Xiaomi Mi 4

Review in pictures

Half the taste is in the presentation

• Looks very premium and feels solid, thanks to a stainless steel frame

• Chamfered edges and overall design is reminiscent of the Apple iPhone

• Narrow profile makes it apt for one-handed usage

• IR blaster on the top band, notification LED below the home screen

• Glossy rear, sports a subtle chequered pattern

Show me the screen

• The 5-inch display sports full HD resolution (441ppi) • Uses OGS technology and is covered by a layer of Corning Concore glass• Display quality is better than the Mi 3, and produces rich colours and

deep blacks• No glove mode, but you can tweak colour temperature and saturation

New generation sensor and feature-rich camera app

• 13MP latest-generation Sony IMX214 stacked CMOS sensor

• Boasts an aperture size of f/1.8, can shoot video in 4K

• The front camera bears 8MP resolution

• Superfast focussing speeds and HDR captures

• The app covers all possible modes including a new background refocus mode

• Colour filters, tweaks, and immense creative control on offer

The King of HDR• Images shot in daylight look

good for the most part, and so do close-ups

• Shoots noisy pics in low light• HDR is its strongest point

though, as it can shoot very fast, and outputs lovely results

• Overall, the Mi 4’s primary snapper isn’t revolutionary in terms of quality, but is a shade better than the Mi 3, and quite capable

Android raised to power Mi

• Runs MIUI v5 atop Android KitKat

• There’s no dedicated app drawer, and gives you multiple home screens where all the apps, app folders and widgets appear

• Just like the Mi 3, offers a plethora of baked-in features, including an in-call recorder, lock screen controls that switch to music playback controls with a double tap etc

More power to Mi and you• Loaded with customisation and

security features• Extensive theme support• Private area for text messages• Security suite that includes a

cleaner, a data usage monitor, a virus scanner and a power manager

• Permission Monitor keeps tracks of app permissions and let you control this on a per-app level

• Frequent updates kill bugs and add features

• MIUI v6 update already out in beta, brings a neat, flat look, and even more features

Steroidal performance for power users

• A zippy 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, paired with 3GB of RAM tackles even heavy apps and games smoothly. This model offers 16GB storage (with 12GB available), but there’s a 64GB variant in China too

• You can’t expand storage, but there’s USB OTG support if you need it• Gets hot when stressed though• Loaded with connectivity options, but NFC has been given the axe• 4G model with support for Indian bands incoming, expected to be the one that

will land in India

Beefy battery loads up the juice• The device is fuelled by a

3,080mAh sealed battery• Lasts a full day

comfortably with moderate usage

• Lasted eight and a half hours in our standard video playback test, when on ‘High Performance’ mode

• The default ‘Balanced’ mode should offer even better battery life

At a glance

• 5-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 pixel OGS display (441ppi)

• 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor

• 3GB RAM• 13-megapixel primary camera,

8MP front• 16GB storage (non-expandable)• USB OTG, infrared, 3G, dual-band

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS, GLONASS, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Hotspot, USB 2.0, TV-out via MHL

• Android KitKat 4.4.2 with MIUI• 3,080mAh battery• FM Radio

-• Non-expandable

storage• NFC missing in action• Runs hot when

stressed

Pros and cons

+• Stylish, premium looks

and solid build• Gorgeous display• Very capable HDR mode

on the primary camera• Blazingly-fast

performance• Very good battery life• Smorgasbord of useful

features in MIUI

NA (not launched in India yet)Expected: ~ Rs 22,000 (16GB)

Pricing and verdict

“It’s not without its faults, but the Xiaomi Mi 4 comes across as a premium, loaded device that will not cost the earth. It looks like a ramp model, performs like a champ and on a single charge, lasts as long as a seasoned marathon runner. The MIUI platform and the features it offers take it to another level. What’s not to like?. ”