Xiaomi Mi A2 first impressions: The key features that stand out
Xiaomi Mi A2 will be the next big smartphone from the company to launch in the Indian market. The Mi A2 like its predecessor Mi A1 is an Android One phone with stock Android 8.1 Oreo, and no MIUI, which is the company’s own customised user interface. Mi A2 also comes with some major tweaks compared to the original. For starters, the headphone jack is gone, nor is there a microSD slot in the dual-SIM phone. The original Mi A1 had both of these things.
Mi A2 also comes with Type-C USB charging port, not the older micro-USB charging port. Mi A2 has a newer 18:9 aspect ratio display, which is 5.99-inches in size compared to the 5.5-inch display on the older phone. We’ve had a chance to check out the Mi A2 ahead of its launch and here’s our first impression.
Xiaomi Mi A2 and the Design
Mi A2 looks like a polished, premium phone, and it feels much more refined that the original. It also feels incredibly light to hold in the hand, though the phone weighs 166 grams, which is actually more than the Mi A1 that weighed 165 grams. Still Mi A2 is a well-designed phone, though the lack of a headphone jack might bother some users.
Xiaomi, Xiaomi Mi A2, Mi A2 first look, Mi A2 price in India, Mi A2 first impressions, Mi A2 specifications, Mi A2 features, Mi A2 launch date Mi A2 looks like a polished, premium phone, and it feels much more refined that the original.
Mi A2 does have a 12MP+20MP vertically stacked camera, which juts out from the rest of the body, and it also means you will need a case that protects both the phone and the lens from back. Thankfully the in-box plastic case, provides some shield for the camera sensor as well, though there’s no harm in considering a sturdier case, if one decides to buy this phone.
The new Xiaomi phone has a 5.99-inches display with full HD+ resolution (1080p) and like other displays from the company, this is good so far. The display works fine for watching videos, gaming, etc.
Xiaomi Mi A2 and the Specifications
Mi A2 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor. Performance should not be a concern on this one, though we will have to wait and see if over-heating is a problem. Our Mi A2 review unit comes with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, though it is unclear if other variants will come to India.
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Keep in mind that the 64GB storage is all you get. There’s no microSD card slot. So folks who prefer this in their phones, might not be so happy with Mi A2. There’s also no headphone jack, which can be another contentious issue for some. Xiaomi has packed a Type-C USB to 3.5mm headphone jack converter in the box, but be sure to keep that accessory safe if you have an older pair of headphones. Personally, I’m not fond of those little dongles, as I fear I will lose them.
Mi A2 in India also comes with Qualcomm QuickCharge 4.0. This is interesting because Xiaomi is bundling a standard 5V/2A charger in the box. You cannot buy an authorised Xiaomi fast-charger for this phone, though Mi A2 supports the feature. The overall battery size is 3010 mAh, and should last a day on average.
Xiaomi Mi A2 and the camera
This is one feature of the phone that Xiaomi has really hyped up and I would say Mi A2 has large shoes to fill, if I keep in mind the previous Mi A1. In my opinion, Mi A1 still has one of the best cameras, especially dual-rear camera implementation for the price. It came with a telephoto and wide-angle lens combination and 2X optical zoom. That was virtually unheard of in the under Rs 15,000 segment.
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With Mi A2, the phone has a 12MP+20MP camera with larger pixel size and an aperture size of f/1.75 on both the sensors. There’s also a manual mode and the option for automatically switching to the best sensor depending on the lighting conditions. Mi A2 gets a 20MP front camera as well, with Xiaomi using the same Sony IMX376 sensor on both the front and rear camera.
While the camera performance still needs to be full tested, the first few photos look promising and the Bokeh mode is impressive in terms of details. We will have more in the full review.
Xiaomi Mi A2: What will be the price in India?
That’s really the big question. The Euro price for the 4GB RAM and 64GB variant is Eur 279, which is around Rs 22,000 plus on conversion. We will have to wait and see if Mi A2 crosses the Rs 20,000 price mark and in India and whether it will live up to the expectations, especially in relation to the price. However, the expectation is that Xiaomi could price this at under Rs 20,000 in the Indian market.
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