Samsung. Apple. Sony. Motorola.

These brands are familiar household names. In Australia and around the world, these are among the leading smartphone manufacturers, responsible for millions of devices sold each year. Apple & Samsung alone account for one-third of the global smartphone market. You might see these brands dominate. But in some parts of the world, other companies hold court. In China, the list is topped by several low-cost manufacturers, including Oppo, Huawei, Vivo, and Xiaomi. These phones tend to be both affordable and high-performing.

Once a startup on the Chinese phone scene, Xiaomi has exploded in popularity. Since its inception in 2010, it has become one of the most popular smartphone manufacturers in China. Although, its name remains somewhat unrecognisable to those outside of China. Xiaomi’s devices have previously been limited to the Chinese market.

But there are intentions to expand. Last year, the company entered the Western European market and has shared plans to head to the United States by the end of 2018 or possibly early in 2019. Currently, it’s a bit tough to get Xiaomi phones in Australia, but they are available through some online retailers.

Some of the Xiaomi phones certainly give Apple and Samsung a run for their money. As this article from Android Central states, “The manufacturer you may have rarely heard of makes some of the best devices available today.” And not only are they comparable in performance, they’re often half the price.

One of the most popular Xiaomi smartphone models is the Mi 6. In many ways an ideal blend of Samsung and Apple’s best features, this is a more affordable flagship phone that has some unique appeal all its own. Interested? We review the Xiaomi Mi 6 to how it stacks up against its competitors, and to see if this device could really “make it” in Australia.

Xiaomi Mi 6 Review

The Mi 6 is an impressive device with a high calibre design. It contains the same fast processor as its Android cousin, the Samsung Galaxy S8, and has some Apple-style elements such as dual-cameras capable of creating beautiful portrait photos like the iPhone 7 Plus.

The Mi 6 is often compared closely to the Samsung Galaxy S8, as they are similar in size and capabilities, though vastly different in price. The Mi 6 has a solid, premium feel which is similar to the Galaxy. Composed of a four-sided curved glass body and stainless steel frame, it is a sleek, attractive model that feels good in your hand.

Specs:

Powered by Snapdragon 835 processor, the world's first 10nm commercial chip processor
6 GB RAM
Up to 128GB storage
5.15” display
Fast-charging, high-capacity 3350mAh battery
18-karat gold camera rims
Dual-camera with 2x optical zoom, 10x digital zoom

The Look

Despite its fair price, the Mi 6 does not skimp on craftsmanship and excellence. The phone boasts an appearance of very high quality and Xiaomi has attended to the finer details. The glass body is shiny and solid, and does a fair job repelling fingerprints. The material is prone to scratches, so a reliable case is recommended. If you want the most luxurious edition of the phone, opt for the ceramic Mi 6. This comes with 6GB RAM and 128GB of storage, as well as the 18-karat gold camera rims, for an extra touch of elegance.

The phone has a concave home button and fingerprint reader combo on the bottom front portion. The volume and power buttons are well-placed, so you can easily hold and use the Mi 6 one-handed. The design of the Mi 6 is definitely high class. The blue with gold accents is one of the standout looks for this phone.

Display & Sound

The Mi 6 has a sharp and well-lit display. Even in daylight, the LCD screen is bright and crisp. Some reviewers reported it being similar to the quality of an AMOLED display.

The 5.15” 1080p panel display is full HD. While many manufacturers are moving onto QHD panels, the full HD truly suffices. The lower definition is hardly noticeable, and it comes with the benefit of improved battery power. When watching videos or playing games on the Mi 6, you’ll find that the display showcases highly saturated colours, and is capable of dimming to an incredibly low setting, so you can use it more easily in low light situations. There is also an eye care mode, utilising a blue light filter that reduces eye strain in dark lighting. This can be configured to work with specific apps.

Sound quality is not lacking for the Mi 6. You can use the earpiece as a second speaker for true stereo sound. The volume limit is generous and at maximum volume, the sound quality is still quite seamless.

The Performance

This is a fast phone. The Snapdragon 835 processor gets the job done. Right from powering on, the phone works smoothly. The fingerprint scanner is super quick, responsive, and accurate.

The Mi 6 topped the charts in In a side-by-side speed test with Samsung Galaxy 8, the Xiaomi Mi 6 performed equally fast if not faster when accessing apps, playing games, and changing settings.

Planning on using your smartphone intensely? No worries with the Mi 6. Its powerful battery allows for a long-lasting charge, approximately 7 hours onscreen usage. One test, in which the device was set in flight mode found its battery to last nearly 14 solid hours. Quick charge enables the phone to get juiced up in fairly quick bursts. This is another advantage to heavy device users. With 6GB standard for ram and its great battery life, Mi 6 is honestly on par with many of the 2017 flagship devices.

Notable Features

The Mi 6 is equipped with dual 12 MP cameras: one is a wide-angle lens, the other is a telephoto lens offering 2X optical zoom. Outdoor photos taken in natural daylight perform very well, with a solid dynamic range and vibrant colours. The detail on foliage is lovely and HDR assists to enhance as well. Photos taken in low light conditions are passable, but don’t offer the results of top-of-the-line flagship models such as the Samsung Galaxy S8 or the iPhone 8. The portrait mode is also worth mentioning. This allows users to snap images where the central focus is sharp and emphasised, while the background retains that nice blur or bokeh.

Another nice feature of this phone is its splashproof nature. This is not the same as waterproof: this phone cannot survive full immersion in water, but wicking off water droplets from a spill or resisting sweat at the gym should be no problem.

Concerns

There are very few complaints about the Xiaomi Mi 6. While its display is respectable, it doesn’t quite match up to the vibrancy and quality of other devices. Still, given the competitive cost of this device, it seems like a reasonable tradeoff. Another concern, though minor, is that the Mi 6 lacks a traditional headphone jack. It may be bothersome to some users to be missing this commonplace feature, but there is a USB adapter that can get your headphones connected.

How much does the Mi 6 cost?

As of publication, prices on various gear sites show the Xiaomi Mi 6 selling for approximately $450-689 AUD. Compared to the $1000+ prices for Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, the Mi 6 is definitely a good deal.

Will this phone make it in Australia?

It’s hard to say if a phone such as the Mi 6 could gain extreme popularity in Australia. At the moment, other manufacturers definitely dominate the market, and these well-known brands are hard to contest with. But given the great price, the more Australians that hear about the Mi 6, the more may opt to give it a try.

Have you tried out the Xiaomi Mi 6? What did you think of it?

The Xiaomi Mi 6: An Affordable, Exciting Alternative?

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