It’s a typical camera setup for a
high-end phone these days,
though most of the competition
packs three primary cameras. Still,
in good light, the Mi Mix 3 5G is
capable of clear, detailed shots.
The camera app isn’t the fastest
we’ve used, with a small amount
of lag when switching between
modes, but most of the time you
can stick with the standard mode.
HDR mode (high dynamic range)
is turned off by default, but you will
want to tap the icon and switch it
to auto so it can pull out detail in
backlit conditions and brighten up
dark foregrounds.
Slide across the modes above the
shutter key, and you’ll move to
portrait mode, which allows you to
take an image of your subject with
a blurred background.
This uses the 2x zoom telephoto
camera and is a little fussier than
we’ve found on the likes of the
Google Pixel 3 and OnePlus 7 Pro,
with the app telling you to get
nearer or further away from the
object you want in focus. Once you
lock on to your target though, the
results are very good indeed,
especially in brightly lit conditions.
The lack of a headphone jack
might irk wired headphone fans,
but there is a 3.5mm to USB-C
adaptor in the box at least.
There’s also 128GB of storage
included which should be
ample for most.
Naturally, this phone also gets
fast over 5G networks, with data
speeds of up to 250Mbps in our
tests when we were in the right
spots in London. As with all 5G
phones, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G is
for early adopters in need of speed
(in a handful of locations).If you find it at a decent price, and
want something a bit different
with 5G, this is a good phone.the phone’s heft, but the sliding
mechanism wasn’t for us. Despite
feeling very secure, we kept
activating our front camera almost
every time we took the phone out
of our pocket, as it would open.
Additionally, sliding it one-
handed left us fumbling and fearful
of dropping the Mi Mix 3 5G. If you
cangetpastthat,thenyou’ll
probablygetonverywellwiththis
phone, but maybe try it in a shop
before you pick one up.
As for the display, it’s a Full HD+
panel with a resolution of 1080 x
2340, a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and a
pixel density of 403 pixels-per-
inch. That’s sharper than an
iPhone XR, but not quite as sharp
as an iPhone XS.
All this adds up to respectable
levels of detail, and there’s a great
deal of depth to it as well. Colours
aren’t as zingy as those on the
Samsung Galaxy S10 or OnePlus 7
Pro screens, even when you boost
the saturation, but fans of more
muted, natural tones will like what
they see.
More importantly, viewing angles
are wide and brightness is strong,
which means it’s easy to see what
you’re doing outdoors. The
addition of HDR support means
that whether you’re streaming or
watching your own videos, it looks
great, and the display is responsive.Battery and camera
The bump up to a 3,800mAh
batteryinthenewXiaomiMi Mix 35Gis verywelcome,witha capacity
that’s 600mAh larger than that of
the original Xiaomi Mi Mix 3. That
said, the increase in battery size
has come with a price – wireless
charging is nowhere to be seen,
which is a shame.
We’re delighted to report that
the Mi Mix 3 5G comfortably makes
it through a full day of relatively
intensive use. After a 90-minute
video played back at max
brightness, it still had 89% left in
the tank, and we were never
struggling to make the phone last
until the end of the day.
The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G features
dual 12MP rear cameras with
different focal lengths, allowing for
portrait mode photos and a 2x
zoom without a major quality loss.“We never struggled to make the phone last
through a full day of relatively intensive use”
Upgrade
Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G
November 2019 | |^83
Specs as reviewed
Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G
Supplier http://www.mi.com/uk
Chipset Snapdragon 855
Storage 128GB unexpandable
Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,
USB Type C
Screen 6.39in, 1080x2340px
Cameras Dual 12MP
Weight 225g