Xiaomi Mi Note
Verdict
Key specs
Critic consensus
“The Xiaomi Mi Note set out to be an affordable flagship. When such claims are coming from China, the flagship is usually the less credible part of the phrase. Xiaomi are by no means the first to put quality ahead of affordability. Take a look at a Oppo's latest N3 and R5. The Mi Note isn't cheap and that can potentially complicate things - users will inevitably weigh up things such as after-sales support, warranty and servicing. But there's a simple explanation as well: the Mi Note just isn't cheaply made.”
“This device certainly proves that Xiaomi is more than capable of competing in the over crowded US smartphone market, and it is actually quite unfortunate that it won’t be officially available there. All in all, the Xiaomi Mi Note is one very solid device from hardware to software, and is one of the most enjoyable devices that I have had the pleasure of using from a Chinese OEM in quite some time, which is what makes the Xiaomi Mi Note worthy of our Editor’s Choice Award.”
“At the end of the day, what you’re left slipping into your pocket is a good phone, built with great materials, for a good/great price – depending on where you live in the world. It’s a great phone to hold in your hand and it stands out in a crowd. Unfortunately, that’s where the great stops. Everything else about this phone from the internals to the camera, to the software merely falls into the good category. Is that a problem? Not at all, but we don’t want to pretend this phone is anything it is not.The outside covering is what makes the first impression and it will be a very good first impression. Remember that first date by the Ferris wheel? Well, she’s beautiful, fun, and boy are your friends going to be jealous when you show them her photo. But then you start to learn about her…quirks. She can only sleep on the right side of a bed and only when it faces east. She lives with her ex’s mother in law and what the hell is that all about? She believes forks are “for the rich” and speaking of which she hasn’t had a job since Clinton was in office.The same goes for this phone. It’s initial impression is like “Wowza” but then you start to learn about the baggage. We still don’t know what half of those notifications were. You need to install Google Play services yourself. The battery isn’t replaceable and there’s no SD card expansion. If you live in the US, you’re stuck on HSPA+. None of these are deal breakers by themselves, but put them all together and it adds up. It’s a lot of compromises. Even at the $370 price point, which won’t be available for everyone, it makes a good phone, not a great one.”
Watch before you decide
In Depth
The Xiaomi Mi Note is the company’s flagship phablet and competes directly with the likes of Apple and Samsung. Reviewers note that it bears design hallmarks of both manufacturers – the metal frame of the iPhone 5 and curved back of the Galaxy Note Edge. Both the front and back of the device is protected by Gorilla Glass completing the premium look of the Mi Note. At 0.3 inches thick it is also thinner than the iPhone 6 Plus and weighs a scant 156 gram; almost too light and thin for some critics. The only niggle experts had with this was that the back panel attracted smudges. Besides this, however, they applaud its build quality and overall design calling it “gorgeous.”
There’s another area where the Mi Note emulates the iPhone – the UI. When experts compared them side-by-side the cosmetic similarities were obvious from the icons to the drop down menu. It does, however, run on Android so it has access to the Google Play store as well as its own Mi app store.
Despite its low cost, the Mi Note doesn’t make any concessions in the hardware department. The most obvious feature is its 5.7-inch, 1080p LCD display. Critics had no problem with the screen sharpness, color balance or viewing angles. Sitting behind the screen is a 2.5GHz quad-core processor and 3GB of RAM. It offers two performance modes – balanced and performance – with balanced as the default. Based on benchmark tests, balanced mode throttled the CPU maxing it out at 1.7GHz while performance offers unhindered CPU and RAM usage. Regardless of what mode they used, experts didn’t notice any slowdowns when swiping through the OS or performing basic task and even playing some casual games. The balanced mode is meant to get more life out of the 3,000mAh battery and, in fact, lasted experts a full day of moderate usage.
The Mi Note comes equipped with a 13MP rear camera and optical image stabilization technology. When put to the test, experts were able to take detailed and color accurate images in almost every lighting situation, though they point out it loses some detail in night time shots. Still, they commend its performance with Ars Technica stating, “There is nothing to complain about in the camera department.”
Reviewers highly recommend the Xiaomi Mi Note for those that can get their hands on it. CNET states, “The Xiaomi is one heck of a phone…I’m very much taken with its design, performance and features.” IB Times adds, “The Xiaomi Mi Note is what I wish the iPhone 6 looked like.”
What people actually want to know
When was the Xiaomi Mi Note released?
The Xiaomi Mi Note was released on January 27, 2015.
How long does the battery last on the Xiaomi Mi Note?
The Xiaomi Mi Note has a 3,000 mAh battery.
Does the Xiaomi Mi Note have a headphone jack?
Yes, the Xiaomi Mi Note has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Does the Xiaomi Mi Note have NFC?
No, the Xiaomi Mi Note does not have NFC. Contactless payments and tap-to-pair will not be available.
Where can I get support for the Xiaomi Mi Note?
Visit Xiaomi's official support page for warranty info, repairs, and troubleshooting.
Questions & answers
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Hey prasanth. Swipe going up on the left side of the screen to increase brightness.