ISSUE 50 • ANDROID ADVISOR 79REVIEWThe screen might be only Full-HD in resolution
(Xiaomi has yet to implement anything higher in any
of its phones), but it’s an excellent example of IPS tech
(yep, that’s IPS and not OLED as we saw previously).
Bright, clear and vibrant, with fantastic viewing angles
and decent contrast. This display is actually smaller
than we saw on the Mi Note 2, which had a 5.7in
panel, and it lacks the curved edges on top that made
it look much like a Samsung Galaxy copycat.
As is becoming increasingly common with
premium smartphones, the Mi Note 3 adopts a glass
finish front and rear. Its glossy surface feels ultra-
smooth in the hand, and though our black sample is
peppered with fingerprints it really looks the part.
The premium feeling is aided by the dual-camera
visible at the rear, the same one as found on the Mi6
and, pleasingly, lying completely flush. The Mi Note
3 might be larger than the Mi6 but it’s still just 7.6mm
thick, and weighs around 163g.
We’re still not incredibly keen on the under-
glass Home button, which integrates a fingerprint
scanner but looks a little like the button itself fell off.
(When we say under-glass we do not mean that it
is integrated to the screen, as is rumoured for the
imminent Xiaomi Mi7.)
We’re pleased to see Xiaomi has retained its IR
blaster at the top edge – these are still popular but
increasingly rare – but the 3.5mm headphone jack is
gone, instead reliant on USB-C audio. This sits at the
bottom with speaker grilles either side, though just
the one speaker inside (the Mi6 has stereo speakers).
Along the edges you’ll find power, volume and a