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Xiaomi, the Chinese device major known for selling high-end smartphones at budget prices, has
finally arrived in India. The company has kicked off its Indian operations with the launch of Mi 3,
its flagship device that features high-end hardware rivalling the likes of Nexus 5, but costs almost
half the price. Is it the best smartphone you can buy in terms of value for money? We find out in
our Xiaomi Mi 3 review...
In the box
Xiaomi Mi 3 comes in a very simple box that includes a charger and USB cable besides the
smartphone. It doesn't come with earphones or a case to cut costs and it appears these two
Xiaomi Mi 3 review: Redefining value for money
Anupam Saxena,TOI Tech | Jul 22, 2014, 11.35 AM IST
TAGS: Xiaomi Mi 3 review Xiaomi Mi 3 launched Xiaomi Mi 3 in India Xiaomi Mi 3 Xiaomi
Top Features
1. Excellent price
2. Brilliant Full HD display
3. Good build quality
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accessories will be sold separately by the company. Our unit came with a Chinese charger not
compatible with most Indian plug points. We hope Xiaomi replaces it in the retail units.
Build & design
Xiaomi Mi 3 looks and feels like a premium smartphone. It features an aluminum-magnesium
alloy frame coated with 3 layers of thermal graphite enclosed with a back panel made of good
quality plastic and a Full HD display.
The back has a metal finish that has been done in a manner which makes it really hard to guess
that it is actually made of plastic. In our use, we found that the back is not prone to smudges and
scratches won't easily show up.
Xiaomi Mi 3 is 8.1mm thick but not too heavy at 145gram. Despite its large size (especially the
length), the phone is easy to carry around. It reminded us of the Nokia N9 and the Nokia Lumia
800 with its rounded edges.
The power and volume keys are placed at the right edge while the left edge is barren. The speaker
grill and microUSB port are at the bottom edge while the 3.5mm headset jack sits at the top, along
with a sim card tray.
The front panel is not flush with the back but is a bit raised. It features three capacitive keys for
navigation, just below the display, and a 2MP front-facing camera above it. The phone doesn't
have rounded corners. The corners are a little sharp but they don't impact usability.
The 13MP rear camera and dual-LED flash are placed at the back, towards the top left.
The phone is only available in metallic grey colour at the moment. Overall, Xiaomi Mi 3 is a well
built phone with a design that is subtle, durable and pleasant to use.
Display
Xiaomi Mi 3 sports a 5-inch Full HD (1080p, 441ppi, 16:9) IPS LCD display manufactured by
either Sharp or LG. We were impressed with the display's brightness and colour rendering. The
phone offers three modes for colour temperature (Warm, Standard and Cool) and two for
saturation (Brilliant and Standard).
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Text and pictures appeared crisp and sharp and the viewing angles were pretty good. Touch
sensitivity was also great and the company claims that you can even operate the phone when you
hands are wet. You can turn on the glove mode for increased sensitivity.
Having said that, we found the screen to be very reflective, resulting in reduced sunlight legibility.
While the company does not mention it on the official specs page, the phone's display panel does
come with Gorilla Glass protection.
Software
Xiaomi Mi 3 runs MIUI, a heavily customized version of Android. You would be familiar with the
MIUI ROM if you're an Android enthusiast and like flashing different ROMs on your device. The
ROM is available for a large number of Android phones and tablets.
However, the software shines on the Mi 3, which efficiently leverages its features.
While the MIUI software is based on Android 4.4 (KitKat), it looks totally different. In fact, people
used to draw parallels between MIUI and iOS as the former follows a similar navigation structure.
The UI is devoid of an app drawer and app icons and widgets are spread across the home screens.
The unified home screen-app launcher style may come across as user-friendly to people who have
not used an Android phone before. But it will take some time to get used to if you have already
been using an Android smartphone. You can of course download and install an alternate
launcher.
Unlike the MIUI ROM and the Mi 3's Chinese variant, the Indian version of the phone comes
preloaded with Google Play Store and all Google apps including Maps, Gmail, YouTube and
Hangouts.
One of the highlight features of MIUI is the ability to customize the user interface with themes,
downloadable wallpapers and clocks. The Themes app offers a large number of free themes, each
of which comes with a different set of icons, wallpapers, app switcher, font style, sounds, lock
screen styles and even system apps.
Unlike themes that we've seen on other Chinese devices, the MIUI themes are really good looking
with attention to detail.
The software does not include any stock Android app and everything including the Gallery,
Music, Calculator, Calendar and Email apps are built by MIUI team. The apps look beautiful and
offer additional value added features, though most of them have skeuomorphic design elements
trying to ape their real world counterparts.
The MIUI app switcher can be launched by long pressing the Menu key and though it doesn't
look as rich as the stock Android launcher on KitKat that offers app previews, it comes with the
ability to free up memory by killing background tasks and clearing the cache. It even lets you lock
certain background apps to exclude them from getting killed.
There are a number of additional features that MIUI offers compared to stock Android. For
instance, the phone app features the ability to block calls and messages from select numbers. It
also offers a built-in call recording feature that allows you to record calls for all numbers or select
ones, depending on settings.
The Messaging app lets you pin important messages on top and hide messages from select
contacts in a private messages folder which is smartly hidden in the inbox.
The home screen widgets for the Music and Calendar apps look gorgeous. There's a even a widget
mode for Notes and Music that lets you quickly access the functions without opening the apps.
Read more
Reviews
Xiaomi Mi 3 goes out of stock as Flipkart crumbles
9 TIMES POINTS EARNED
The software has built-in security features including a virus scan and permission manager for
apps. You can choose to get data usage notifications and see the network speed at the status bar.
You can even choose if you want a particular app to work and connect only when you're
connected to the internet via Wi-Fi (or only on 3G.)
Camera
Xiaomi Mi 3 sports a 13MP rear camera accompanied by a Philips dual-LED flash. According to
Xiaomi, the Mi 3's 5-piece lens includes an infrared filter, that delivers more accurate colours in
photos. It has an /2.2 aperture to capture more light, and 28mm wide-angle lens to cover more.
The Camera app offers Simple as well as an Advanced mode with the latter offering granular
settings for attributes like contrast, saturation, sharpness, ahi banding, and exposure, among
others.It also offers HDR, Panorama, Burst modes in addition to filters. The video mode offers
slow and fast motion recording options.
Images captured by the camera in day light turned out really well with good level of detail,
accurate colour reproduction, little or no noise and good contrast.
Low-light and indoor shots were also good, but these had some noise, especially at 100% zoom.
Shots taken under HDR mode had deeper colours and were devoid of shadows but were not as
good as flagship phone cameras.
The phone has a 2MP front-facing camera and we found the quality of selfies captured by it, to be
pretty impressive.
Xiaomi Mi 3 offers video recording in 1080p, 720p and 480p resolution and includes an image
stabilizer anti-shake feature (doesn't include Optical Image Stabilization though). It takes good
quality video and thanks to the three microphones, the quality of audio is also good.
Normal mode HDR Mode
Overall, the Xiaomi Mi 3 offers the best camera experience under Rs 15,000 but you can't
compare the quality with that of the Samsung Galaxy S5 or Sony Xperia Z2.
Performance
Xiaomi Mi 3 is powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor with 2GB RAM. The
phone is extremely responsive and snappy with its MIUI software being optimized for the
hardware.
We did not experience any lag whatsoever while navigating through the home screen and menus,
launching apps and switching between them. Scrolling was smooth and the phone was able to
play Full HD video files without any problems.
In synthetic benchmarks, the phone scored 30,441 in Antutu, 17,764 in Quadrant and 59.9 in
Nenamark 2 benchmark tests. Some of these scores are much better than the Nexus 5, which costs
Rs 15,000 more and sports similar hardware specifications. Mi 3 does lag behind the latest
flagships from Samsung, HTC and Sony in the benchmark tests. We do not recommend a phone
based solely on benchmarks as real world performance is different at times.
Of the 16GB internal storage, about 12GB is available to the user. Unfortunately, you can't expand
the storage as the phone doesn't come with a memory card slot which is such a pity. However, you
can plug in a flash drive with a USB on-the-go cable.
Xiaomi Mi 3 offers Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity options. It offers good call quality
and signal reception and we did not encounter issues while making calls even in areas where cell
signal is relatively weaker. The phone was able to lock to GPS without any hiccups.
It offers FM radio with recording capability and the app works even without plugging in
headphones. We were able to play most popular video and audio file formats. The phone offers
customized audio settings for different kinds of headphones.
The external speaker outlet on the phone, located at the bottom edge, offers loud sound output
without distortion but is not stereo. We also liked the placement of the speaker outlet.
The phone is backed by a 3,050mAh battery (non-removable) and will last you a full working day
(11-12 hours) if you put the screen brightness at the highest level and use 3G data all the time.
You'll be able to make about 1-2 hours of phone calls, play some casual games and browse the web
in this time period.
We expected better from the battery but your mileage may vary with different usage pattern. The
phone offers three power modes and you can choose the economy mode to save some juice.
Gaming
We were able to play games like Subway Surfers, Temple Run 2, Banana Kong, Asphalt 8 and
Dead Trigger without encountering frame drops or freezes.
Verdict
Going by the features and user experience, it's hard to believe that Xiaomi Mi 3 costs just Rs
13,999.
Before it arrived, the hardware specifications it struts were not available below the Rs 25,000 price
point. However, it's not just the hardware specifications that make this phone special. It is a
combination of high-end hardware, software full of usability tweaks and good build quality that
places it right next to the likes of the Nexus 5 and other more premium phones. It is a 'no
compromise' phone that offers excellent value for every rupee of yours.
The only compromises it makes is the lack of expandable storage slot and 4G LTE connectivity
(which is still at a nascent stage in India). The camera is one of the best in this price range but not
comparable with high-end flagship phones. Some may not like its long frame or sharp corners but
we didn't face any usability issues because of these. If you don't like MIUI, you can use a different
launcher.
Of course, a large number of people (barring tech enthusiasts) wouldn't have heard about the
brand. It is a major player in the Chinese market and known for its high quality smartphones. The
company released its MIUI Android ROM in 2010 and its first smartphone in 2011.
It's only recently that Xiaomi decided to expand internationally and launched phones in
Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines. In fact, Xiaomi claims that its entire Mi 3 stock sold out in 2
minutes in Singapore.
The company sells phones almost at cost and earns profits from the fall of component prices over
a period of time and by selling themes, apps and accessories. It doesn't advertise via conventional
channels or runs physical outlets. The only way you can buy the phone is by going online (it's a
Flipkart exclusive to begin with).
But what about the after-sales service experience? Xiaomi has 36 service centres in India, with two
exclusive ones in Delhi and Bangalore. It targets a turnaround time of one day for complaints and
wants to reduce even that to a few hours.
Overall, Xiaomi Mi 3 redefines the term 'value for money' and is certainly the best smartphone you
can buy at a price less than Rs 15,000. It's very difficult to suggest an alternative in this price
range.
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Sort by: Newest | Oldest | Recommended (3) | Most Discussed | Agree | Disagree | Logged in CommentsNew!
Buy Indian Micromaxxxxxxxx Agree (0)
Disagree (0)
Recommend (0)
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Chinese maal will it last ?? Agree (0)
Disagree (0)
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Great Agree (0)
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he first invasion of Chinese phones few years back had broken and
destroyed the monopoly and looting of 'branded' phones likes Nokia, Sony
Ericson etc etc. They also proved a point - how these so called then
'branded' phones cheated people out of money. In this Second invasion, I'm
100% sure that they'll PROVE that specs that are charged by current
'branded' smartphones in the range of 40k & 50k is just B.S. Don't believe
me? compare LG G3 / Nexus 5 with MI3.
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nearly great phone Agree (3)
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Time to Ban Chinese and encourage all Indian Brands. Agree (1)
Disagree (3)
Recommend (0)
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Pls. name few Indian mobile phone company who actually
manufacturers cell phone. All of them are importing from China.
Agree (0)
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I want a 64GB version. I will buy it immediately if and when launched. I also
read that Mi4 was just launched yesterday. Specs seem to be even better.
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nice review Agree (0)
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Good review.... Agree (0)
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Very good review. explained very clearly Agree (0)
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Our desi phone-makers should learn from Xiaomi. If they don't come with a
similar product within a month they will be out of market soon. A very good
product indeed. At least Moto G is history now.
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Covered all details. Good review Agree (0)
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The lower the prices, the better it is for us. We, Indians, barring a few, do not
read too much into the specs. What we need is a good phone with a good
display capable of surfing the net and use whatsappp.
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even if the features are good, it's tough to trust a phone that deviates heavily
from the stock android, which means lack of fast updates and we will also
miss the Nexus experience that's becoming more popular these days.
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how to replace battery when its dead? Agree (0)
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Mi4 is out in the US and china market and these guys are still dumping the
old stock in Indian market.
Agree (1)
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Mi 4 is not out in US, There is no product of xiaomi is marketed in US
by Xiaomi
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MIUI is very popular, more and more people are using it. When you use it,
you will love it. That's best selling point of Xiaomi and why it is taking market
share.
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xiaomi is similar brand like lava micromax karbonn.. jawdropping features at
unbelievable price.. these phones hardly last for 2 years. achi cheez sasti nhi
hoti aur sasti cheez achi nhi hoti.
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So it is worth buying ! Agree (1)
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Samsung is already hit by the competition due to Sony, Nokia, Micromax.
Now Xiaomi is going to ensure it is reduced to a minority in the coming
future.
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No External Memory slot... :( Agree (0)
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with the type of features its offering that too at such a price band its going to
make it tough for other smart phone players like samsung/iphone/lg...its
really good.
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Waiting on 29th July to grab it!!! Agree (0)
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When compared to the moto g..which one is better? Agree (0)
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