Design
- Absolutely stunning edge-to-edge screen design - arguably one of the best designed Android phones ever - it's the kind of phone that you will recognise from 10 feet away
- The Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 not only stuns with its screen, but with the way it looks and feels all around - the frame is metal with curved corners for better hand-feel and rigidity, while the back is a solid slab of beautiful ceramic
- The fingerprint reader works reliably and is fast - its center-stage position on the back is also quite functional
Display
- The bezel-less design means you get a 6-inch screen in a phone that’s the same size as the OnePlus 5, which has a 5.5-inch screen - making for a device that is a pleasure to use on a day-to-day basis
- On the whole, this is high screen-to-body ratio executed very well
- The display looks brilliant because of the bezel-less design, but is otherwise, in terms of quality, not anything special - both viewing angles, and brightness levels are a notch below Samsung/LG/Apple flagships
Software
- MIUI on top of Android is clean, feature-filled, relatively secure, plus it has an excellent theme engine
- Another positive with the MIUI ecosystem is that the software is constantly updated and refined
Performance
- Powerful, top-end hardware - Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, and 6GB of RAM ensure flagship-grade, lightening quick performance throughout
Camera
- Good set of rear and front cameras - whether its colour, detail, sharpness or composure, the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 is competent (even though not exceptional), and takes good pictures that check all the basic boxes - in good light as well as low light
- The front camera position at the bottom right corner of the phone is awkward and will take time getting used to
- The cameras are good but nothing special - the rear camera lacks the dual camera setup for bokeh effects that's the flavour of the season among other flagships - as a result, you’ll find the camera app a bit bare-bones in terms of features - overall, it doesn’t quite have the capability of the top camera phones in this price bracket - the OnePlus 5 or Honor 8 Pro
Audio
- Decent audio quality via both headphones and speakers
- There’s also no 3.5mm jack, so audio enthusiasts might be a bit disappointed, although you do get a 3.5mm-to-Type C adapter in the box
Battery
- Good battery life - you will consistently get a full work day of usage
- Support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 means that battery recharging is also quick
More
- Also worth noting is that the phone has almost universal band support, which means that it’ll work with networks anywhere in the world
- On the whole, the Mi Mix 2 is a phone that catches your eye, it’s a phone that lets you enjoy the big screen experience without feeling like a big phone, it’s a phone that feels good in your hands, it’s a phone that stands out in a crowd, and has people stop to ask you questions - and it's also a sign of Xiaomi growing up to now compete (and compete well) in the flagship category too