Xiaomi is still one of the best budget smartphone companies in the world. Despite the oppression from other manufacturers, they still offer a wide range of devices for every budget. One of their most successful devices was the Mi A1. This midrange smartphone offered the best balance of hardware and looks, without being hard on your wallet. And the best thing about it was that it was a part of Android One – a rarity for Xiaomi smartphones. Now, they released the second generation of this popular device. Meet the Xiaomi Mi A2!

Design

Starting with the design, you will find probably the biggest downside just from looking at it. I’ve done this too – you can easily mistake it for an iPhone X if you’re looking it from the back. The only giveaway is the fingerprint sensor, which is placed in the natural middle position of the back. The back is made from aluminum though, so it’s definitely more durable than the fancy glass. On the front, you will find the 5.99” IPS LCD display. It’s capped at 1080 x 2160 resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio. The panel has decent color reproduction and saturation, though not as much as on Samsung displays. There is no notch and all the bezels are small, but still noticeable.

Features

Moving over to the internals of the device, the Xiaomi Mi A2 offers a small punch under the body. For the chipset, the company went with the recently announced Snapdragon 660 processor. The octa-core 2.2GHz chip is capable of processing any task you throw at it. It is accompanied by the Adreno 512 GPU, so it will handle all graphic-intense apps without any problems. Going on, you have many different options for the memory. For the RAM, you can get it with 4 or 6GB of it. Furthermore, there are 32, 64 or 128GB versions for the internal storage. All options are great but keep it in mind that the A2 is lacking MicroSD expandability. Finishing the internals, the A2 is powered by a 3000mAh battery, which should easily last you through the day.

The camera department is where Xiaomi made improvements over the A1. On the back, you will find the 12MP + 20MP combo with f/1.75 aperture. And the improvements are visible – photos are excellent with good dynamic range and excellent color saturation. The secondary shooter is no longer telephoto – instead, it’s used for low light situations and portrait mode. On the front, you will find the same 20MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture. A novelty is the inclusion of HDR on the front camera, alongside the 4500k selfie light. For video, the device can shoot up to 4k at 30fps, with 60fps being available at FHD quality.

Finishing with the software, the A2 is still a part of the Android One family. That means that it runs stock Android Oreo 8.1, and you’re guaranteed up to two years of feature updates. The only non-Google apps are a Feedback one, Xiaomi’s own file manager and Mi Drop. Aside from Feedback, you can easily delete the other two.

Pricing and availability

The Xiaomi Mi A2 is available for purchase through online retailers and authorized Xiaomi shops. Prices start at 250 euros for the 4/32GB version, up to 350 euros for the 6/128GB one.

So, what are your thoughts on the Xiaomi Mi A2? Do share them in the comments below.