Xiaomi Mi 4 review: Little Millet

Chinese phones have become an important beacon of the mobile industry. Their highlight is the gamut of features that they easily encompass in intricately fabricated models. Xiaomi Mi 4 is yet another phone in this genre that promises strong software along with hard to resist features. Let’s take a tour of the detailed analysis of its features at a glance.

Specifications

• 5 inch IPS LCD capacitive screen
• 5 GHz quad-core Krait 400
• Qualcomm MSM8974AC Snapdragon 801 chipset
• 3 GB of RAM
• 16GB / 64 GB internal memory
• 13 MP primary camera with LED flash
• 8 MP VGA front camera
• 2G/ 3Gnetwork support
• Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS (Glonass) and Infrared port
• 3080mAh battery
• Android version v4.4.3(Kitkat)

Externals: Design and Display

The design of Xiaomi mi 4 spots an elegant look. In contrast to its predecessor, the phone design is a bit lightweight and has chamfered edges that enhance its regal appeal. The highlight, however, is the metal frame that brims the front area.

 All around the perimeter, a stainless steel framework can be sported, which levies a premium look to the phone. This particular design was quite appealing and an important factor for customer satisfaction. The rear side is, however, a plastic cover with a somewhat glossy appeal. Though the look does not gel with the front metallic design, the plus point is that it can be removed easily with a customizable cover. The 5-inch display captures a major portion of the front area with buttons nicely placed in the bottom that are lit with the white light background. Yes, this does look appealing. On the backside, one can spot a camera with the LED flash placed below the camera. The power button and sound rockers are placed on the right-hand side of the body while the left side is allocated for the micro SIM slot. The bottom area is reserved for USB port as well as speakers. The 3.5 mm head jack is designed at the top area of the body. Overall, the design gives a premium look, and the buttons are nicely placed for efficient usage.

 Display of Xiaomi Mi 4 is impressive as it spots a 5 inch full HD, 1080X1920 resolution screen. The screen is protected by OGS (One glass solution) that does a good job of keeping away the scratches much like the Gorilla Glass case.

However, we were quite impressed with the viewing angles and the contrasting shades, which help to capture the pictures in their perfect undertones. One can easily see the reflective component of the glass when viewed under the sun, but this small detail easily hides out under the responsive touchscreen.

Internals: Hardware and Software

 

Xiaomi mi 4 has an amazing hardware. It is backed up by quad-core Krait processor, which is clocked at 2.5 GHz. The chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 is the factor behind its amazing performance. The hardware supports the software component aptly, and no lag in running any application was found. In fact, scrolling and navigation are quite smooth and hassle free. The videos are also played very nicely without creating any problems. Ample storage space is offered by 3 GB RAM and 16 GB internal memory. We sure wish that a slot for expandable memory would have been great; however, the specifications are good enough for basic usage.

  

The software is one area where a drastic change has been noticed. Xiaomi mi 4 is supported by the latest MIUI 6 OS platform, which has great features. The appearance is somewhat similar to that of the iPhone. It also offers a plethora of brilliant themes.

 It comes loaded with Google Play and the Cloud computing provides a free storage area of about 10 GB to sync the files with other devices. The software supports the desktop notification feature along with the floating icons which is remarkable. Some of the features we noticed were even better than the Android version.

Some noteworthy points are that MIUI 6 allows blocking calls and messages from a particular number. In the message department too, one can pin a message, which can be set to highlight on the home screen and the flexibility to hide certain messages is also present. It also has an inbuilt feature by which one can record calls as per wish. The widget mode of music and notes helps to access the application without the need of opening it. Another great feature was the inbuilt Virus scanner, which vouches for complete protection. The software is, undoubtedly, one of the best features of this phone.

Camera and Connectivity

 

The camera is one of the impressive features of Xiaomi mi 4. A whopping 4128 X 2096 pixels are easily captured by the 13-Megapixels rear camera. With its autofocus and LED features, it does a good job of capturing pictures in the dark as well as when exposed to sunlight. A front camera of 8-megapixels clicks good self-shots, which are worth looking at.

The maximum video capturing capacity of 2160 pixels at 30 fps was really commendable. Videos with sharp-edged pictures could be easily taken from it. In addition, we also found features such as geo-tagging, face and smile detection, HDR and panoramic clicks, which work quite well. All in all, one can say that the camera is really quite good and does a good job of capturing pictures as well as videos of high quality.

As for connectivity, Xiaomi mi 4 has introduced LTE connectivity, which makes 4G connectivity in this model. This gives an edge to it from its other counterparts. Other standard connections like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and Infrared port are also present. NFC was not present, but the 4G feature was enough to mask this effectively.

Conclusion