Xiaomi Mi Max review: large screen and powerful battery in a thin body. Design and sizes

One-handed operation is excellent. You can choose a convenient diagonal for the location of control elements or enable Touch Assistant - an additional floating multifunction key.

Cameras

The main camera uses a 16-megapixel module from an unnamed manufacturer. Fans of artistic mobile photography should take a closer look at the flagship model. The rear camera will not leave everyone else indifferent. Examples of photographs both under artificial light and in bright sun can be seen below.

The native shooting application pleases with a large number of settings. Supports filters, blur, fish-eye effect, face detection, age and gender. And even - eliminating flickering of screens, and you can choose the refresh rate.

The flash is sufficient not only for shooting, but also for use as a flashlight. Maximum video quality is 1080p (Full HD, 30 frames per second). The front camera allows you to take great selfies.

Autonomy

Xiaomi representatives promised phenomenal operating time of the device. In fact, Mi Max does not set any records, but its results cannot be called bad either.

When playing Full HD video with average screen brightness, the operating time is 10 hours. At maximum brightness - 8 hours. Half an hour of playing World Of Tanks over Wi-Fi reduces battery charge by 7%. With mixed use (with LTE/GPS/Wi-Fi turned on and medium brightness), the smartphone lasts for 4 hours of surfing the Internet and messaging in instant messengers, 1 hour of gaming, 3 hours of listening to music on headphones. If necessary, the gluttony of the gadget can be reduced directly in the system.

A full charge takes over 4 hours. However, the process can be accelerated. Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology allows you to charge the battery by 80% in 30 minutes due to increased voltage and current. True, you will have to use a proprietary or Qualcomm certified charger.

Wireless Interfaces and Communications

Voice communication works great. The interlocutor can be heard clearly, and he doesn’t complain either. There were no interruptions in cellular communications during testing; the operation protocol corresponds to the coverage areas. If there is LTE coverage, the smartphone consistently shows good Internet speed, and, if necessary, instantly switches to 2G to make calls. Unfortunately, VoLTE, a promising standard for voice transmission in fourth-generation networks, has not yet been implemented in Russia, so it was not possible to test it.

Communication with satellites is stable. GPS turns on in 20 seconds if there is no information about the location of satellites and in 3-5 seconds if there is such information.

Using the infrared port and the MiHome or ZaZaRemote (“Telecontrol Master”) applications, you can control home appliances: both Xiaomi gadgets and conventional TVs or air conditioners.

Results

Despite the huge diagonal, Xiaomi Mi Max turned out to be an extremely convenient smartphone with good hardware and optimized software. In the near future, we can expect firmware updates that will increase autonomy. But now, taking into account the current exchange rates, this is a replacement for the Xperia Z Ultra.

The basic version reviewed today costs about $250. The flagship Mi Max (4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory) will cost a Russian buyer about $305. The intermediate 3/64 GB option costs $251.

The smartphone's performance will last for another couple of years. In general, if you need a phablet, choose Xiaomi.

When the Xiaomi Mi Max smartphone first appeared on the Russian market, many were somewhat perplexed about its gigantic size with a 6.55-inch display. But, despite the fact that it doesn’t look very convenient, in practice you quickly get used to it, and one-handed control no longer seems unrealistic.

Specifications

The original kit includes the smartphone itself, a device for charging the battery and a USB cable for connecting the device to a personal computer.

Material, type and assembly

In the review of Xiaomi Mi Max 32Gb, one cannot do without considering the assembly details, since the manufacturer pays utmost attention not only to the internal contents. In addition, sometimes you have to search just as carefully for a review in Russian of this model.

Taking the smartphone in hand, on its front side you can see the touch panel located at the bottom of the display, a grid above the earpiece and a light indicator. There, but on top, is a built-in front camera. There are noticeable changes on the back cover compared to previous 16Gb versions, in the form of a slightly curved cover at the edges. This move gave the smartphone a more attractive look. In addition, and most importantly, it is comfortable to hold in your hand, and the device itself seems thinner. The case material here is high-quality aluminum, but the upper and lower inserts are plastic. At the back there is the main camera and a fingerprint scanner. Speaking of the scanner, it boasts fast operation and almost instantaneous unlocking of the smartphone. What is no less pleasing is the ability of the scanner to work with third-party programs.

At the end on the right side there is a volume control and a button to turn off the phone. On the left side there are slots for a memory card up to 200 GB and SIM cards. At the bottom of the panel there is a connector for a microUSB cable, a main microphone and an external speaker, at the top there is an infrared port, a minijack and a connector for an additional microphone. Despite the fact that the speakers are not equipped with stereo sound, the volume reserve of the Xiaomi Mi Max or the same Xiaomi Mi Max 2 is large, and the sound quality is excellent.

A little about the size and display

Speaking about the size of the device, they are indeed impressive, but this is not the largest model of existing analogues. Below are examples of dimensions from different manufacturers:

Considering the diagonal size of the Mi Max display, there is really no problem regarding whether to hold the smartphone with one hand or two hands and how to operate it. The device is comfortable to use due to its small thickness and the previously mentioned smoothed corners.

As for the screen as a whole, in addition to the 6.44-inch screen with an expansion of 1920x1080 pixels and an IPS matrix, there are 342 pixels per inch. There is automatic control of brightness levels, which is also very convenient; there is no need to manually constantly change and adjust them. Multi-touch processes up to ten touches simultaneously.

Against the backdrop of new models coming out, the huge diagonal of the Mi Maximum display is no longer perceived as too new. In terms of quality, everything is wonderful, although not ideal, it does not reach the gold class - when viewing images or videos from angles, the pictures fade slightly.

Operating system and performance nuances

When reviewing the Xiaomi Mi Max 32Gb, you can’t help but look at other smartphones from the same manufacturer. They all use the original MIUI operating system in different versions. In this case it is 7.0 with support for Android 6.0. Since such firmware is practically in no way inferior to Android, whether to change it or not is up to each individual and, rather, even habit.

MIUI provides the user of Xiaomi Mi Max with 32Gb, and even with 64Gb, or the more powerful Xiaomi Mi Max 128Gb, ​​with a wide range of possibilities in terms of personal settings. You can change virtually anything on your phone, including the font size and icons. In addition, today the firmware supports the Russian language.

In terms of performance, the Mi Maximum, however, is not far behind the Xiaomi Mi Max 128Gb, ​​having 6 cores and Qualcomm Snapdragon 650, Adreno 510 chips. The 3 GB RAM is also pleasing, especially considering that today even laptops with such performance continue to be actively used. In other words, to work effectively with FHD resolution, this is more than enough.

The smartphone itself works quickly, including the mode for launching various applications and games. As for heating during operation, it affects the upper part of the device and does not exceed the norm, so the user does not have any complaints.

Battery and camera performance

In this review, it is worth highlighting the battery life. The Mi Max battery has a capacity of 4850 mAh, non-removable Li-Ion. The testing results showed the following results:

• Continuous screen reading at 30% brightness level and airplane mode – 29 hours without charge;
• Continuous viewing of HD videos with maximum brightness and airplane mode - 11 hours of battery life.

Comparing the battery capacity of other models and taking into account the performance, we can say with confidence that this model uses a royal battery. Plus, the device itself is thin and light, and with active use without saving resources, it will easily work for five or more hours in a row. In other words, in general, a smartphone can easily go without recharging for up to two days. In addition, Mi Max supports fast charging technology, charging the battery to 85% in 115 minutes (if you have the right power supply).

The camera in the Xiaomi Mi Max series is very functional; it allows you to change exposures by simply scrolling the focus circle. Looking into the settings, the user is presented with many different modes and filters for shooting. The camera takes excellent photographs during daytime and macro photography, but the narrower the lighting, the lower the quality of the resulting images. At night it is better to refrain from taking photos. Regarding the video situation, viewing angles are standard, recording up to 4k, there is slo-mo and acceleration.

Wireless interface

There is almost a complete set of wireless interfaces, except for NFC. There is support and stable operation of Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac with dual-band, Bluetooth version 4.2 LE, GPS navigators with a cold start, in about two seconds, mobile data reception in GSM 900, 1800, 1900, 3G networks, LTE, work with USB On-The-Go.

Wi-Fi services support all current technologies, so there are no connection problems. The same situation applies to Bluetooth. The presence of an infrared port here allows you to work correctly with third-party equipment, in particular TVs, if you install a special application.

In all other respects, the Mi Max screen is good - very bright (although there are no 600 or higher cd/m2 in it, at least in manual adjustment mode), the contrast is also good, and the colors are not oversaturated, contrary to the latest vulgar fashion. Tempered glass is durable, does not get dirty and does not collect scratches without good reason.

The sound in the Mi Max headphones is unique. Xiaomi has at its disposal a good sound path of the Snapdragon 650/652, and this could be enough. But the Chinese went their own way, so initially the phablet sounds dirty, inexpressive and generally worse than it should be given such initial data. But in the audio settings there is a pack of settings for Xiaomi headphones and an equalizer.

To be honest, the presets for “native equipment” are not inspiring - for the basic Xiaomi Piston 3, for example, the installation from the “Piston 3 Youth Edition” headphones was suitable. But from “just Piston 3”, judging by the poor sound, it didn’t fit.

It’s better to stop doing nonsense and not connect presets, but activate the equalizer and adjust the knobs specifically for your headphones. In this version, the sound will be quite good - no worse than that of ordinary smartphones for non-audiophiles.

The speaker in the Mi Max is of average quality; it was clearly introduced into the smartphone after the space for the battery and processor was measured out. That is, the sound is average in volume, but not painfully intelligible - it doesn’t come to the point of wheezing or squealing, but in general, the famous speakers in computer clubs of the 1990s produced a similar sound.

Iron

The first thing people love about Xiaomi smartphones is that they are loaded with powerful processors at a minimal price. Mi Max was no exception, although the creators did not make it a flagship and limited themselves to “sub-flagship” Qualcomm processors with six and eight cores. In principle, after the release of Redmi Note 3, no one is surprised by such components.

The Xiaomi Mi Max series smartphones have essentially never had competitors. Those who wanted an inexpensive device with a huge screen and an excellent battery have always looked towards this line. By the release of the third generation "mi-max" nothing had changed. Do you want a cool phablet? Buy Xiaomi Mi Max 3.

A year or two ago, all sorts of Chinese brands like Cubot and Doogee tried to make their own “mi-max”. It turned out, of course, so-so, so the brainchild from Xiaomi was still the best. However, it was at least some kind of weak competition. Now she doesn't exist at all.

Xiaomi feels too at ease in the phablet niche. But we must pay tribute, it is still developing the line. The new Mi Max has received a whole bunch of worthy improvements compared to its predecessor and has become even more pleasant to use than before. We'll talk about all the details in the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 review.

Design

The first Xiaomi Mi Max was a hefty, angular brick. There's nothing to be done - there was such a fashion - to make smartphones similar to . There is metal at the back center, plastic inserts at the top and bottom.

And here it is - Xiaomi Mi Max 3! The device has acquired two vertical cameras, the screen has stretched out, receiving new proportions of 19:9, and under the hood there is now a slightly more powerful chipset - Qualcomm Snapdragon 636.

In general, Mi Max 3 is a stylish, cool and modern smartphone that is not a shame to use in 2018, despite its size. Although it is in them that all the specifics of this device are hidden.

Mi Max 3 is over-smartphone and under-tablet.

It's not very convenient to use. Especially after any, even a 6-inch device. You experience a special thrill when you put aside the “mi-max” and take the same Xiaomi Mi A2 in your hand. A smartphone, which only yesterday seemed like a shovel, today is perceived as an excellent and extremely convenient machine.

Of course, it’s not worth comparing with large tablets like our hero. These are completely different devices for completely different tasks. But the third “mi-max” places 7-, 8-, and 8.5-inch tablets on both shoulder blades. Its screen is not much smaller, but in terms of size and, as a result, ease of use it is much better.

That is why Xiaomi Mi Max 3 smartly replaces two devices at once - a smartphone and a tablet. Yes, with reservations and nuances, but this is one device. And not two gadgets at once, which you can’t always take with you.

In addition to the dimensions, which you will definitely have to get used to, our hero has one more feature - the constant risk of dropping the device.

The smartphone is streamlined and very slippery, and coupled with its wild size, holding it with one or even two hands is not always convenient. The risk of exposing your gadget to asphalt is very high, so we either buy a thick and reliable case, or use it with extreme caution.

Display

Viewing content (social networks, the Internet, videos), typing, monitoring navigation - doing all this on such a huge display is a pleasure. After such a screen, all other panels less than 6.5 inches look like windows through which you can’t really see anything.

The screen is elongated in height, which means that the manufacturer has the opportunity to place a larger panel in approximately the same body as before. This is good.

The corners of the display are neatly rounded, and the sandwich panel itself is glued together without an air gap. Cool too!

But the IPS matrix itself did not please me too much. In terms of color quality and contrast, it cannot be compared with the top -. However, the screen is much better than what I saw in . In general, everything is good, but it could be a little better.

When a new generation of a smartphone already on the market comes out, we always make a comparison table of the characteristics of both revisions. Great Super G tradition that you love so much. In general, all the details are in the table below the cut.

This year, Xiaomi is putting a separate slot for SIM cards and memory cards in almost all of its smartphones. An excellent new trend that does not limit the user’s choice: more memory or a second SIM card.

What prevented us from making an independent tray in Mi Max 3 is unknown.

Especially considering the huge case, which could accommodate at least three trays for SIM cards and two for Micro SD. Sadness.

The second caveat is the lack of NFC.

The smartphone is not a budget one, it embodies a bunch of new trends. There’s even a USB C connector. So, damn it, why didn't they install an NFC antenna here? It’s so simple, but it essentially costs nothing for the manufacturer.

Everything included is standard: a USB C cable and an adapter that supports fast charging. Unfortunately, the manufacturer regretted the case, although for the sake of security for Mi Max 3 it would have been more useful than ever.

Performance

The first Mi Max ran on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor. It was an excellent “stone.” However, it remains so today, outperforming the already rather boring QS 625 in performance.

The second generation acquired the same 625th “snap”, which means that the computing power has increased. But power consumption improved, because the chip was 14-nanometer.

In the new revision, engineers combined confident performance and optimal energy consumption using the QS 636 chipset.

Accordingly, the system works smoothly, applications load quickly - no questions asked.

You can easily play any modern 3D shooter on your smartphone. To do this, however, you will have to switch to medium graphics settings. Mi-max copes well with the same PUBG Mobile, but again only on medium settings. At high settings, you need to be prepared for quite frequent stutters and drops in FPS.

By the way, there is no throttling at all. Several AnTuTu tests in a row not only did not heat up the device, but also did not cause performance to drop. Very worthy, Snapdragon 636!

The only downside is that the shell occasionally freezes when switching between apps in multitasking mode. We'll blame it on the firmware, which, I'm sure, will be updated in the near future, and all the rough edges will be eliminated.

Cameras

You can breathe out - Xiaomi Mi Max 3 has decent rear cameras.

In other words, when buying Xiaomi Mi Max 3, you are buying not only a high-quality phablet with good battery life, but also a decent smartphone in terms of photo and video shooting. This year the company really pleases us with high-quality photography, which can finally compete with its competitors. It all started with the flagship - and ended with the middling ones.

Personally, the only thing I didn't have enough of was a better dynamic range. Here he works, tries his best, pulling out the dark areas and bringing out the overexposed areas of the frame, but this is still not enough. Not enough for a flagship level, but again not bad for a mid-ranger.

The device also copes well with portrait mode. By the way, even better than this, which, such a scoundrel, automatically applies the “beautiful face” filter. And it cannot be turned off.

Fortunately, there is no such crime in our case. But there are occasional sloppily cropped edges of foreground objects and other background blur errors. On a computer, pictures sometimes look dubious, but on a smartphone screen they’ll be fine for social media.

But there is HDR and portrait mode, which, however, also work well. In general, the device is clearly not for those who like to take selfies. By the way, photographing your loved one with it is extremely inconvenient, primarily because of its size. Try and grab it to take a photo. Either the photo will be blurred or you will drop your smartphone.

Video recording

Of course, the device can record 4K video. And he does it, admittedly, quite well. Let's look at an example.

Excellent detail, good picture quality overall. Even the noise reduction surprisingly didn’t let us down. On noisy Nevsky Prospekt, algorithms never spoiled the loud buzz of the big city.

The only problem is with stabilization - its work is completely indistinguishable, so we hold the smartphone tightly and try not to shake the camera.

Sound

Two speakers are responsible for the external sound: the main one at the bottom end and the conversational one at the top. It is clear that the latter is to a lesser extent, but this tandem still creates some kind of stereo effect.

The sound is loud, but does not have any special quality. The lows are not readable, so at peak volume the sound may whistle and squeak. Not much, but still.

The headphones sound great. There are branded enhancements with profiles for specific models, but I would not recommend using all this “good stuff”. All this distorts the original sound of the tracks too much.

Autonomy

Bottom line

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 is an excellent smartphone-tablet for everything. There are practically no compromises in the device: a large screen, good battery life, an excellent processor and decent cameras. I would also like NFC, but for 2018 its absence is still the norm rather than a complete disappointment. Still, the technology has not yet reached all segments.

Of course, our hero is not a device for everyone. You can’t buy it blindly; you need to twirl the smartphone in your hands and figure out whether it will be convenient to use. However, lovers of larger screens will be delighted with the Mi Max 3. There is simply nothing like it on the market. But there’s no need. And all because Mi Max 3 is good in itself.

Already on sale Price: around 20,000 rubles

Today we have another unboxing and full review of a smartphone from Xiaomi. This time we are testing a real phablet and the largest smartphone from the Chinese manufacturer in 2018 - Xiaomi Mi Max 3. Despite its large dimensions, the dimensions have remained virtually unchanged from the Mi Max 2. On the other hand, look at the image below. looks so small compared to Mi Max 3. That's because it has a 6.9-inch display.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 also comes with a Snapdragon 636 processor, a 5500 mAh battery, a microSD memory card slot, a 3.5 mm audio jack and even dual speakers. These features make it an ideal multimedia device. Well, let's start the review already!

Xiaomi Mi Max 3: Unboxing

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 comes in a white box with the Mi logo in the upper right corner and a large MAX 3 inscription at the bottom. On the back you can find technical specifications. Everything is in Chinese because this smartphone has not yet been released in the international market.

Inside the box you can see the Mi Max 3 with factory films on the front and back panels, an envelope with a SIM needle and user manual, a USB Type-C cable and a power adapter that supports 12V/1.5A fast charging.

You know, I don't see a silicone case in the package. It's a shame because it even comes with a protective case.

Okay, now let's look at the design.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3: Design

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 is available in three color options: black, blue and gold. As you can tell, I have the black version and in my opinion it looks better than the others.

The back panel is made of metal. First of all, this means that the smartphone does not support wireless charging. The antenna lines are located at the top and bottom ends, but they are almost invisible.

Overall, the rear panel of Xiaomi Mi Max 3 is no different from other Xiaomi smartphones in 2018. There is a dual vertical camera in the left corner and a fingerprint scanner in the center.

The Mi Max 3 has a stunning 6.9-inch display on the front. The bezels are very thin, especially compared to this huge screen. Above the display you can see the front camera, speaker and flash.

The top panel has a 3.5mm audio jack, microphone and IR sensor. At the bottom there is a USB Type-C port and a speaker. On the right side, you can find the power and volume buttons, while the hybrid slot is located on the left side. The slot supports two SIM cards at the same time, or one SIM card and a microSD memory card.

What can I say about the design of Xiaomi Mi Max 3? It is not much different from other Xiaomi smartphones of 2018, especially . I think Mi Max 3 and Mi A2 have a completely identical design, only the larger display of the Mi Max 3 makes it interesting. So, let's talk about the display.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3: Display

Yes, the display is the main feature of this smartphone. It will be quite difficult to find a mobile device in 2018 with a similar diagonal - 6.9 inches. Full HD+ resolution, 1080 x 2160 pixels. Thanks to the 18:9 aspect ratio and thin bezels on the sides, Mi Max 3 is not that big and you can even hold it in one hand. By the way, the display occupies 79.8% of the front panel.

The main advantage of this diagonal is that watching movies and games provides an amazing experience. As for the rest, it's a standard IPS panel with good contrast and viewing angles. Bright enough for outdoor use.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3: Performance

Of course, we shouldn't expect flagship performance from a smartphone that costs $270. And don't need to remind me about Xiaomi Poco F1! This is a big exception to the rule.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 is powered by Snapdragon 636 processor. This is a 14nm chipset with a maximum clock speed of 1.8 GHz. At first glance, the Snapdragon 660 looks much better than the Snapdragon 636, but below you can see the AnTuTu results from the smartphone and Mi Max 3. The numbers are almost the same - about 120 thousand points.

I have a model with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory. You can also buy the Mi Max 3 with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage, but I don't think this is necessary because the smartphone supports a microSD card slot.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 has GPS, FM radio, Bluetooth 5.0, dual-band Wi-Fi. However, there is no NFC, and this is a big drawback. Many people use mobile devices for contactless payments.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3: Software

We have a Chinese version of Xiaomi Mi Max 3, but the seller on Aliexpress has already installed global firmware with Google services. When I received the smartphone, it already had Google Play Store, YouTube, Maps and other applications. In addition, there are some pre-installed apps from Xiaomi such as Mi Video, Mi Drop, Mi Remote and others.

I forgot to say that it is Android 8.1 Oreo with MIUI 9.6 user interface. The basic features are the same as other Xiaomi devices in 2018, so I won't dwell on that.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3: Camera

In the camera category, Xiaomi Mi Max 3 looks worse than Mi A2. On the other hand, we can’t talk about it yet because we haven’t tested the camera of Mi Max 3 yet. In the coming days we will take photos in different conditions and add them to this article.

The specifications indicate that the Mi Max 3 has a 12-megapixel main sensor with f/1.9 aperture and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor for depth effects. On the front panel there is an 8-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3: Battery

The Xiaomi Mi Max 3 is a huge smartphone, so it's no surprise that it packs a big battery. Firstly, it has a 5500mAh battery and secondly, it supports 18W fast charging technology. This is very important for such a large battery. You can count on 2 days of battery life on a single charge.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3: Sound

Many were surprised that the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 has a dual speaker. In fact, the smartphone has one speaker at the bottom, and the second speaker is the earpiece on top of the screen. Yes, it sounds interesting, and maybe even better than many other budget devices with a single speaker, but still the sound quality is far from the Galaxy S9, Huawei P20 Pro or Google Pixel 2.

Another advantage of the Mi Max 3 is the 3.5mm audio jack. You don't need an adapter to listen to music on headphones.

Conclusion

I was under the impression that Xiaomi Mi Max 3 is the older brother of Xiaomi Mi A2. These smartphones have the same design and similar performance. On the other hand, Mi Max 3 comes with an amazing 6.9-inch display, 5500mAh battery and most importantly, it has a 3.5mm audio jack and a microSD card slot. Xiaomi Mi A2 does not have the last two features.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 looks like a good smartphone for entertainment like watching videos, social media and gaming. Below you can watch a video review of Mi Max 3 from popular bloggers on YouTube.

Look for a discount coupon for this smartphone on our “” page. Why pay more when you can use a coupon!

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 Video review in Russian