Can a newcomer from China take on the giants of the South African smartphone market? Find out in our in-depth Xiaomi Mi 4 Review!
Up until now, the mid-range smartphone market in South Africa has been a difficult space to navigate. Between earnest attempts from Microsoft’s Lumia line – which inevitably fall flat due to Windows Phone’s bereft app store – and half-hearted attempts at glory in the in the Android world, little has sated our interest within the economy between affordable and powerful. Enter, then, our Xiaomi Mi 4 Review.
“Offering premium specs, a unique user interface and subtle style, could this be the mid-range shakeup we’ve been waiting for?”
Whereas other mid-range efforts such as the disappointing HTC Desire 626 where ostensibly designed to fill a hole in the company’s line up, the Mi 4 is an elder contender from Xiaomi, and still one of the company’s best sellers ahead of the reveal of the Mi 5. Offering premium specs, a unique user interface and subtle style, could this be the mid-range shakeup we’ve been waiting for?
Read: Xiaomi Mi 5 body leaked, shows premium design
The Mi 5 arrives in a form factor slightly reminiscent of an iPhone 4 or 5. Minus a curved back to accommodate its battery, the Mi 4’s slick lines – especially in white, which our review model arrived in – is a definite callback to an era when smartphones were more ergonomic than blade-like. In hand, there’s a refreshing quality and nostalgic feel to the Mi 4 that I’ve found seldom elsewhere.
Specifications
The Xiaomi Mi 4’s specification list is one enough to worry high-end manufacturers – not because they’re groundbreaking, but because Xiaomi has so competitively priced its product the Mi 4 will succeed in drawing away prospective purchasers of premium smartphones.
With a 5″ 1070 screen with a 441ppi display, 16GB of non-expandable internal storage, 3GB of RAM, and running MIUI 5.0 atop of Android 4.4.3 Lollipop, this is a contender which doesn’t so much cut its own path through the market but rather digs a trench right under it.
Design
The Mi 4’s real take on maverick specialty is found in its price point and market positioning, and hence the smartphone doesn’t – and, truly, needn’t – bring a disruptive design. Instead, in hand, I found the Mi 4 to be pleasantly quaint and unobtrusive. At 5″, this isn’t a smartphone you’ll be hard pressed to either hide in your pocket or in your handbag; it’s a comfortable, tried and tested design that feels familiar.
“Xiaomi has so competitively priced its product the Mi 4 will succeed in drawing away prospective purchasers of premium smartphones.”
The white model we reviewed felt more slightly more premium and polished than the standard black model, and the addition of silver rims and function buttons (in this case, a power button and volume rocker) gives the device a distinctive but subtle feel – one I recalled fondly from my days as an iPhone 4s owner of old. Despite the presence of a slight camera bump to accommodate the Mi 4’s camera housing, the device is largely sleek and simple.
One area which did proceed to worry me was the device’s propensity to overheat; which, contrary to the intentions of its external design, left me all too aware of its presence in my pocket. The issue struck most often while charging, although heavy use quickly brought this beast to life once in my hands.
The Mi 4 lacks a fingerprint scanner, which I found unfortunate but at the same time understandable; I hope, with the Mi 5 soon to be set upon the world, Xiaomi can incorporate this to even better their present value proposition.
User interface
Xiaomi’s custom MIUI could well do with a review of its own – plainly put, as South African consumers, this is likely the most ‘different’ take on Android we’re likely to see for a good while.
As a Chinese handset that largely has to go without the official support of many Google services in its home territory, Xiaomi have crafted its MIUI and accompanying extensions to leave its users still feeling in control of the phone. Nowhere else is this more noticeable than upon the first sign in, where instead of being directed to Google’s Play services, new users are instead encouraged to create a MI account from which the device will sync. An Android phone largely divorced from Google, the Mi 4 could indeed be.
I’ll say it up front: I grew to love MIUI. For users who’ve had any experience with Huawei’s Emotion UI (EMUI), this is a far more refined, slick, and powerful Android skin which pushes the envelope in a new direction. To the uninitiated, this might appear a blatant iOS rip off; yet, after considerate use, MIUI blossoms from simple imitation into something which, on its own, is quite beautiful. Animations are smooth, the experience powerful, and all at once a user will likely find themselves in familiar territory with bold new horizons.
“I’ll say it up front: I grew to love MIUI.”
One particular aspect I loved – which I mentioned in Bandwidth Blog On Air – is the ability to update MIUI specifically, as opposed to a bundled device update which most manufacturers opt to do. This allows Xiaomi to painstakingly craft their UI across multiple devices, and allow users to see exactly what will change in the latest update. I’d normally turn my nose up at the mere mention of an app-drawerless Android device, but MIUI succeeded in making me reconsider my position.
Performance
Beyond occasionally overheating, the Mi 4 offers an experience that is generally smooth across the board; and despite the weight of MIUI, users are seldom likely to feel any pinch across the phone.
Camera draw times and app loading times are quick, default apps are buttery, and, simply put, this is a ship which glides across the ocean. Multi-tasking can suffer for no other reason than for the ridiculous decision not to show app previews from the multitasking screen (instead, an app icon is shown) but, overall, this a smartphone where performance counts, and, indeed, performance is delivered.
Battery
Unfortunately, the Mi 4’s major downfall is its battery. While the device will no doubt last an entire day, the Quad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 400 chipset is by no means a power-sipper; and heavy use coupled with overheating issues will chip away into the Mi 4’s battery life, likely leaving the handset to die a cold death overnight. At best, I was able to achieve 16 hours of continuous usage, but there’s little more that can be achieved here. Disappointing indeed, but ultimately, this needn’t be a deal breaker.
Camera
Having not had an extended amount of time with a Xiaomi camera set up before my Mi 4 review, I was eager to see exactly what value a 13 megapixel camera would bring to this equation. Again, to redraw an iPhone 4s comparison, expectations and results here are largely similar.
The Mi 4’s camera brings great detail and fast processing, but isn’t enough to challenge the likes of Sony’s Xperia Z5. This is a handset that will delight the average consumer and frustrate the pro; while ordinary shots are delightful – offering crisp detail, great colour and decent exposure control – finer details are out of a users hands.
“For those wanting an equitable shooter that performs well across the board but offers little to no native manual controls, congratulations – you’ve found your new home. “
For those hoping that this is the budget handset they’ll be able to capture low-light masterpieces, think again. For those wanting an equitable shooter that performs well across the board but offers little to no native manual controls, congratulations – you’ve found your new home.
The best way to surmise the Mi 4’s camera is, perhaps, to draw the analogy that with this device, Xiaomi are where Apple was three years ago; at the cusp of a movement, but still with some work to do.
Overall
The Xiaomi Mi 4 is a challenging phone to write about; chiefly in the sense that this a handset that is insurmountably difficult to separate from its price point.
Were this a R10,000 ZAR contender looking to topple the likes of Sony, Samsung and Apple, I’d tell you to invest your cash elsewhere. However, it’s not. The Xiaomi Mi 4 is nothing short of a revolution in the South African mid-range market that undercuts my previous mid-range favourite (the Samsung Galaxy A5) by around R1000 ZAR.
“With one punch undercutting the mid-rangers around it, and other swiping dangerously close to the noses of premium handsets, the Xiaomi Mi 4 strides in the same league as giants.”
The sheer value offered here outweighs many of the drawbacks the Mi 4 has, including a good-but-not-great camera and the odd overheating instance, and is perfectly positioned for those ready to climb one rung higher on the smartphone ladder. With one punch undercutting the mid-rangers around it, and other swiping dangerously close to the noses of premium handsets, the Xiaomi Mi 4 strides in the same league as giants.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a new device in the mid-range segment and are prepared to pay a rough figure of R200 ZAR pm or R4000 ZAR retail, this is the phone for you – you needn’t look further. Between a unique UI, pleasing build, equitable camera and disruptive specifications, there simply isn’t a better buy in the mid-range market yet. Things might change with the imminent arrival of the new Samsung Galaxy A series or even the forthcoming Mi 5, but this is the beginning of a great innings for Xiaomi.
Score: 8/10
What are your thoughts on our Xiaomi Mi 4 review? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
