a premium device.

Along the perimeter, the body of the smartphone is made of metal, the back cover is made of ceramic, and the screen is made of tempered Corning Gorilla Glass. This selection of materials gives the phone originality, compared to smartphones from competitive brands that prefer to use glass as the main body material. A case is included with the smartphone to protect the ceramic back panel.

The design of the dual camera of the smartphone is very similar to the iPhone X. It does not stand out from the general appearance of the smartphone and fits seamlessly into the design. This is the only noticeable similarity to Apple's model. On the top of the screen there is no "bang", like the IPhone X - this is for the best, because the "frameless" of the smartphone is felt more fully.

The phone is large in size, but does not stand out much in terms of dimensions from competitors. Solid and neat. The weight is quite heavy.

The bottom frame of the smartphone is larger than the top one, which makes the device disproportionate. This is explained by the fact that all the sensors and the front camera are located on the bottom.

The smartphone is available in two basic colors - white and black. Modest and tasteful.

Another limited edition has been released for fans of the brand and those who love painting and are interested in art.
The limited edition will be named Xiaomi Mi Mix2s Art Special Edition. Many thanks to the British Museum for the emergence of an exclusive version of the smartphone.

The model will be produced in rich black with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal memory.
The exclusive series is distinguished by a golden bezel along the contour of the dual main camera, the engraved British Museum inscription, original packaging and a unique case, which is decorated with images of Italian ceramics using the Majolica technique.

The limited version will differ only in appearance, the "filling" of the smartphone will remain the same as in the original. The cost will be higher, but the price for that is the opportunity to be closer to art.

Screen

The display received a diagonal of 5.99 inches, and an IPS LSD matrix. It is worth noting that competitors are betting on Super-AMOLED devices and OLED screens for the same price. Display resolution 2160 by 1080 pixels. The aspect ratio is 18: 9, the viewing angles are maximum. The image saturation is slightly overestimated, but this feature does not interfere with comfortable use.

There is an adjustment of the display of display colors from warmer shades to colder ones. The user can choose the most optimal mode of use. Adjusting the brightness of the image can lower the backlight level to the maximum allowable value, taking care of preserving the wearer's vision.

Sound and headphones

What will be the sound in the headphones, the user will not immediately understand, because there is no headphone jack. The manufacturer decided to keep the “mini-jack” connector, 3.5 mm in size. makes no sense, and abandoned it.

To solve this problem, you can use a Bluetooth headset, or carry the adapter with you wherever you go and make sure it does not get lost. So-so perspective, of course.

With third-party headphones connected, the sound is impressive. Voluminous, juicy, all frequencies are perfectly audible, which means that you will be able to enjoy your favorite compositions with great comfort. For a more precise adjustment to the user's sound preferences, there is an equalizer with advanced settings built into the shell.

External speaker

The main speaker is located on the bottom of the cabinet. During an incoming call, the melody is played not only through the external speaker, but also through the earpiece. It turns out very loudly, it will be difficult not to hear the incoming call. When music is playing, the external speaker gives out a lot of high frequencies - it does not hurt the ear, but it is noticeable.

Main and front camera

The location of the front camera in a smartphone can be confusing. Not only is it located at the bottom of the case, but to start using it, the phone must be turned over. It is very uncomfortable. They shifted the "front" down for a reason - this step was made in favor of a completely frameless display. Camera module - 5MP. Despite the unusual location, the smartphone can take good photos.

The main camera has a dual sensor - 12 + 12MP. The phone can rightfully be called a "camera phone". The rear camera boasts excellent color rendering. Vividly, richly and naturally reproduces colors in photographs. Artificial intelligence improves sharpness and enhances color reproduction.

• If you are shooting architecture or landscapes, you can turn on the HDR mode to increase sharpness and clarity;
• If macro photography is involved, then the autofocus may shift completely in the direction in which the author directed it. In this case, manual configuration will help.

An example of how to take pictures during the day:

Night photos are also good, objects are distinguishable and not blurry.

An example of how to take pictures at night:

The portrait mode is present, and it produces decent shots. You can shoot with the bokeh effect when the background of the image is beautifully blurred, which is very popular now. True, you need to take such photos only in good lighting, in bad light - the frame will be blurred.

Video records in 4K format. There is optical stabilization, and the colors are pleasing with saturation. But the sound recording in the video is upsetting - the microphone distorts the sound purity. For example, when recording a concert on a smartphone, the user runs the risk of not hearing anything.

Processor and RAM

Mi Mix 2s is equipped with the most powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor for 2018, the Adreno 630 chip is responsible for the graphics.

RAM in a smartphone 6 GB, built-in 128 GB. This amount is very handy, since there is no slot for expanding memory in the smartphone. Yes, this is a dual sim, and you can use two numbers, but you won't be able to insert a microSD card. The developers have deprived users of this joy.

All tested games, be they Tanks or Ships, flew at maximum settings, but sometimes there were small drawdowns. If you do not find fault with this, then in general everything is good.
All other applications, such as YouTube, instant messengers and social networks, work quickly and efficiently.

In the synthetic test Antutu Benchmark gives out 262 645 points, but after passing several levels in "Tanks", downloading applications and watching videos, the test result has already shown 136,042 points.
It remains to be hoped for further improvements, but in games and the operation of the device, this drawdown in numbers was not felt in any way. A simple user may not even notice the difference.

Thanks to the ceramic lid, there is no strong heating of the device during games - this is a plus.
Despite the most powerful processor at the time of the release of the smartphone, from the existing ones on the market, it did not show results that could shock. And even lost to the OnePlus 5T. Optimization of the firmware plays an important role here. Things could get much better in the next updates.

Operating system and interface

The smartphone is installed Android 8 Oreo, "on top" of which is the proprietary shell Xiaomi MIUI 9. The interface is easy to use and intuitive. Contains many features and useful functions.

The quality of voice messages in MI Mix 2s is at a very high level. Heard loudly, clearly and without noise.

Gesture control is very convenient here. An excellent learning function in the settings will help you quickly and easily master gesture control, even for those who have never used it before.

It is possible to disable the Android control buttons on the bottom bar (menu, recent apps and back), and control only with gestures. This technique will help make the smartphone absolutely frameless.

There is an interesting feature of automatic recording of incoming calls. To activate the function, it is enough to put a tick in the settings once, and each call will be recorded automatically. This option is useful in solving minor controversial issues. For example, when a person missed a meeting, claiming that you agreed for a completely different time. Turn on recording from voice calls - and listen to who was wrong.

It is better to use the function carefully, for ethical reasons. And apply more for your peace of mind than for the settlement of disputes.

It is possible to take a screenshot with three fingers. This option is not new, but very convenient. Using gestures, it is also possible to launch the camera application.

In general, the interface works fine, but there were slight system freezes - there were departures from the Internet, periodic reboots, reset of incoming calls.

Autonomy

The smartphone supports wireless charging function. From 0 to 100% it will take a little more than 3 hours to charge.

Battery capacity 3400 mAh. The phone charge should be enough for the whole day with average use. If you actively use it, you will have to look for an outlet. You can charge the device with a complete charger in an hour and a half.

After watching videos on YouTube for half an hour, the device was 8% discharged. With a ten-minute game in "World of Tanks" - by 6%. These results were a little upsetting.

Equipment

The standard equipment includes:

1. Smartphone;
2. Instructions;
3. Charger;
4. Computer cable;
5. Adapter;
6. A clip for removing SIM cards;
7. Cover.

Specifications

Price

You can buy a smartphone with 64gb of internal memory at a price of 35,999 to 39,000 rubles.

The model with 128gb will be more expensive - from 42,500 to 45,899 thousand rubles. The cost may vary.

Pros and cons

After reviewing the main functions and appearance of the device, we can highlight the positive and negative qualities of this model.

1. Design;
2. Ceramic body;
3. Performance;
4. Camera;
5. The ability to control gestures;
6. Price.

1. There is no protection against water ingress;
2. No 3.5mm audio jack for connecting headphones;
3. Weight;
4. Sound quality when recording video;
5. There is no infrared port for controlling home appliances.

Outcome

After all the information described, it will not be difficult to summarize.
Mi Mix 2s is fast, beautiful and inexpensive to fill. The Mix line has a smartphone with an excellent camera, wireless charging, loud sound from an external speaker.

But, when deciding to buy Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s, you need to remember about its shortcomings, preparing for some compromises during use.