Xiaomi Mi6 review: updated, cheaper, relevant. Xiaomi Mi6 review - does Xiaomi's new flagship live up to expectations? Mi6 camera review

Xiaomi Mi 6 is a true flagship that combines progressive technologies and the most powerful hardware. This unit was officially unveiled in April 2017. The smartphone went on sale at the end of April this year (initially for the Chinese market).

Appearance and ergonomics

Thanks to the stainless steel base and glass panels, the Xiaomi Mi 6 looks elegant and prestigious. Quality housing is curved, which makes its design truly spectacular. Absolutely all available connectors are tightly and hermetically sealed so that the smartphone is completely protected from splashes and dust.

There is a fingerprint scanner under the screen in the form of a touch button. There are two navigation buttons next to it. Both sides are covered tempered glass making the device as attractive as possible. But the streamlined shape of the case allows you to comfortably hold the device in your hand for a long time. Available colors: blue, black and white. Dimensions: height - 145.2 mm, thickness - 7.5 mm, width - 70.5 mm, weight - 168 g.

Display

The Mi 6 has a built-in 5.15-inch screen with a blue filter that protects the user's eyesight. It features high brightness, as well as the presence of a night mode, which makes the image pleasant to read without light. The colors of the display are very rich, the resolution of the IPS matrix is ​​1920 x 1080 pixels.

Iron and performance

If we talk about the stuffing of the Mi 6 smartphone, then it is very progressive and powerful. The fiery heart of the device is the Snapdragon 835 processor, which is made using 10nm technology. The chip consists of eight cores, and its maximum frequency is 2450 MHz. The processor takes up less space and has improved energy efficiency. The manufacturer did not save on random access memory, equipping the model with 6 GB of RAM at once. As for the permanent memory, it cannot be expanded, and the volume varies from 64 to 128 GB (depending on the version chosen).

Graphics processing is occupied by the Adreno 540 accelerator. The gadget is based on the Android 7.1.1 operating system, and the interface has been changed using the MIUI 8.0 shell. Xiaomi Mi 6 has excellent performance. So, in AnTuTu test the flagship scores nearly 180,000 points with ease. The reserve in terms of performance will be enough for several more years to come.

Communication and sound

Since Xiaomi Mi 6 is used Wi-Fi technology 2x2, you can expect an improved internet signal quality. There is support for LTE and NFC, as well as Bluetooth 5.0. The smartphone copes with spoken functions without problems. The speaker is pretty clean and loud.

Camera

For the first time in its history, a Chinese brand is using a dual camera in the Mi 6. These are two 12-megapixel lenses with different focal lengths. This approach allows you to take photos with background blur, as well as other fashionable effects. There is a 2-fold increase without loss of quality. Optical stabilization, on the other hand, makes photos clear even in motion. The front camera is 8 megapixel.

conclusions

The Mi 6 turned out to be an inexpensive and multifunctional flagship in a beautiful shell. Its top-of-the-line features are complemented by thoughtful design. If you want to save money on buying a flagship smartphone, then you can do it using the presented device.

Pros:

• Very stylish appearance.
• Incredibly powerful stuffing.
• High-quality display with anti-reflective coating.
• The main dual camera.
• An amazingly low price.

Minuses:

• There are complaints about photographs with insufficient light.
• No headphone jack.

Specifications Xiaomi Mi6

General characteristics
Model	Xiaomi MI6
Date of announcement and start of sales	April 2017 / April 2017
Dimensions (LxWxH)	145.2 x 70.5 x 7.5 mm.
Weight	168 g (basic version) / 182 g (ceramic version)
Available colors	ceramic black, black, blue, white
Operating system	Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) + MIUI 8
Connection
Number and type of SIM-cards	two, Nano-SIM, dual stand-by
Communication standard in 2G networks	GSM 850/900/1800/1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2
Communication standard in 3G networks	HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100
Communication standard in 4G networks	LTE band 1 (2100), 3 (1800), 5 (850), 7 (2600), 8 (900), 38 (2600), 39 (1900), 40 (2300), 41 (2500)
Carrier Compatibility	MTS, Beeline, Megafon, Tele2, Yota
Data transfer
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot
Bluetooth	5.0, A2DP, LE
Gps	yes, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
NFC	there is
Infrared port	there is
Platform
CPU	eight-core Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 (4 × 2.45 GHz Kryo & 4 × 1.9 GHz Kryo)
GPU	Adreno 540
Inner memory	64/128 GB
RAM	4/6 GB
Ports and connectors
USB	Type-C 1.0 reversible connector
3.5mm jack	No
Memory card slot	No
Display
Display type	IPS LCD capacitive, 16M colors
Screen size	5.15 inches (~ 71.4% of the face of the device)
Display protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Camera
Main camera	dual 12 MP (27mm, f / 1.8, OIS 4-axis & 52mm, f / 2.6), 2x optical zoom, autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash
Main camera functionality	1 / 2.9 ″ sensor size, 1.25 µm @ 27mm & 1.0 µm @ 52mm pixel size, geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama
Video recording	[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Front-camera	8 MP, 1080p
Sensors and sensors
Illumination	there is
Approximations	there is
Gyroscope	there is
Compass	there is
Hall	No
Accelerometer	there is
Barometer	there is
Fingerprint scanner	there is
Battery
Battery type and capacity	Li-Po 3350 mAh
Battery holder	non-removable
Equipment
Standard kit	Mi6: 1 USB cable: 1 User manual: 1 Warranty card: 1 Charger: 1

Prices

Video reviews

Xiaomi flagships, at least in our market, are not just smartphones - they are a banner, they are a symbol. They do not become sales leaders, but they are mentioned in the comments to any review where they write something like “I’ll buy three pieces of Xaomi Mi X better for this money”.

But in Lately a sad trend has emerged - until recently, the current trump card in the form of Mi 5S for only $ 250 began to be easily interrupted by words about last year's hardware and slightly less offensive, but still unpleasant statements about the lack of moisture protection and stereo sound. Therefore, to say that the Internet community was waiting for an update is to say nothing. And here is the trump Mi6 in my hands - a weapon of victory over the damned, greedy, capitalists for at least the next six months.

Design

Mi6 is perhaps the second Xiaomi smartphone which I really liked, without any reservations "for my money." The first, of course, is the ceramic MiMix.

Yes, the ancestors were nothing, but each with its own nuances. Mi5 was spoiled by the edging around the flattened Home button and the ends of soft aluminum, which were quickly covered with small scratches and burrs. It is better not to show the design of the back of Mi5S to pregnant women, children, but the front with an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor built under the glass was good.

In Mi6, the Chinese did not invent anything and took the front part from last year's Eski, and the back from the usual five, rounded the glass and ends, and used polished steel instead of aluminum.

The build quality is perfect, there is no trace of the flimsy Mi5 and cracks like in the iPhone 7. Videos with attempts to bend, scratch the six have already appeared on the Internet, and in them the new flagship from Xiaomi proved to be just fine, that is, at the level of the flagships of the A-brands.

After 3 days of use, I got a deep groove across the entire screen, but let someone whose iPhone did not scratch the air throw a stone at me. But to bend without a chance, let me remind you that 5S in skillful hands turned into a donut.

Total: as for me, this is one of the most beautiful flagship smartphones on the market ... if it comes about black and white. The design of the blue version was outsourced to the Chinese gypsies, so, of course, there was a lot of "gold", the rest was sent to the top ceramic version - only some elements will be gilded there. Later there will be a silver mirror version a la Sony Xperia XZ Premium.

Ergonomics and elusive beauty

Replacing the body materials had a significant impact on the weight of the device - with a 5.15-inch screen diagonal and dimensions comparable to the iPhone 7, the Mi6 weighs an impressive 168 grams in the regular version and 182 in the ceramic one, which is 30-35% more than the Mi5.

I probably would have resigned myself to such a weight and would not have mentioned it at all, had the six not been so slippery. Thank you for the shape of the case, and the olephobic coating, which is not only in front, but also in the back. Completely eliminate the problem, can complete thin Silicone Case, it's a pity, though, that it feels like a bag from Ashan.

Otherwise, there are no questions about ease of use - everything is in place, the dimensions are great for one-handed operation.

Scanner and IR

The experiment with the ultrasonic sensor in Mi5S was obviously unsuccessful, so in new version went back to a conventional optical scanner and did the right thing. Everything works just fine - the read speed is almost at the level of the best smartphones from Huawei, the number of errors even with wet fingers is minimal. Returned to Xiaomi Mi6 and the prodigal IR port, cut out in Mi5S. I was glad to have him back when I could not find the remote control for the air conditioner ... in order to turn it on for heating in mid-May, of course.

Minijack and waterproof

There is no minijack, there is moisture protection. The second is most likely a consequence of the first - apparently, the Chinese did not succeed in making a smartphone protected from moisture with a hole in the case with a diameter of 3.5 mm, I simply do not see any other reasons to remove the jack.

Xiaomi does not recommend immersing your smartphone in water, and you probably should not, because I have already done it for you. After two minutes of washing in running water, all the buttons of Mi6 failed and they restored their functionality only after thorough drying with a hairdryer.

The kit includes a usb-c adapter - a minijack, but not a headset, which looks redneck given the fact that Xiaomi produces quite good in-ear headphones. I could have released a special version with a USB-C connector for my flagship.

Was it worth sacrificing jack for the sake of moisture protection, which has not even received an IP rating and, in theory, only protects against splashes? I don't think so. Xiaomi buyers are used to saving money, but in this case, the company pushes you towards additional expenses associated with the purchase of a bluetooth headset, or condemns you to search for headphones with a usb-c connector, and again, to additional expenses. On the other hand, perhaps this is good news for the market, and soon we will see affordable and high-quality Airpistons from Xiaomi.

Although, wait, you can suffer for free with an adapter ... Xiaomi ... suffering ... everything came together.

Screen and stereo sound

Xiaomi Mi6 good screen which did not cause me the slightest discomfort when switching from the iPhone 7 Plus.

According to the characteristics, everything seems to be the same as two generations before that: IPS, 5.15 inches, Full HD, but there are improvements, and they are noticeable right away - the colors have become richer, almost AMOLED. Brightness automatically adjusts as much as 4096 steps in the range from 1 to 600 nits, undoubtedly important information for you.

The Chinese first swung at stereo speakers and were able to make two speakers, but the quality and volume are mediocre. The main speaker was equipped with a spoken speaker, but despite this Xiaomi Mi6 I want to ask to clear my throat and try again.

The sound has definitely added in volume, covering one speaker with your hand while playing or watching videos, you will still hear something, but the frequencies did not work out - one middle, there are few highs, low ones are locked at maximum volume, which, in turn, is quite average. The Xiaomi Mi 6 loses even in comparison with the iPhone 7 Plus, and it is far from the standard.

POWER! AAAAAAA !! 1

All you need to know about the hardware of the new Chinese flagship is that the first smartphone with Snapdragon 835, which means that lovers of parrots in Antutu can already run to branded stores and leave pre-orders.

Although you can not run, firstly, wait until they figure out the delivery from China, and secondly, on the current firmware version 8.2.0.2 on Android 7.1.1, my Xiaomi Mi6 copy, although it gives out 183,000 in anttu, but the sensations that the smartphone flies, no.

There are jams, applications crash, freeze or run longer than expected, despite the fact that there is 6 GB of RAM. There are no problems with games by itself, but only if full hd resolution there are no problems with them on snapdragon 821. Under load, Xiaomi Mi6 practically does not heat up and does not trotlite - after the fifth run in anttuu it is only 15,000 less, and the temperature does not exceed 38 degrees. Thanks to the ten-nanometer process technology. Another of the obvious advantages of the new platform -support bluetooth 5.0, however, two stereo headsets, as with the Galaxy S8, cannot be connected.

PowerAAAAA !! in Xiaomi Mi6, undoubtedly, there is, but I did not have an understanding of where it can be used, even in the anttu there is only ten more than the One Plus 3T. Apparently, it's worth the wait, and the firmware is about to be released, on which everything will work as it should. It is a pity that no firmware will add support for memory cards - the amount of internal memory is fixed: 64 or 128 GB, and 256 gigabytes is not even allowed for the ceramic version.

No power bank needed

During the time that I spent with the Xiaomi Mi6, I forgot what charging during the day is. If the iPhone 7 Plus was usually enough for me at best until seven in the evening, then the Chinese without any problems live up to late night with the final 6-7 hours of screen activity and the remainder of 10-15%. Thanks to the new platform, thanks to the Full HD screen, thanks to the 3350mAh battery and thanks to Xiaomi for not messing it up with the firmware. We are waiting for the firmware. From fast charging standard Qiuck Charge from 0 to 100, the smartphone is gaining a little more than an hour.

Twice as many arguments

This is not the first time Xiaomi has installed two cameras in their smartphones, but if last time the concept with a separate black-and-white module was spied on from Huawei, now it is hiccuping engineers from Cupertino.

At first glance, the main module is similar to the Mi5S - 12 megapixels, four-axis stabilization, 27mm, except that the aperture is now higher - f / 1.8. But if you dig deeper, it turns out that the sensor here is Sony IMX386, which belongs to the middle class in the Sony line, while its predecessor had a top-end and larger IMX378. The second module has 52mm optics, f / 2.6, but without stabilization, this is a small sensor from Samsung. The quality of the main camera suits me perfectly, it is clearly not worse than the iPhone one, and in a detailed comparison, it will most likely turn out to be even better, but in general the level of pictures is one - high, but still lower than that of the Galaxy S8.

Xiaomi, recently, has been actively working on the software revision of the photo part of its flagships, so the quality is likely to improve even further, as happened with the Mi5S. A televitch to make you cry ... in fact, it is again plus or minus at the level of an iPhone, except that there are much more chromatic aberrations around the branches against the background of the sky, they can be removed by software, which the Chinese will most likely do in new firmware.

This is how Xiaomi Mi 6 shoots.

And these are examples of shooting on Apple iPhone 7 Plus under the same conditions.

As I promised, dear readers, we are starting to speed up the release time for reviews of topical Xiaomi models, and the first of them will be the flagship Mi6, which I attended a couple of weeks ago.

Specifications

Specifications
Class	Flagship
Form factor	Monoblock
Body materials	Glass
Operating system	Android 7.1.1 + MIUI 8.0
Net	Two nanoSIM cards
Platform	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
CPU	Octa-core
Video accelerator	Adreno 540
Inner memory	64 GB or 128 GB
RAM	6 GB
Memory card slot	Not
Wi-Fi	a / b / g / n / ac
Bluetooth	5.0 LE
NFC	There is
Screen diagonal	5.15 inch
Screen resolution	1920 x 1080 dots
Matrix type	IPS
Protective covering	Glass
Oleophobic coating	There is
Main camera	Double, 12 MP
Front-camera	8 megapixels
Navigation	GPS, A-GPS, BDS
Sensors	Fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass, barometer
Battery	3350 mAh, fast charging supported
Dimensions (edit)	145.2 x 70.5 x 7.5 mm
Weight	168 gram
Price	2500-3000 yuan (1 yuan = 8.3 rubles)

Equipment

• Smartphone
• Charger
• PC cable (also part of the charger)
• Silicone Case
• SIM eject key

The smartphone supports Qualcomm QuickCharge 4.0 technology, corresponding Charger included. Also, Xiaomi put a simple silicone case, apparently so that the smartphone does not get dirty.

Appearance, materials, controls, assembly

The smartphone will come in four different colors, the first three being black, white and blue with gold with a glass body and a special premium ceramic version. I had a simple blue version on my test and it is this, in my opinion, that looks the most interesting in terms of appearance.

In the comments, I came across two opposing points of view about this color: some of the readers consider the golden edging to be gypsy, the other part (and I am among them) finds the combination of blue and gold unusual and original. Of course, there is no dispute about tastes, but personally I like the blue Mi6. At the same time, unlike HTC U Ultra, not only the back panel is blue here, but also the front one.

Glass plays beautifully in the light and, depending on the lighting, changes its color from dark blue to blue. The disadvantage of such a case is that it gets dirty quickly and looks like a blue mirror.

If in Mi5s the body was bent only on the sides, then in Mi6 they also made bends at the top and bottom ends. Thanks to this, the smartphone feels smoother in the hand, the edges do not dig into your palm, as was the case with Mi5s.

Installed above the screen front-camera, light and proximity sensors, earpiece mesh and LED indicator.

Under the display is a fingerprint scanner and touch keys "back" and "home". In the settings, you can swap them, set actions for a long press, etc. In this regard, MIUI gives a huge scope for customization. Unlike Mi5s, the scanner is wonderful here, it didn't work for me probably in 5% of cases. The rest of the time, unlocking occurred instantly.

At the bottom there is a Type C port, one of the external speakers and a spoken microphone. Mi6 has stereo speakers, but the role of the second is played by the spoken one. Music playback quality is excellent, but the maximum volume could be higher. But the Xiaomi minijack was abandoned, in my opinion, prematurely.

On the top, you can see the infrared port and the hole for the second microphone.

On the left, we installed a volume rocker and a power button, and on the right, a tray for two nanoSIMs. There is no microSD slot in Mi6.

At the back, there are two main cameras and a dual flash.

The presentation showed how effectively the Mi6 falls into the water and survives rain and splashes without any problems, but nowhere is there information about moisture protection by any standard, for this reason I was simply afraid to bathe my smartphone.

Dimensions (edit)

Mi6 is one of the few remaining compact smartphones- that's how I wanted to start this section, but when I started to select competitors, I realized that all companies have more or less compact flagships, so this cannot be called a unique advantage.

On the other hand, the fact that the smartphone has compact competitors does not make it any less convenient. My main device is the iPhone 6, so every time I am uncomfortable using healthy phablets on Android, but the small Mi6 I liked.

Compared to Meizu Pro 6

For its size, the smartphone is heavy, but the weight is evenly distributed, so this does not cause much discomfort.

Screen

At first glance, I wrote that the display in Mi6 has not changed much in comparison with Mi5s, I have to admit that I am wrong. The fact is that in Beijing I did not have a past generation at hand, but required smartphone lay at home. Comparing the screens forehead-to-forehead, it is immediately clear that the Mi6 has a higher level of maximum and minimum brightness, brighter and richer color rendition and no red halos when paging, better behavior in the sun. The display has definitely gotten better.

At the same time, they added a couple more significant advantages to him. First, the minimum brightness level is now 1 nit (the brightness of one candle). At the presentation, it was said that people spend half the time with a smartphone in bed in the evening or at night. At this time, it is important not to overload the eyes, and sometimes even the minimum brightness is excessive. I tried using Mi6 in complete darkness and I can't help but note that using the device at night is now much more pleasant.

The second change is an improved reading mode. In most smartphones, when you turn it on, the picture immediately starts to go strongly into yellow tones. For this reason, few people use it all the time. Mi6 has worked on this function and now, when you turn on the reading mode, the difference with the usual picture is almost invisible. This is true, although a lot depends on what intensity you have selected in the settings.

Operating system

The smartphone runs Android 7.1.1 and MIUI 8.0. Initially, I had a version on Chinese firmware, fortunately, a week after the announcement, Xiaomi sent a beta global firmware, it was on it that I tested the smartphone.

MIUI is undeniably one of the most customizable skins out there, and that's why it's so loved by geeks. Everything is configured here, from turning off the smartphone on schedule to the behavior of a connected wired headset. We plan to prepare MIUI overview and other shells next month.

Performance

This is one of the first smartphones running on Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, while the model is massive, and not an expensive flagship for 50 thousand rubles. The newest chipset shows excellent tests in all benchmarks and perfectly copes with any workload, be it a regular application or powerful World of Tanks.

During operation, Mi6 practically does not heat up, if you run Antutu several times in a row, then the smartphone becomes warm, but not hot, it is still comfortable to use.

Autonomous work

At the presentation of Mi6, they talked about the fact that, despite the need of users for batteries with capacities of 4000 mAh and above, most modern flagships still have a much smaller capacity. In support of their words, the following tablet was presented.

As for the results autonomous work, then they are standard: you can safely count on four to five hours of the display on at close to maximum brightness. At the same time, the smartphone supports fast charging Qualcomm QuickCharge 4.0. In half an hour, it charges 56% in half an hour, 90% in an hour and completely in an hour and a half.

Camera

Usually, when the manufacturer installs a dual camera, it implements either a background blur or a double zoom. Few do both. Personally, I think the zoom is more important, but / Roman Belykh prefers portrait blur. Mi6 can do both, with optical zoom and soft blur. Since it was the camera in Mi6 that aroused the most interest, we decided to make a separate material on it and released it before the review, because there was no global version of the firmware on hand yet. Therefore, this time, for details on the camera, I am sending you to that article by Roman.

Wireless interfaces

At the presentation, they talked about a special structure dual antennas in a smartphone that increases the Wi-Fi signal reception area. For my part, I confirm this, the device catches the network more confidently than most competitors, this is especially noticeable on dual-band Wi-Fi.

The Chinese did not save on the NFC module either, it supports all popular standards and can work with the Troika application.

Conclusion

I had no complaints about the quality of speech transmission after two weeks of use.

Xiaomi plans to officially sell Mi6 in Russia, but they are not yet ready to name the cost of the smartphone with us. Let me assume that the younger version will cost you 30-32 thousand rubles. Based on this price tag, we will select competitors for the Mi6. But first, about the advantages and disadvantages.

I liked the look of the model, it looks beautiful and unusual, the blue version is pleasing to the eye, and the smoothed edges and ends allow you to hold the smartphone more comfortably. The screen, against the background of Mi5s, became brighter and more contrast, acquired several useful features... The cameras take great pictures, with both double zoom and soft background blur. Other advantages include good Wi-Fi reception, NFC and latest version chipset from Qualcomm.

Not without drawbacks. The rejection of the minijack and the memory card slot are objective disadvantages, here I will add the soiled case so that it does not lose its presentation, I will have to wipe it regularly.

I liked the Mi6, it is one of those smartphones that are pleasant to use, despite the disadvantages described above. But for 30-32 thousand he has a number of strong competitors.

Meizu Pro 6... The last-generation Meizu compact music flagship still looks attractive compared to the Mi6. It uses a practical aluminum body, AMOLED matrix, good camera, while there is a slot for a memory card, and a standard minijack.

ZTE Nubia Z11... Another strong competitor with a cool look, bezel-less display and a comfortable shell.

Huawei p10... Huawei's flagship can also compete with Mi6 in terms of features and price: dual camera, top-end chipset, good display, fancy shell.

How is it new to you, dear readers?

Xiaomi flagships come out almost every six months. Mi models are rapidly changing numbers, but does it make them any better? April 28 was, among which was the expected by many Xiaomi Mi6, a review of which is presented in this article.

We will try to figure out where the headphone jack disappeared, what performance the Snapdragon 835 can boast, and whether it is worth buying this gadget at all.

Price and main characteristics

Xiaomi Mi6 is heading to store shelves in two variants: with 64 and 128 GB of internal storage. The price of the younger model is about $ 363, for more storage you will have to shell out $ 421. A special edition Mi 6 Ceramic with a gold frame around the camera lens will cost $ 436.

Specifications:

Display: 5.15 ", IPS FullHD 1920 * 1080 px;
processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (2.45 GHz) + video accelerator Adreno 540;
RAM: 6 GB;
inner memory: 64/128 GB;
camera: main - dual module 12 MP, front - 8 MP;
communication: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, A-GPS, BDS, LTE;
battery: 3350 mAh;
Dimensions: 145.2 x 70.5 x 7.5 mm;
Weight: 168 g.

Prices are relevant only for China, the smartphone will appear on the international market a little later and will cost more. Nothing is known about the start of sales in Russia. Presumably, the new flagship from Xiaomi will have an average price tag of around 35,000 rubles.

Completion and appearance

Only the brand logo is printed on the front side of the smartphone packaging, on the right upper corner placed 6/128 GB designation of the amount of memory of the device. We put Mi6 itself inside, a charging unit, USB Type-C a cord, a clip to eject the SIM card slot, and a little surprise.

The buyer will get a branded silicone case that reliably protects the device from falls. The accessory looks quite stylish, it does not spoil the appearance of the device and even gives it a more serious look. We also note the presence in the kit of an adapter from Type-C to headphones. What for? Mi6 now follows a new trend of gradually eradicating “outdated” 3.5mm connectors. To listen to music, you will have to look for a headset with the appropriate plug or use the appropriate adapter from the box.

Such a radical decision was explained by the desire to free up precious space for new technological solutions - in particular, moisture protection, but here things are not entirely clear. At the presentation, they said that Mi6 is not afraid of splashes, but they did not say what standard of moisture protection it meets. Users are encouraged to use wireless headphones which are by no means cheap. The situation could have been improved by the release of a budget wireless headset from Xiaomi, but this did not happen.

Blindly following on the heels of Apple, however, does not concern the design of the Mi6. It is rather an alloy of Meizu Pro 6 (front-mounted fingerprint scanner) and Honor 8 (almost the same rear view, blue color). In addition to blue, there is also a black, white and premium ceramic option with an 18K gold bezel around the optics.

The front and rear panels of the device are rounded on all four edges to a metal frame. A fingerprint scanner is located under the 5.15-inch display. Previously, there were rumors about a possible retinal scanner, but a recent presentation has denied them.

Above the screen is an earpiece, a front 8-megapixel camera module and an event indicator.
Bottom - USB Type-C and two symmetrical grilles. A microphone is hidden under the left, and a multimedia speaker under the right.

On the right side, there is traditionally a volume rocker and a screen activation button. The keys are metal, they can be found quickly and are pleasantly pressed.

On the left is a slot for two SIM cards. There is no possibility of expanding memory due to microSD here. Saving space again.

The usual 3.5 mm headphone jack has been removed from the top end. Instead, an infrared port appeared for controlling household appliances.

The back cover is made of glass, which often gets fingerprints. However, the silicone case is also easily stained. In the upper left corner there is a dual 12-megapixel camera module with flash.

Despite the glass body, the smartphone is quite confident in the hands, not trying to slip out. True, now it is a little problematic to grasp because of the rounded sides. At the presentation of the device, water resistance was declared, but only against splashes. The Mi6 cannot completely immerse itself in water without consequences.

Screen

The new flagship uses a 5.15-inch display with FullHD resolution and a pixel density of 401 units per inch. There is support for multitouch up to ten simultaneous clicks. In general, the device's screen has hardly been touched by progress since the previous model Mi5S.

There are still a couple of new chips. For example, a redesigned reading mode. The Mi6 has redesigned the blue filter function so that the display does not yellow at minimum brightness. In night mode, the screen brightness is equal to one thread (comparable to the light of a candle). This is very small, during the day nothing is visible on the display, but at night the eyes do not feel any load.

The second novelty is the virtual absence of black borders. They are there, but it is almost impossible to notice them. The rest of the characteristics are the same as those of the Mi5S. The maximum brightness allows you to read the text on the screen under the sun's rays, changing the viewing angles does not distort the picture, and the picture itself looks quite juicy.

Performance

At the presentation of their device, Xiaomi confirmed that the Mi6 is the first mass-produced smartphone on a 10nm processor. The new Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 is almost a third smaller and more energy efficient than its counterparts. Maximum clock frequency chipset - 2.45 GHz.

The new graphics Adreno 540 paired with 6GB of RAM removes all restrictions for the fans of mobile games. A huge supply of RAM makes the device relevant for several years to come. The Mi6 interface works without the slightest slack or lag. In heavy games, there is no throttling, it seems that there is still no load that is beyond the power of a smartphone.

Antutu results:


In terms of performance, the Mi6 can easily be put on a par with Samsung's recently launched S8 flagship. The device can handle modern graphics in Wot: Blitz, Asphalt 8 and other heavyweight applications without any problems. The only drawback is the slightly noticeable heat in the back after several hours of playing.

Camera

Previous top-end Xiaomi models frankly did not reach the level of the flagships of Apple or Samsung. With the Mi6, history repeats itself. Although the smartphone is equipped with the latest technology, there are still minor flaws in the software part.

The Chinese have succumbed to the general trend and built a 12 megapixel Sony IMX298 dual main module into their phone. "Double-barrel" is complemented by a flash to the left of the lenses. Both cameras don't stick out like the iPhone 7 Plus.

Using this configuration assumes double optical zoom, clever blurring of the background in the frame and many other related things. There is also four-axis optical stabilization, there is now much less distortion in videos, even when the smartphone is shaken.

In photographs, you can sometimes notice a lot of blurring in fine details and graininess even in normal light. In the twilight, noise appears, which further spoil the picture. Most likely, this is a cant of post-processing of the frame. But what pleases me is the portrait mode. Not as perfect as the iPhone, but still pretty enough.

The front 8MP camera now works with the new firmware. Many men complained that the built-in beautifier changed their facial features a lot. Mi6, on the other hand, should react differently to male and female faces. For the first, the function is used less intrusively.

Speaker, sound quality

The Mi6 features stereo sound. When you play a music track, the sound comes from the main multimedia and spoken speakers at the same time. In addition to high volume, this solution provides clear, juicy and surround sound. Xiaomi has clearly done a great job on the quality of the speakers.

The earpiece speaker also showed a good side. No wheezing or interruption of the interlocutor by the noise of the environment.

Battery

Inside the Mi6 is a 3350 mAh battery. Quite a reasonable size considering the optimal screen diagonal. Prolonged viewing of videos, photographing, social networks + a couple of hours of toys leave about 20% of the battery charge at the end of the day. For a flagship, this is a very good indicator.

There is a fast charging mode using the QuickCharge technology 3. Need to rush, and the battery is low? Ten minutes at the outlet will give about another couple of hours of autonomy.

Communication and Internet

The Mi6 uses an improved 2 × 2 MIMO Wi-Fi module. It greatly improves the quality of wireless signal reception. A smartphone can easily recognize a router several tens of meters away.

There are no complaints about the quality of the connection. The device supports Russian frequencies, LTE is present, the Internet is stable. There is Bluetooth 5.0. The approximate time to sync with GPS satellites- about 20 seconds. A “hot start” of navigation will take even less time.

Video review Xiaomi Mi6

Competitors, conclusion

Beautiful design;
Powerful iron;
Good sound;
Four-axis optical camera stabilization.

No slot for microSD;
No 3.5mm headphone jack
Questionable moisture protection

The new Chinese flagship has become more modern and better in almost everything. As usual, he competes on an equal footing with top smartphones in terms of productivity, but inferior to them in small things. There is no 3.5 mm jack, but there is no full moisture protection, the camera is slightly worse than on A-brand smartphones, and the screen has not undergone any changes in comparison with last year's Mi5. However, no matter what, the new Mi6 can be considered a good buy.

The main drawback is the lack of a mini-jack. The manufacturer's standard excuses do not save the situation, music lovers will find themselves looking for a new headset or tormenting them with adapters. Also, a nuisance for an inexperienced user can be the lack of a global firmware, which at first does not have to wait. !

When my acquaintances ask to advise them “a cool phone, but so that it is inexpensive, and not a shovel,” I usually come to a dead end. After all, flagships smaller than 5.5 "are a rare phenomenon (if you do not take into account the Compact line from Sony, but this is still not an entirely uncompromising solution). Xiaomi company made a smartphone, which I will confidently recommend in response to such a request. Watching the video!

Chinese Apple is famous for the fact that for a small price "stuffs" its smartphones with the latest technologies. Mi6 is no exception, the hardware is really flagship.

Display	5,15 ", 1920х1080, IPS, 428 ppi
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 8-core (4x 2.45 GHz + 4x 1.9 GHz)
Graphics
RAM
Persistent memory	64 GB / 128 GB
Connection	4G LTE, Wi-Fi (802.11ac, 2x2 MU-MIMO), Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, GLONASS and Beidou, NFC
Cameras	Main: two cameras 12 MP, with autofocus, video recording 3840x2160 Front: 8 MP
Sensors	Fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass, barometer
Navigation
	Android 7.1.1 Nougat + MIUI 8.0
Battery
Dimensions (edit)	145.2x70.5x7.5 mm
Weight
Price in China	Regular version (64 GB + 6 GB) - 2,500 yuan (approximately 21 thousand rubles) Regular version (128 GB + 6 GB) - 2,900 yuan (about 24 thousand rubles) Ceramic version (128 GB + 6 GB) - 3,000 yuan (about 25 thousand rubles)

On the plus side, we didn’t chase fashion and didn’t plug in a 4K or 2K screen, FullHD is enough for all applications, except for VR helmets. The processor is the most powerful at the moment, the memory is 6 GB. At the same time, there is no support for a microSD slot, as well as a headphone jack. This is important for someone, it’s not very important for me (I listen to music on Bluetooth and 64 GB is enough for me.

It is also worth clarifying that Xiaomi Mi6 does not support 20 band LTE, that is, if you use, for example, Beeline or Tele2 in the Moscow region, then you will not be able to catch the 4th generation network very well.

Appearance and ergonomics

It's hard to surprise me with smartphones, but at one glance at Xiaomi Mi6 I am delighted. And this despite the fact that I have not the most successful software. outward appearance black "classic" version. It seems to me that blue and white look much more advantageous.

Most of all, the device reminded me of the old iPhone 3GS, however, instead of plastic, there is glass around here. The display is covered with 2.5D glass with a spectacular curvature. The oleophobic coating is excellent, fingerprints on the device are not noticeable. The display is bright and contrasty, it feels like it is the same as in the Xiaomi Mi5S, but without the black bezels around the edges.

At the bottom is the main button, which also houses the fingerprint sensor. By the way, it works just instantly, and very accurately. I have a feeling that on Samsung Galaxy S8 + sensor works worse. On both sides of the button - touch areas, highlighted by dots, when pressed, the "home" or context menu is activated.

Above is the speaker, front camera and proximity sensor.

At the bottom is the USB Type-C connector, and next to it is the speaker grill. One of them is decorative, but the smartphone has stereo sound, for it it is paired with a speaker speakerphone plays voice. By the way, the sound is surprisingly good, albeit without bass.

On the right is a volume rocker and an on / off button.

Above is an infrared port (which is great), as well as a noise canceling microphone.

The SIM card slot is on the left.

You can put two nanoSIMs in it, but you can't install microSD.

The back of the smartphone is glass, with an excellent oleophobic coating. Yes, of course, fingerprints are visible on it, but much weaker than on a black glossy iPhone.

It is really convenient to hold the smartphone in your hand due to the rounded edges and small size.

Above are two 12 megapixel cameras with autofocus and flash. The cameras are close to the edge and a couple of times I covered them with my finger when trying to photograph something, but then I got used to it.

Supplied in a white cardboard box, no "perversions" like the Xiaomi Mi Mix are foreseen. However, it is not surprising, this is not a technological demo, but just a flagship product.

The delivery package is decent, they put a cover for those who find the smartphone too thin. There is also an adapter for headphones; you do not have to buy it separately if you want to listen to music through a wire.

The smartphone looks good in the case, it is convenient to use, the device immediately becomes more "grasping".

The case is translucent, so you can still show off in front of Xiaomi fans.

Xiaomi's new compact flagship really looks great and is very comfortable. But, of course, someone might not like the lack of an audio jack and a microSD slot.

Performance

The smartphone has the most top-of-the-line chipset from Qualcomm - Snapdragon 835. Here we have added 6 GB of RAM, the powerful Adreno 540 is responsible for 3D output. In the Antutu benchmark, the smartphone shows sky-high 180 thousand, that is, it goes toe to toe with the Samsung Galaxy S8 +. True, due to compact body the device heats up, and the second "run", launched immediately after the first, sags noticeably. Nevertheless, the result is still ahead of the previous flagship, Snapdragon 821, which, recall, gained about 120 thousand in Antutu.

In the case of Ice Storm, the situation generally turned out to be interesting - in the Unlimited version, the smartphone went off scale for the maximum.

The graphical test GFXBench is also excellent. Satellites are caught quickly, GPS, Glonass, Beidou works.

The number of multitouch points is 10. In general, I have absolutely no complaints about the performance of the smartphone.

Software

The smartphone runs Android 7.1 with MIUI 8. Unfortunately, at the time of testing it was only in the Chinese-English version, and without Google Apps... However, the latter are easily installed by rolling out from the Google Apps backup for Xiaomi Mi Pad. You do not need to connect a smartphone to a computer for this, it is enough to use the standard program to restore from a backup.

It is also interesting that Xiaomi Mi6 supports the purchase of a virtual SIM card, it will come in handy when traveling. Unfortunately, you cannot buy a virtual SIM card in Russia.

Camera

Xiaomi has never been a leader in photo quality, however, their cameras are always at a very good level.

The front camera does a good job with backlighting.

With artificial lighting, everything is fine too.

HDR allows you to "pull out" shadows if there is a large difference in brightness in the scene. It works softly and unobtrusively.

The camera does a good job at dusk, the only thing, in my opinion, is the exposure is overly optimistic.

The smartphone has two cameras, one with double the focal length. The angle in this case is narrower, closer to the portrait lens, but the aperture also drops, as a result of which photos of fast moving objects may be blurred.

In general, the picture is bright and contrasting, but, in my opinion, a little "plastic" - the colors are not very realistic.

However, on a bright day, such colors are sometimes even a joy. The watermark in the corner turns off, but at first I forgot about it while taking test photos.

In artificial lighting, HDR can produce a slightly flattened picture, so you shouldn't constantly shoot with it, you need to turn it on only when it makes sense.

In general, the picture in the room is adequate.

You can even shoot good macro.

And, nevertheless, "misses" in the exposition are not uncommon.

With a large object it turns out very well. Very neat background blur.

Just great portrent mode. Yes, the blur is artificial, but overall the card is five points.

As with all modern smartphones, battery life is highly dependent on the way of use. If you do this both in the tail and in the mane, launch dozens of applications and constantly look at the screen - after lunch, the smartphone needs to be charged. If you turn on the optimization and use it as usual, the device lives up to the evening calmly. Basically, the autonomy seemed to me about the same as the OnePlus 3T. It is inferior to the autonomy of the Samsung Galaxy S8 +.

The stock charger supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3, the smartphone charges really quickly, in just an hour.

Other nuances of use

The speaker of the smartphone is loud enough, moreover, when playing music, you can actually hear stereo (the earpiece is used as the second one). There is no bass, but overall the sound quality is good.

The speaker is excellent, loud and clear. Through the use of two microphones (one normal, one for noise canceling), the voice is transmitted very well.

The infrared port is useful for reducing the sound level in bars. Well, or in case you have lost your TV remote control somewhere.

The device has NFC and MiFare Classic is supported - we managed to read data from Troika.

On my Android firmware Pay did not start, however, with the appearance official version with Android Market (international firmware), most likely there will be no problems.

The smartphone has a "splash protection" - that is, it is better not to put it in water, but in the rain you can not be afraid for it.

Wireless charging is not supported.

Prices

Total

Xiaomi has made a really great device - fast, light, compact, beautiful. Given its Chinese value, this is a fairy tale, not a phone. True, given the fact that Smart Orange continues to rage, and the Orenburg customs, it is possible that we will have to buy the device at a price one third more expensive. The only complaint here is the lack of a mini jack, and the lack of microSD support. However, today this trend is no longer so striking.