A stylish and productive premium smartphone is Xiaomi Mi4. Reviews about this flagship device, its software and hardware stuffing, as well as features will be described in detail later in the text.
Equipment
A fairly decent degree of configuration at Xiaomi Mi4. Reviews indicate only a lack of a stereo headset in it. The phone is rich in such components and accessories:
- Integrated battery (it, by the way, is not removable, but the case is collapsible).
- Interface cord with connectors "USB" and, of course, "MicroUSB".
- Typical charger with built-in plug and USB port.
- A clip for installing a SIM card.
- User manual and warranty card.
Design
In terms of design, there is a certain similarity between the iPhone 5S and Xiaomi Mi4. Owner reviews indicate this nuance of this gadget. The front panel of the Mi4 is covered with shockproof glass. True, the manufacturer does not specify which one. The side faces are made of stainless steel, the transition between the front cover and the ribs, as well as between the back cover and the sides are smoothed. It is this design decision that indicates that the prototype of this smart phone was the iPhone 5S.
On the front panel is a 5-inch display. On top of it is a camera for video calls and "selfie". Next to it is a speaker for conversations and a number of sensors. Under the display is a typical touchpad for controlling the gadget, which consists of 3 buttons. On the left side is a SIM card slot. Physical control buttons are displayed on the right edge : device locks and volume controls.
On the upper side of the smartphone are a 3.5 mm wired port for connecting a stereo headset and an infrared port. On the lower edge there is also a wired interface, a loud speaker and a conversational microphone. The main camera along with an LED backlight system and a microphone to suppress external noise are displayed on the back cover.
CPU and its features
Of course, one of the most productive chips is installed in Xiaomi Mi4. Reviews speak of a fantastic level of its performance. And something else to expect from the Snapdragon 801 is not necessary. Its second designation in accordance with the nomenclature of the Qualcomm developer company is MSM8974AC. This CPU consists of 4 high-performance computing modules, each of which is based on the Krait 400 architecture - a special version of Cortex-A15. This semiconductor crystal is manufactured in accordance with the standards of the 28-nm process.
Each of its cores can operate at a frequency of 2.5 GHz, if the maximum level of performance is required. The computing capabilities of this chip are more than enough to run any application. Moreover, several "heavy" programs can immediately work on it, and there will definitely not be problems with stability and smoothness. Although the CPU itself has been presented for quite some time, even now its resources make it possible to launch any software without any problems. The only thing that can cause certain complaints is the lack of support for 64-bit computing. But at the time of its release, this issue was not so relevant. And now there is still no such software in large quantities. Developers are not so quickly redo their software to 64-bit computing. Therefore, this problem in the next 2 years will certainly not be relevant.
Graphics Accelerator and Screen
As a graphics accelerator, Adreno 330 is used in the Xiaomi Mi4 M4. Reviews Highlight its good level of performance. Its computing capabilities are enough to solve any problem at the moment. And this will not change in the next 2 years. Customer reviews of the Xiaomi Mi4 indicate a high quality display. It is based on IPS technology, its resolution is 1920x1080 px. The absence of an air gap between the glass and the matrix eliminates the possibility of image distortion even at angles of 178 degrees. In general, the graphics adapter and screen in this smart phone are not satisfactory. These are some of the best solutions in the premium smartphone segment.
Cameras
One of the best cameras to date is installed in the smartphone Xiaomi Mi4. Reviews talk about the impeccable quality of her photos and videos. Its sensor is based on a modest enough 13 MP sensor. But such key points as autofocus and optical image stabilization play a key role here. There are also many software "chips" that allow you to configure the camera for shooting at any time of the day or night.
Regarding video recording, it can be noted that this device can do this as a “4K”. In this price category, not a single device can boast of such a feature. The matrix of the front camera is based on an 8MP sensor. Its optics are built so that the image coverage angle is close to 180 degrees. This allows you to use this unit for "selfie". Well, for making video calls, these technical specifications are more than enough.
Amount of memory
This smartphone has no problems with the amount of RAM. It has 3 GB of RAM installed on the most common DDR3 standard to date. This is enough to simultaneously run several demanding applications. At the same time, this mode will not affect the device’s operation itself, the interface will work smoothly. The capacity of the internal drive can be 16 GB or 64 GB. An intermediate option of 32 GB is not available in the manufacturer's nomenclature.
If in the first case, under certain circumstances, there may be a lack of free space on the internal drive, then in the second there should be no problems at all. But the external flash drive cannot be installed in the Chinese smartphone Xiaomi Mi4. Reviews indicate the absence of an appropriate slot in this gadget. It is difficult to understand what the Chinese engineers were guided by when they abandoned this slot, but this is one of the most significant drawbacks of the device. As a kind of compensation, it can be noted that you can connect a conventional USB flash drive to this unit using an OTZ cable.
Autonomy
The phone Xiaomi Mi4 cannot boast of phenomenal autonomy against the background of competitors. The reviews indicate that one charge of an integrated battery of 3000 mAh with an average load lasts for 1 day of operation. When reducing the load and saving battery life, this value can be increased by 2 times - up to 2 days. But if you run some resource-intensive task (for example, Asphalt 8), then a full charge of the battery will last only 3 hours. You can’t expect the best results from a smartphone with a 5-inch display, 4-core high-performance CPU on board and a 3000 mAh battery.
Software
The not-so-typical “Android” version 4.4 is installed on Xiaomi Mi 4. Customer reviews talk about the lack of a built-in program menu. That is, all the software that is installed on this device is displayed immediately on the desktop. The reason for this is the MIUI 6th version branded shell. By the way, a similar decision by Chinese programmers further indicates that the prototype of this smartphone was the iPhone 5S. After all, his operating system has a similar operation algorithm. The rest of the software set is quite modest, all you need to install from the "Play Store".
Communication kit
All the necessary methods of transmitting information are in Xiaomi Mi 4. Specifications and reviews indicate support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GSM and 3G networks, GPS and A-GPS. Among other features of the device, you can highlight the infrared port, which allows you to turn this smartphone into a remote control. Among wired communication methods, MicroUSB and the familiar 3.5 mm audio port are supported.
Results, reviews, strengths and weaknesses of the device
One of the best deals in the high-performance smartphone segment is Xiaomi Mi4. Reviews indicate that it has virtually no flaws. The only thing that can cause some complaints is the lack of a slot for an external flash drive. But the capacity of the internal memory should be enough.
In addition, you can connect a regular USB flash drive to this gadget or store personal most valuable information on a cloud service. Separately, it is worth noting the cost of such a smartphone - $ 390. For a device of this class, this is a very modest indicator and the only drawback cited earlier does not seem so significant against this background.