With its sliding screen and ceramic back, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 is a smartphone that targets design enthusiasts. Is this smartphone handy to use in everyday life?
In 2016 with its Mi Mix range , Xiaomi became the second company (after Sharp) to offer a smartphone with an onboard screen. A beautiful device that had seduced the critics with its ceramic back, which gave it a work of art.Three years later, the Chinese approach a little more of his dream of total edge with a Mi Mix 3 "sliding" design, ie equipped with a screen that slides down, thus revealing the front camera. At 529 euros, this smartphone is not just a demonstration of know-how. It is also a device that remains affordable, as Xiaomi has always done.Like its predecessors, the Mi Mix 3 is covered with ceramic. Touch is extremely pleasant. The material is less slippery than glass which improves the quality of grip. A feature we would like to see on more devices. Too bad that only its power button (on the right) and its Google Assistant button (on the left) are easily accessible when used with one hand. The volume buttons are a bit too high, making them difficult to reach.
Obviously, it is not the back of Mi Mix 3 that interests us the most. Its slider system , which can also be described as a sliding screen, is the center of attention. Unlike the Oppo Find X - whose camera housed in a motorized drawer appeared automatically - everything is done manually with the Xiaomi smartphone. We push the screen down with his thumb, which reveals a dual front camera module (24 and 2 Mpix). When it is hidden, the screen then occupies almost the entire front surface of the device. The immersion is impressive. Too bad a lower edge of about 4 mm comes to spoil the impression of edge to total edge.
One of the most beautiful smartphones of the moment
According to Xiaomi, the slider of the Mi Mix 3 can withstand 300,000 openings. No need to explain that we could not verify it, even if we took pleasure in opening it and closing it dozens and dozens of times. The brand uses magnets to keep the device in the open or closed position, which strengthens the strength. Fun little detail, in the settings of the smartphone, you can set a sound at each opening, such as a sound "Hi-Tech" or a "sword stroke".
Each time you slide the screen, you can also trigger a quick action such as open the front camera, access a shortcut panel (notes, recorder, flashlight) or trigger the application of his choice. Everything is customizable from the settings, which for the moment are only available in English.
Can we protect his Mi Mix 3 with a shell? Yes. The brand goes even further by providing protection directly in the box of his device. The latter covers the back and top of the smartphone but leaves a little vacuum down to allow the screen to slide. Watch out for falls on this part, where the screen is not protected.
A device much too heavy
You may have read it on other sites, the Mi Mix 3 is one of the heaviest smartphones on the market. Because of its magnets, the device weighs 218 grams, which begins to do a lot in hand. It is not disastrous but quickly tiring if you are in the habit of holding your smartphone for long minutes before storing it in your pocket or bag. We really regret that the brand has not managed to reduce all this, which would have made the design of his smartphone star irreproachable.
A move to successful OLED
Historically, Mi Mix have always used an LCD screen. A tradition to which Xiaomi ends with its Mi Mix 3: the smartphone finally adopts a Super AMOLED screen, especially a 6.49-inch Full HD + panel designed by Samsung. And she borders on perfection.
The 01net.com lab measured a peak brightness of 637 cd / m 2 , which approaches the excellence of an iPhone XS (672 cd / m 2 ) and exceeds that of a Huawei Mate 20 Pro (629 cd / m 2 ). m 2 ). For a device sold 529 euros, it's really remarkable, far ahead of smartphones sold in the same price range as the OnePlus 6T (452 cd / m 2 ) or Honor View 20 (447 cd / m 2 ). We measured a color fidelity of a Delta E index of 5.11, which is quite correct without being exceptional. AMOLED requires, the Mi Mix 3 has an infinite contrast. Bravo Xiaomi.
High-end components
Inside the Mi Mix 3, we find the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, unfortunately not expandable. High-end features that put the smartphone at the best devices on the market and give it excellent performance. The navigation is ultra responsive, applications start in a split second and games turn easily. All this added to the on-board smartphone screen offers an extremely pleasant experience.
The Mi Mix 3 works with MIUI 10, the latest edition of the Xiaomi overlay, in support of Android Pie. We are fans of this version. Thanks to its refreshed design, it offers a truly qualitative navigation experience. Everything is very clean, including the animations.
Face recognition blocked in France
On the back of the smartphone, there is a fingerprint sensor. Xiaomi does not opt for a player lodged directly on the screen like some of its competitors, it will be necessary to wait for the next generation of Mi Mix for that. Facial recognition requires, for its part, to slide the screen to reveal the front camera. Unfortunately, access to this function is currently not possible from Europe. Xiaomi should, however, activate it soon by means of an update. The option for the moment appears in the settings only if you select "Hong Kong" as the region.
Average autonomy but a lot of consolation
Like its predecessor Mi Mix 2s , the latest Xiaomi is not a monster of autonomy. Faced with our internal test said "versatile", the smartphone was only 11:24 , a result that remains fairly average face the most enduring smartphones on the market. In communication, it goes out after 19h11 where most of its competitors exceeds 24 hours. We made the same observation when using the device on a daily basis. Returning in the evening after a day's work, we were under the 20% mark each time. In case of intensive use (travel, note taking, concert etc.), it is likely that the Mi Mix 3 does not hold the day.
To make us forget this disappointment, Xiaomi includes a little surprise in the box of the smartphone: a charger wireless. For the first time, a brand does not charge for this kind of accessories and thus helps the democratization of Qi technology. Perfect for a bedside table or desk.
