Xiaomi’s Mi Max 2 is our big talk of the week. It is the biggest smartphone by Xiaomi yet, with a lot of bigger things inside and outside. This big phone was launched by Xiaomi on 18th July 2017 in an event set in New Delhi. The Mi Max 2 (Oxygen) is a phablet size device which guarantees a bigger and immersive viewing experience to its users. It feels like holding a scaled up version of Mi A1, but you can now see things better and clearer. You can grab one from Flipkart, Amazon, Paytm and other online and offline channels.
We grabbed one unit for review from Flipkart, and it was the Mi Max 2 Black 64GB variant. Before unboxing we had an idea about its size, but it was bigger than expected. Still, we managed to use it as a daily driver for almost a week in order to evaluate the performance. So here are our thoughts on this big device by Xiaomi.
Design
The Mi Max 2 is as big as his brother Mi Max, with premium full metal unibody design and rounded back edges. The display has a 2.5D curved design with 0.7mm ultra narrow bezels. The eye soaring antenna bands now perfectly blend with the top and bottom edges of the body. On the front is the immersive bigger display with backlit capacitive buttons, earpiece, selfie camera and sensors. While on the matte finished back sits the fingerprint sensor, rear camera with dual tone flash LED and brand logo. The left side has hybrid SIM tray whereas the right side is occupied by volume rockers and power button. Mounted on the top side is the IR blaster along with a noise cancellation mic, while on the bottom side you’ll find USB type-c port, 3.5mm jack, loudspeaker grills, and noise cancellation mic.
Weighing about 211 g and measuring 174.1 x 88.7 x 7.6 mm, the Mi Max 2 needs two hands to operate properly. The Mi A 1 might also feel like a sized down version of Mi Max 2, slimmer and shorter.
- Full metal unibody and rounded back edges.
- Narrow bezels and 2.5D curved display.
Display
Mi Max 2 features a 6.44 inch IPS LCD capacitive display which offers good picture quality. It offers full HD experience with acceptable 342 ppi and is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It has a good screen-to-body ratio of 74 percent and delivers 24-bit colour depth. This bigger display is good for split screening apps and is clearer, sharper and stronger.
User Interface and Apps
It is powered by MIUI 8.5.8.0 based on Android 7.1.1. It is fast and stable with lots of inbuilt features like dual apps, second space and security. There is also has a guaranteed upgrade to MIUI 9 based on Nougat.
In the app section, you’ll find additional apps from Mi like community, store, apps etc and some of these can be removed. By activating the Mi account, you can gain access to plenty of themes and wallpapers from the inbuilt app.
Performance
The Mi Max 2 is an above average performer in gaming and the big display gives an immersive gaming and media experience. Under the hood is an Octa-core Snapdragon 625 coupled with Adreno 506 which is designed to support Vulkan API. The device houses 4GB LPDDR3 RAM and 32/64/128GB ROM for all your applications and files. Some of the benchmark scores viz AnTuTu: 63444 and Geekbench 4: Single core 867, Multicore 4243, were on par with the Mi A1.
It has intelligent speaker system which switches to stereo mode while in the landscape. The top and bottom mounted mics help in noise cancellation with a noise-reduction algorithm by Fortemedia. Combined with VoLTE capabilities the sound system provides a superior calling experience.
- Vulkan API supporting GPU with 14nm Finfet SD 625 CPU.
- Independent audio amplifier for powerful output.
Camera
The new Mi Max 2 sports a 12-megapixel rear camera with Phase Detection Autofocus and Optical Image Stabilization. This camera uses a 27mm f/2.2 lens with 1.25-micron large pixel, which improves the low light performance. The front camera is a 5-megapixel which can take decent selfies. You can also find other mods and filters viz panorama, beautify, scenes etc within the camera app. In videography, you can record 4K and Full HD videos at 30fps, while HD videos can be shot at 120fps. The video output was sharp with good dynamic range and OK audio quality.
- Rear 12MP camera with Sony IMX386 sensor.
- Decent 5MP selfie camera.
Connectivity
On the connectivity side, the device supports 4G VoLTE, 2G and 3G networks. It equips a hybrid SIM tray, where you can use either 1 Nano SIM + 1 Micro SIM or 1 Nano SIM + Micro SD card. Other connectivity specs include FM Radio, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, IR blaster and USB Type-C 1.0 reversible. It supports GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS and BDS for navigation and geopositioning.
- 4G VoLTE capability and FM radio.
- Hybrid SIM tray – 1 Nano SIM + 1 Micro SIMs or 1 Nano SIM + Micro SD card.
- USB Type-C 1.0 reversible connector.
Battery
Xiaomi Mi Max 2 is juiced by a non-removable 3.8V, 5300mAh Lithium Polymer battery from Sunwoda Electronic. The phone supports quick charging and parallel charging with the supplied charger. While it takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes to full charge, it can provide about 1-2 days of energy for normal usage. On an average, it delivers about 172 hours of standby time or 23 hours of web browsing or 110 hours of music or 26 hours of telephone or 6 hours of video recording.
Inbox Components & Accessories
Inside the package, you will find the handset, quick charge 3.0 power adaptor, USB type-c cable, user guide, warranty card and 1 SIM eject tool. For added safety, you can get the branded clear screen protector and back case from Mi official store.
Overall
Xiaomi has created a titan of a phablet with Mi Max 2. However, the user group opting for this device will probably be less. As for me, it’s big display and stereo effect were too good for watching movies, playing games and reading stuff. No other brand gives you a better choice in this price bracket. Even the expensive Samsung Galaxy Note 8 isn’t a match if you compare the screen size and battery capacity. Other slightly costlier alternatives you can consider are Sony Xperia XA1, OPPO F3 Plus and OPPO R11 Plus. Hope you enjoyed the article, Peace!