Xiaomi Mi A3 review: best-in-class smartphone on Android One, but without NFC


</ img>
The editors would like to thank the ALLO online store chain for kindly providing the smartphone for review.

Xiaomi Mi A1 and A2 smartphones were very popularthanks to very good characteristics, pure Android on board and a very tempting price tag. A new representative of Xiaomi's Android One program, the Mi A3 smartphone was introduced quite recently and has already gone on sale in Ukraine. Technically it is the CC9e, which is available in China, but without the MIUI skin and for the international market. Compared to its predecessors, Xiaomi Mi A3 has received an updated design and hardware. Some innovations were received positively by the public, others not so much. The smartphone has already visited the editorial officegg, today we will tell you more about it.

  1. What is it?
  2. What is interesting about Xiaomi Mi A3?
  3. What is in the box?
  4. What does the Xiaomi Mi A3 look like?
  5. How good is the screen?
  6. How does a fingerprint scanner work?
  7. What about performance, memory, sound and autonomy?
  8. What about the interface?
  9. How good are the cameras?
  10. In the dry residue

What is it?

Xiaomi Mi A3 is a pure Android smartphone with 6.088-inch AMOLED screen, glass body, mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon octa-core processor, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB internal memory and triple main camera.

</ p>

What is interesting about Xiaomi Mi A3?


</ img>

The company decided to change the design and materials inthe new smartphone of the line now uses glass instead of a metal back. Instead of an IPS display, an AMOLED with a diagonal of 6.088 inches and a drop-shaped cutout for the front camera is now used. But the resolution was reduced and instead of 1080p we got 720p. The AMOLED matrix made it possible to install a fingerprint scanner in the screen. Inside there is a new eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor, 4 GB of RAM and 64/128 GB of internal memory, plus a hybrid tray so you can install a memory card instead of a second SIM. The main camera is triple: 48-megapixel main module, 8-megapixel wide-angle and ToF camera for determining the distance to objects. There is a dual-band Wi-Fi module, Bluetooth 5.0, an IR transmitter for controlling electronics, and even FM radio. But NFC was not delivered. The smartphone is powered by a 4030 mAh battery and supports 18 W fast charging.

</ p>

What is in the box?


</ img>

Xiaomi Mi A3 comes standard onthe size of the white box with the image of the smartphone and a brief technical information. The kit is almost standard: a smartphone, a USB Type-C cable, a 10 W charger, a tray eject tool, a dark gray silicone case and documentation.


</ img>

What does the Xiaomi Mi A3 look like?


</ img>

Visually, the Xiaomi Mi A3 is very similar tothe current flagship Xiaomi Mi9: streamlined contours, glass front and back and a drop-shaped cutout for the front camera. The frames around the perimeter of the display are not record-breaking, but very thin. Only the &#8220;chin&#8221; is a little wider. Above the display there is a thin slot for the earpiece, proximity sensors, lighting sensors and a small LED indicator.


</ img>

The frame is made of metal and painted with glossy paint, for a smoother transition into the glass backdrop. The standard set of the power button and volume rocker is located in the usual place, on the right:


</ img>

On the left side there is a tray, it is hybrid. Either 2xSIM or a memory card instead of a second SIM card:


</ img>


</ img>

 


 


 

 

At the top there is an additional microphone, an infrared port and a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack:


</ img>

An external speaker, microphone and USB Type-C connector are on the bottom:


</ img>

The back panel is made of Gorilla Glassgenerations (as on the screen). The smartphone is available in three colors, the most &#8220;conservative&#8221; grey. But it also doesn’t look boring thanks to its iridescent shades:


</ img>

The main camera is located in the top left corner. It includes a 48-megapixel main module, 8-megapixel wide-angle, ToF camera and LED flash:


</ img>

The Xiaomi Mi A3 looks and is made very well,high quality materials are used. And the shape fits comfortably in the hand, including due to the small width and streamlined outlines. But the smartphone turned out to be a little slippery (like all glass modern smartphones), it is more reliable to keep it in the complete bumper.

</ p>

How good is the screen?


</ img>

Xiaomi Mi A3 has 6 installed.088-inch AMOLED screen with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The matrix itself is of very good quality in terms of brightness and colors. But its resolution is 1560x720, pixel density is about 286 ppi. Downgrade compared to previous models that used 1080p. But their predecessors used IPS. It is also worth considering the arrangement of subpixels according to the PenTile scheme in AMOLED matrices, which aggravates the situation. In general, watching videos and playing games on such a screen is quite comfortable, but reading a lot of text, especially in small print, is already worse: “ladders” are visible, the text is not very clear. Yes, and on monochromatic pictures, pixelation is a little visible.


</ img>

In terms of settings - the required minimum, whichAvailable in stock Android. Font sizes, scale of interface elements, night mode, blue filter and brightness settings. No color modes. Hardware measurements showed that the maximum brightness is 360.038 cd/m2, and the screen goes a little into cool shades. The color gamut is typical for AMOLED: much wider than sRGB. The screen is quite good in all respects except resolution.


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>

 


 


 


 


 


 

 

Comparison with other models:

Device name
White field brightness,
cd / m2
The brightness of the black field,
cd / m2
Contrast

Xiaomi Mi A3
360.038
0

Samsung Galaxy A80
402.303
0

Sony Xperia 1
394.97
0

Sony Xperia XZ3
408.047
0

Huawei P20 Pro
415.876
0

Meizu 16th
432.107
0

How does a fingerprint scanner work?

Using the AMOLED matrix allowed to establishsub-screen fingerprint scanner. There is also an option with face recognition of the owner. But only the front camera and standard Android algorithms are used, and when registering a face, the smartphone notifies that this method is not too safe.


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>

 


 


 


 

 

The fingerprint scanner works onsurprise fast and accurate. What you don’t really expect from a very affordable smartphone. Optical scanner: the fingerprint is highlighted for scanning. With wet hands, of course, does not work.


</ img>

What about performance, memory, sound and autonomy?

The Xiaomi Mi A3 smartphone received a fresh updateeight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor. It is manufactured in compliance with 11-nm process standards and includes 4 Kryo 260 Gold cores at 2 GHz and 4xKryo 260 Silver with a frequency of 1.8 GHz, Adreno 610 is responsible for graphics. In terms of performance, it is very close to Snapdragon 660, which was installed in Xiaomi Mi A2. But a thinner technical process is used (11 nm versus 14 nm), which should have a positive effect on battery life and a new graphics accelerator. Additional features include improved work with machine learning algorithms and support for triple cameras up to 48 MP. The smartphone has 4 GB LPDDR4x RAM, which is quite normal for its class of devices. The smartphone doesn’t have any problems with modern games, especially considering the low resolution of the display.


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

The internal memory can be 64 or 128 GB, aswe already wrote above. Fast UFS 2.1 is used. As expected, in processor performance tests, the results of the Snapdragon 665 are just below the 660th. Although it is worth considering that the maximum frequency of the 660th is 2.2 GHz versus 2.0 for the new model. In some graphics tests, the new 665th shows itself a bit stronger:


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

In the Throttling Test, the processor performed quite well: by the end of the test, performance dropped to 85%, while the case did not heat up:


</ img>

The interfaces include dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 A2DP, LE with aptX HD support, FM tuner and infrared port. USB Type-C is used to connect to a PC or storage device. Navigation: GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS. Unfortunately, there is no NFC module. And this is especially strange considering the potential audience for Android One smartphones. There is no stereo sound in the smartphone; there is only one external speaker, but it is very loud. You won't be able to miss a call; you probably shouldn't even set the volume to maximum. At the same time, the quality is also quite good. There is a 3.5 mm jack, the smartphone produces an average “smartphone” output for headphones. sound quality, without any surprises.

In terms of battery capacity, the smartphone has significantly gainedcomparison with predecessors. Powered by a 4030 mAh battery. Fast charging Quick Charge 3.0 at 18 W is supported. But the kit includes a 10 W charger, from which the smartphone charges in about 2.5 hours. The impressive battery capacity, low-resolution AMOLED display and new energy-efficient processor have a very positive impact on battery life. &#8220;Drop off&#8221; the battery for a day will be difficult. With an active load (with a lot of photos, games, web surfing and online videos), the smartphone lasts for a day and a half; in a more gentle mode, 2 days will be stable.


</ img>


</ img>

 


 


 

 

What about the interface?

Xiaomi Mi A3 is a member of the Android One program, andthis means that it runs on pure Android, the current version of 9 Pie, with a minimum of anything third-party. I think everyone is already familiar with the current version of the OS, so there is no point in considering it in detail. Everything is familiar: desktops, a separate application menu, an application manager in the form of large cards with a switch slider, split-screen mode, Google news feed, &#8220;Digital well-being&#8221; to control the time of smartphone use and so on. Formally, the smartphone will receive major updates for another 2 years and plus another year of security updates. At the same time, Android One smartphones are usually among the first to receive new versions of the OS.


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

There were only a few third-party applications:Mi Community, Mi services, camera app and FM tuner. Interestingly, even applications for controlling electronics using infrared &#8220;out of the box&#8221; No. But you can install it in a couple of steps from the Play Market:


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>

 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

How good are the cameras?

Xiaomi Mi A3 has gotten quite popular nowmain camera configuration. The main module is 48 megapixels (by default it shoots 12 MP, but can be switched to 48) with an f/1.79 aperture, PDAF and without optical stabilization, an additional one is a wide-angle 8 megapixel with a viewing angle of 118° and an f/2.2 aperture, without autofocus. The third module is time of flight (ToF) for determining the distance to objects. We decided to use our own application. It is organized in the usual way: switching modes with swipes, switching cameras next to the shutter button, Ai detection and frame adjustment, HDR, and so on. There is a night mode:


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

The main camera does an excellent job during the day and in the eveningAt times, it feels like this is an affordable smartphone. Noise appears and detail drops slightly. But overall, getting a decent shot in low light is quite possible. Including using the night mode. I think they will improve it even more with updates, and the GCam port will probably appear soon.


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

The wide-angle camera copes a little worse and in the evening it gets blurry. more:


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>

 


 


 


 


 


 

 

Blur background:


</ img>


</ img>


</ img>

 


 


 


 

 

Smartphone video shoots in 4K resolution, but stabilization is only with FullHD:

</ p>

In the dry residue

The company has made a lot of improvements in Xiaomi Mi A3compared to its predecessor Mi A2. The new smartphone has a modern design and body materials, a fresh Qualcomm platform, a significantly increased battery and a modern triple camera that takes very good pictures. The IPS matrix was changed to AMOLED, and the fingerprint scanner moved directly under the screen panel. At the same time, the memory card slot, 3.5 mm headphone jack and even the FM receiver were returned. But we had to save a little on some things: a smartphone costs6000 UAHand in this price range the competition is extremely high. &#8220;Under the knife&#8221; The display resolution went down, but the NFC module never appeared.

5 reasons to buy Xiaomi Mi A3:

  • nice appearance and quality materials;
  • long battery life;
  • actual, productive processor;
  • good image quality (considering the class of the smartphone);
  • pure Android 9 Pie.

2 reasons not to buy Xiaomi Mi A3:

  • low resolution display;
  • no NFC.

Xiaomi Mi A3

Pure Android 9 Pie smartphone with 6.088-inch AMOLED screen, glass body, eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of internal memory and a triple main camera.

Buy at Allo

Android One

SpecificationsXiaomi Mi A3 and comparison with Xiaomi Mi A2

Model
Xiaomi Mi A3
Xiaomi Mi A2

Display
AMOLED, 6.088 inches, 1560×720 (19.5:9 aspect ratio), 286 ppi, Gorilla Glass 5
IPS, 5.99 inches, 2160×1080 (18:9 aspect ratio), 403 ppi, Gorilla Glass 5

Housing
dimensions: 153.5&#215;71.9&#215;8.5 mm, weight: 174 g, glass, metal frame
158.7&#215;75.4&#215;7.3 mm, 166 g, metal

CPU
Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 (11 nm), 2&#215;2.2 GHz Kryo 470 Gold, 6&#215;1.8 GHz Kryo 470 Silver, Adreno 610
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (14 nm), 4&#215;2.2 GHz Kryo 260, 4&#215;1.8 GHz Kryo 260, Adreno 512

RAM
4 GB
4 GB

Flash memory
64/128 GB + MicroSD
32/64 GB

Camera
triple: 48 MP, f/1.79, 1/2&#8243;, 0.8µm, PDAF, wide-angle 8 MP, f/2.2, 1.12µm, TOF 3D camera, f/2.4, front: 32 MP f/2.0, 0.8µm
Dual: 12 MP, f/1.8, 1/2.9&#8243;, 1.25µm, 20 MP, f/1.8, 1/2.8&#8243;, 1.0µm, PDAF, front: 20 MP, f/2.2, 1 /2.8&#8243;, 1.0µm

Wireless technology
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ (dual band, 2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 5.0 LE, aptX HD, FM, IR port
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ (dual-band, 2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 5.0 LE, IR port

GPS
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO

Battery
4030 mAh, non-removable, fast charging 18 W Quick Charge 3.0
3000 mAh, non-removable, fast charging 18 W Quick Charge 3.0

operating system
Android 9 Pie
Android 9 Pie (Android 8.1 Oreo at launch)

Sim card
2xNanoSIM
2xNanoSIM

Headphone jack
Eat
No

Additionally
In-screen fingerprint scanner
Rear fingerprint scanner

 

For those that want to know more:

  • Xiaomi Mi Band 4 Review: New Standard of Fitness Bracelets
  • Huawei P30 lite review: 48 megapixel smartphone
  • Review of the smartphone Redmi Note 7: the best camera and display for modest money
  • Samsung Galaxy M20 review: an unambiguous answer to Chinese smartphones
  • Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 Review: Sliders Returning

Thank you

Editorial&nbsp;gg&nbsp;thanks to the Allo store chain, which kindly provided the Xiaomi Mi A3 smartphone for this review.