Computer Shopper 2019-11-01

ISSUE 381|COMPUTER SHOPPER|NOVEMBER 2019 19

LAST YEAR’SXIAOMIMi Mix3was a
competent, mid-priced flagshipalternative
that ultimately wasn’t quiteasgood as its
biggest rival, the venerable OnePlus 6T
(Shopper373). The differences between the
two phones were marginal, but the OnePlus
6T’s superior rear camera and less fiddly
software made it aShopperBest Buy.
However, following the arrival of the very
first wave of 5G-equipped smartphones in UK
shops, the now eight-month-old Mi Mix 3has
returned, but this time with abit of afacelift.
Not only is Xiaomi’s mid-range handset now
more powerful, but it has abigger battery
and –most importantly –supports the
superior 5G mobile internet speeds.

GIMMEFIVE
Outwardly,the Mi Mix 35Gisalmost identical
to the phone that came before it, but there
are afew keydifferences. The Mi Mix 35Gis
powered by Qualcomm’s most up-to-date
silicon, the Snapdragon 855, rather than the
last-gen 845. Not only does this chipset work
in tandem with the new X50 Modem to
access the 5G network, but it also provides
substantial performance improvements.
The phone is also fitted with alarger
3,800mAh capacity battery.
Other than the new processor,bigger
battery and 5G capabilities, everything else
remains unchanged. It has a6.4in screen at a
resolution of 2,340x1,080, and atriple-camera
arrayonthe back. It runs Android 9.0with
Xiaomi’s own MIUI 10 software overlayplaced
on top. The clever sliding mechanism forthe
selfie camera makes another appearance,too.
However,because 5G is still in its infancy,
the barrier forentry is alarmingly high. The Mi
Mix 35Gisexclusive to Vodafone’s mobile
network in the UK –itcan’t be purchased
SIM-free –and 24-month 5G contracts start
at £56 amonth with an up-front cost of £29.
This is forVodafone’s Unlimited Lite
package,which is capped at 3G-like
download speeds of only 2Mbit/s and
softens the allure of an expensive 5G
phone contract. The next tier,which costs
£59 amonth, is also restricted to anearly
pointless 10Mbit/s.
If you want to access the fastest possible
speeds of up to 2Gbit/s, you can expect to
pay£63 amonth with the same up-front cost
on the Unlimited Max plan. If you do the
sums, that means the Xiaomi Mi Mix 35Gwill
cost awallet-wilting £1,541 by the time your
24-month contract comes to aclose.

WIDENTHE NET
That might sound expensive (and it is), but
this is actually the cheapest unlimited data
5G contract on the market. The only other
phone on Vodafone’s list is the Samsung
Galaxy S10 5G, which costs atotal of £1,
on the same plan.
Of course,Vodafone isn’t the only
5G-capable mobile network in the UK. EE
was the first to cut the 5G ribbon, and its
list of phones is much longer,including

premium handsets such as the OnePlus 7

Pro 5G, Oppo Reno 5G and LG V50 ThinQ 5G.

EE doesn’t currently offer unlimited 5G data

contracts, instead limiting its service to

capped 10GB, 30GB, 60GB and 120GB plans

that range from £54 to £89 per month.

We’ve yet to test EE’s 5G coverage fora

like-for-like speed and latency comparison,

but at the time of writing Vodafone’s service

appears to offer much better value formoney.

Disregarding the two entry-level 5G contracts

with their restricted speeds, Vodafone is the

only UK network to offer truly unlimited 5G

data plans that actually work out cheaper

than EE’s data-capped contracts.

RUNNINGFOR COVER

The wayitall works is that the Snapdragon

SoC’s X50 modem is able to connect to

sub-6GHz 5G networks with download speeds

of up to 2Gbit/s. This low-band frequency

isn’t nearly as impressive as the sort of

speeds that are expected to be delivered by

millimetre wave (mmWave) 5G frequencies in

the coming years, but the technology is

certainly off to apromising start.

If you’re used to sluggish downloads

over a4Gnetwork, then these sub-6GHz

speeds are abig improvement. In our testing

in various 5G locations around central

London, the Mi Mix 35Gwas able to

download the entire 586MB 4KBlade Runner

2049 package on Prime Video in 30 seconds.

Comparatively,a4Gnetwork only managed

69MB in the same time.

Vodafone’s 5G coverage isn’t entirely

reliable,however,atleast in our experience.

We used Ookla’s SpeedTest app to measure

average speeds and latency in three

separateLondon locations: Soho Square,

In ourtesting, the Mi Mix 35Gwas able to download the

586MB 4KBlade Runner 2049package in 30 seconds