Xiaomi Mi 3

Review in pictures

A unibody design…

• A unibody design makes the device sleek and lightweight, although it means that the rear is non-removable

• The fascia is adorned by the display along with touch-sensitive keys at the bottom and sensors, along with the front snapper above

• The rear panel houses the main camera unit along with dual-LED flash and MI branding

… that oozes class all the way around

• Looks similar to Lumia smartphones with rounded edges and volume rocker, power button on the right, headphone jack and SIM slot on the top and speaker grille and micro-USB port on the bottom

• Available in metallic grey colour, the device looks extremely premium

• Rounded edges makes it very comfortable to hold

5-inches of goodness

• A 5-inch display with full HD resolution reproduces vivid images and sharp text

• A layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 makes it less susceptible to scratches

• Being pressure-sensitive allows it to be used by wet hands or even if you’re wearing gloves

Offers a 13-meg camera…

• Sports a 13-megapixel BSI sensor with f2.2 aperture at the back

• Dual-LED flash illuminates in low-light conditions

• A custom camera app with both simple and advanced modes

• Loaded with options to shoot in HDR mode, panoramas, hand-held twilight, etc.

• Lets you adjust focus mode, ISO, white balance and more

• There’s also an option of applying filters, a la Instagram

… that’s good, but not the best

• Results in good images with accurate details and colours• However, the colours get overwhelmed by the brightness• It’s still the best camera we’ve come across in its price

segment• For selfies and video calls, there’s a 2MP secondary

snapper

Android at the backstage with MIUI controlling the show• Comes with the latest

Android 4.4 KitKat• Xiaomi has customised the

ROM with its MIUI v5• Unlike other overlays on

Android, which doesn’t add much value, MIUI offers a simple-to-use interface to first time users and powerful tweaking options to advanced users

• No separate app drawer so the apps are available on the home screen itself. It also has support for widgets

Changes the look and feel of the interface by just one tap

• Themes allow you to change the interface by a simple click

• Offers a multitude of downloadable themes, and universally changes the icons and lockscreen

• Very easy to move apps from one screen to another

• Custom apps offering features for which you otherwise need third-party apps

Little touches can make a big difference

• Unlike the Chinese version, the Indian model is Google CTS-certified and hence comes preloaded with the Play Store and several apps from El Goog

• In-call menu gives option to record the conversations and save notes

• The Messages app has a private message folder allowing you to password-protect selected ones

• Security suite of apps give modular control to users over power, cellular data, etc.

• The list goes on and on..

Power on steroids

• Loaded with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset having four Cortex-A7 cores clocked at 2.3GHz along with Adreno 330 GPU

• Complemented by 2GB of RAM• Churns out smooth performance without any hiccups• Although it tends to get hot within few minutes of gaming

Ample storage, but non-expandable

• Supplied with 16GB of eMMC storage

• Users can access 11.95GB for installing apps or storing any kind of files

• Can’t be expanded, but you can plug in your flash drives thanks to the support for USB OTG

Battery that doesn’t give up easily

• Powered by a beefy 3,050mAh battery

• Can easily last a day and a half with moderate usage

• Played a 720p video in loop with 50 percent brightness and volume for close to 12 hours non-stop

• Option of squeezing in more battery life by changing to economical mode

Specs at a glance

• 5-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (441 ppi) with Corning Gorilla Glass 3

• 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor

• Adreno 330 GPU• 2GB RAM• 16GB onboard storage• 13MP BSI camera with dual-

LED flash, 2MP front camera• Android 4.4.2 KitKat with MIUI

v5 firmware• 3,050mAh battery• 3G, dual-band Wi-Fi ac,

Bluetooth, NFC and GPS

-• Non-expandable

storage • Available in limited

stocks

Pros and cons

+• Premium build

quality • Pressure-sensitive

1080p display • Decent camera • Intuitive MIUI with

latest Android build • Powerful internals • Long-lasting battery

Rs 13,999

Pricing and verdict

“At a superb pricing of Rs 13,999, there’s no device that

comes close to the Mi 3. It comes equipped with class-leading specs that not only blows the competition in its

segment out of the water, but also gives a tough fight to

devices costing almost thrice its cost. The Xiaomi Mi 3 is

definitely our recommendation for anyone wanting to buy a smartphone in this segment”