Xiaomi Mi A3 Review - Comprehensive Hands on Review
Xiaomi continues its partnership with Google by bringing new smartphones from the Android One program. China's latest release is the Mi A3, a revamped version of the CC9e that trades MIUI for a system closer to what we have on the Pixel line. You will now check below what it brings again compared to its predecessor and if it is a better buy than rivals Samsung and Motorola.
In this article I am going to share with you a full comprehensive hands on review of Xiaomi Mi A3. I have discussed about its design and construction, screen and sound performances for gaming, camera design, and also software utility and its benefit with conclusion.
The side is metal with mirrored paint. The finish is smooth and the curved edges on the back make the A3 slip easily from the hand. If you do not like wearing protective cap you have to be very careful that it does not fall. Xiaomi has fixed two much-criticized points in the Mi A2: the headphone jack and microSD card slot are back. The drawer is hybrid, so you have to choose whether to use two chips or just one and one memory card.
At the top of the A3 we find an infrared emitter. It is meant to use the phone as a remote control, but does not come with any apps installed for it. The A3 has thinner notches and edges than its predecessor, and the biometric reader came out of the back and went under the screen. It's the same one used on the Mi 9T and responds fast, being even more agile than Samsung's rivals.
The image quality is very good with colors more vivid than Mi A2, and the brightness level is also good. We just missed saturation adjustments, something that Xiaomi keeps on MIUI devices, but as we are facing a purer Android, the feature has been left out. That is, do not enjoy the saturation of AMOLED screens? Not much to do. The power of the speaker is lower than its predecessor but still delivers loud sound. If it were stereo we would have a better experience with videos and games.
The Mi A3 does not come with a headset in the box, but we tested it with a standard headset and the sound quality was lower than others in this price range. The volume is not loud and still suffers from interference between the left and right channels. There is also a bit of distortion when forcing the volume to maximum. Without a doubt, the Mi A3 is not suitable for those who enjoy listening to music on mobile.
As seen below, the score is on the level of other Snapdragon 660 smartphones. In GeekBench we even see a lower CPU score. This is because the SDM665 processor is 200 MHz slower than the SDM660 processor. The GPU, despite being a more current generation, delivers similar performance. In some tests it is above, while in others it has a lower score.
The more powerful GPU coupled with lower screen resolution helps the Mi A3 be better at gaming. In all the titles we tested we played with great fluidity.
The exception was Asphalt 9. It was not available on the Play Store, so we downloaded the APK from the outside. Apparently, this Gameloft game has not yet been optimized for the Snapdragon 665 and averaged 22 fps.
It records photos with good detail and accurate color. You can use ultra-wide to record more of the scenarios in exchange for lower quality. At least color capture is not affected. HDR sometimes helps to take photos with better lighting and contrast, but depending on the scenario will only make the photo worse. It is always a good idea to test beforehand to see if it pays to leave the feature enabled.
The app brings shortcut to 2x zoom. Lacking a telephoto lens, the A3 just cuts the corners of the photo to bring the subject closer digitally. This results in sharper pictures, so you better get closer when shooting.
The main camera has good focal aperture, which would help in low light scenes. Not having optical stabilization, the Mi A3 overdoes the ISO setting to record clearer photos, but in return we get a lot of noise. There is a night mode that only makes the situation worse. With it enabled we have clearer but much grainy photos. At least it helps to see in very dark places. It is good to avoid using the ultra wide camera at night as you will rarely get a good shot.
The native apps are all from Google, not Xiaomi. It comes with FM radio app already installed, but to use Mi A3 as remote control you need to download some application. We tested it with Mi Remote downloaded from the Play Store and it worked perfectly.
If the low-resolution display and knurling problem bothers you, the Galaxy A50 features a better quality AMOLED panel and performs the same as the Mi A3. Just the battery that lasts a little less.
No MIUI. Here we have Android as close as possible to the Pixel line. Low screen resolution may bother some. Lack of stereo sound is also a weakness.
If you are looking for a cell phone with Android One and good battery life this is what you should choose. But there are other Xiaomi options that deliver better performance and camera.
Design and construction
If you were looking at the Mi CC9e previously launched in China, be aware that it doesn't change anything from the outside. The Mi A3 also has a metal body with a glass back and comes in three color options: blue, gray and white. Compared to Mi A2 we have a smaller but thicker and heavier cell phone. At least in return there is Gorilla Glass 5 glass with both screen and rear protection.The side is metal with mirrored paint. The finish is smooth and the curved edges on the back make the A3 slip easily from the hand. If you do not like wearing protective cap you have to be very careful that it does not fall. Xiaomi has fixed two much-criticized points in the Mi A2: the headphone jack and microSD card slot are back. The drawer is hybrid, so you have to choose whether to use two chips or just one and one memory card.
At the top of the A3 we find an infrared emitter. It is meant to use the phone as a remote control, but does not come with any apps installed for it. The A3 has thinner notches and edges than its predecessor, and the biometric reader came out of the back and went under the screen. It's the same one used on the Mi 9T and responds fast, being even more agile than Samsung's rivals.
Screen and sound
One point that should disappoint is the screen. The resolution has dropped from Full HD to just HD + in this generation. Some people should note that small elements and even text get a little jagged. We noticed this on Instagram and especially on channel thumbnails on YouTube.The image quality is very good with colors more vivid than Mi A2, and the brightness level is also good. We just missed saturation adjustments, something that Xiaomi keeps on MIUI devices, but as we are facing a purer Android, the feature has been left out. That is, do not enjoy the saturation of AMOLED screens? Not much to do. The power of the speaker is lower than its predecessor but still delivers loud sound. If it were stereo we would have a better experience with videos and games.
The Mi A3 does not come with a headset in the box, but we tested it with a standard headset and the sound quality was lower than others in this price range. The volume is not loud and still suffers from interference between the left and right channels. There is also a bit of distortion when forcing the volume to maximum. Without a doubt, the Mi A3 is not suitable for those who enjoy listening to music on mobile.
Performance and games
The Mi A2 delivered good performance and outperformed most of the 2018 middlemen. We expected its successor to be even faster, but this is not quite the case. Snapdragon 665 is a platform more focused on low power consumption than performance. The processor is slower than the Mi A2 and this is reflected in the benchmarks.As seen below, the score is on the level of other Snapdragon 660 smartphones. In GeekBench we even see a lower CPU score. This is because the SDM665 processor is 200 MHz slower than the SDM660 processor. The GPU, despite being a more current generation, delivers similar performance. In some tests it is above, while in others it has a lower score.
The more powerful GPU coupled with lower screen resolution helps the Mi A3 be better at gaming. In all the titles we tested we played with great fluidity.
The exception was Asphalt 9. It was not available on the Play Store, so we downloaded the APK from the outside. Apparently, this Gameloft game has not yet been optimized for the Snapdragon 665 and averaged 22 fps.
Camera
The A3 comes with one more camera than the previous model. This time includes ultra-wide lens and another dedicated to portrait mode. Although it comes with the purest Android, the camera app is the same as other MIUI devices, and includes Pro mode with various settings.It records photos with good detail and accurate color. You can use ultra-wide to record more of the scenarios in exchange for lower quality. At least color capture is not affected. HDR sometimes helps to take photos with better lighting and contrast, but depending on the scenario will only make the photo worse. It is always a good idea to test beforehand to see if it pays to leave the feature enabled.
The app brings shortcut to 2x zoom. Lacking a telephoto lens, the A3 just cuts the corners of the photo to bring the subject closer digitally. This results in sharper pictures, so you better get closer when shooting.
2x digital zoom
Artificial intelligence promises to recognize scenarios to optimize photographic quality. We tested with plants and animals and saw no advantage. It is best to leave the feature off.The main camera has good focal aperture, which would help in low light scenes. Not having optical stabilization, the Mi A3 overdoes the ISO setting to record clearer photos, but in return we get a lot of noise. There is a night mode that only makes the situation worse. With it enabled we have clearer but much grainy photos. At least it helps to see in very dark places. It is good to avoid using the ultra wide camera at night as you will rarely get a good shot.
No night mode - With night mode
Portrait mode is just Ok. We've seen better effects in this price range and when using the feature on selfies wait for a burst background when there's a lot of light. Mi A3 records 4K videos, but ultra-wide is limited to Full HD. Video quality is good at both resolutions. Just sin for not having an effective stabilization, which results in videos with a lot of shake.Software
If you don't like MIUI, then Mi A3 is the best Xiaomi phone for you. Here you'll have a purer Android with everything Pie has to offer, including Google's launcher with integrated left-sliding news feed. Navigation is similar to that of the Pixel line. There is only one pill button. Touching it returns you to the home screen and swiping it up will open the recent screen. Swiping left returns to the previous screen and doing it to the right returns to the last application used.The native apps are all from Google, not Xiaomi. It comes with FM radio app already installed, but to use Mi A3 as remote control you need to download some application. We tested it with Mi Remote downloaded from the Play Store and it worked perfectly.
Rivals
After checking all of the A3, is it worth leaving the Mi A2 for him? You will have a slower cell phone, but with a battery that lasts twice as long. The quality of photos and videos has not evolved considerably. The same advantage is for the ultra wide lens. If you take more pictures at night, One Vision would be better suited with its more efficient night mode. In return, it will have lower performance and lower battery with Motorola's rival.If the low-resolution display and knurling problem bothers you, the Galaxy A50 features a better quality AMOLED panel and performs the same as the Mi A3. Just the battery that lasts a little less.
Strengths and weaknesses
Strong points
- Beautiful design and great build
- Excellent battery
- Android One with quick updates
- Remote Control
Weaknesses
- Lower screen resolution
- Sound quality disappoints
- Performance below predecessor
- Recharge time
Conclusion
Performance is disappointing, but overall the Mi A3 is a good midsize option. Packaging has protective cap, but as usual from Xiaomi, we don't have a headset. The Mi A3 is not a big, heavy cell phone, but it slips very easily from the hand. At least it comes with protective cap on the packaging.No MIUI. Here we have Android as close as possible to the Pixel line. Low screen resolution may bother some. Lack of stereo sound is also a weakness.
If you are looking for a cell phone with Android One and good battery life this is what you should choose. But there are other Xiaomi options that deliver better performance and camera.
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