I bought the Xiaomi Mi 4i from Flipkart and here is my review of the latest flagship from Xiaomi after a month of use.
The Packaging:
As is the case with all Xiaomi products, the package is minimalistic. A sim card remover and charger is in the box and that’s all there are besides the manuals and paperwork.
Looks and Aesthetics:
The phone is mostly made of plastic and the front is all glass. It looks decent but definitely hasn’t inherited the stunning looks of the Xiaomi Mi 3. It is slim enough to fit in your pockets without much hassle even if you put a case on it.
The Screen:
The 5 inch screen is has a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels which is the same as that of the Mi 3. It has good visibility even under direct sunlight and the brightness level is pretty sufficient. Colours are sharp and you can alter the saturation levels to your liking.
Connectivity:
Dual Sim 4G, 3G, 2G, GPS, GLONASS, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, USB On the Go cover all your needs. There is no HDMI Out, but you can mirror your screen on a secondary display using MiraCast.
Under The Hood:
The Xiaomi Mi 4i runs on the powerful Octa-Core Snapdragon 615 SoC. It runs smoothly on the MIUI interface and I’ve had no issues with lag so far. Demanding and graphically intensive games are easily handled by the Adreno 405 GPU.
The Battery:
A Non-removable Li-Ion 3120 mAh battery powers the Xiaomi Mi 4i. Even on heavy usage it should easily last a day. But don’t expect it to last more than that. I’ve used it moderately on occasional 3G browsing and heavy music playback for 1.5 days without having to charge it.
The Camera:
The camera is as good as that found in the Xiaomi Note 4G and the Mi 3. No complaints here. Low light shots suffer from a bit of grain but you cant complain at this price point. The dual tone flash captures skin tones accurately and a lot better than conventional dual flashes.
Verdict:
Despite the price drop in the Mi 4 recently, the Xiaomi Mi 4i still remains a viable option. If you are in the market for a phone in this price bracket, I’d suggest you go for it without a second thought.
Camera samples: