Xiaomi mi a1 review in Spanish (full analysis)

Xiaomi is preparing great innovations in the field of smartphones, having launched in September the new Xiaomi Mi A1, which emerged in collaboration with Google, where the top dual camera and pure Android are its great attributes.

Xiaomi Mi A1 Technical Features

Xiaomi is a privately owned company that designs, develops, and markets Android OS-based smartphones and other consumer electronics.

The Chinese giant also makes fitness monitors, televisions, air purifiers, and tablets. It uses its own interface for your Android phones and tablets: MIUI.

On the other hand, the Mi A1 is a big problem for Xiaomi too. It is the first time that the company has abandoned its trusted MiUI platform.

The Android One program seemed to have vanished since its announcement a couple of years ago. However, many would argue that Google chose the wrong partners to launch the project. If that was the case, the Xiaomi's entry into the fight, with the Mi A1, should probably be enough to revive Android One.

Design

Xiaomi gives us a simple presentation in a white box next to a centered image of our terminal and indicating the model purchased and its support for Android One.

While In the back area we find a sticker with the IMEI numbers and the serial number of the smartphone.

Once we open the box we find the following content:

• Xiaomi Mi A1 smartphone in Pink Gold color Quick start guide USB Type C cable European charger

The Xiaomi Mi A1 is available in the colors black, gold and rose gold. At first glance, the Xiaomi Mi A1 closely resembles the OnePlus 5, especially due to the placement of the dual rear camera and the antennas located along the top and bottom edges of the device, while being rounded at the corners.

The back contains the properly located circular fingerprint sensor in the center for easy finger reach, the MI mark on the bottom, an Android One signage on the bottom of the phone, and the LED in the top corner.

The smartphone comes in a metal design with beveled edges to provide a stronger grip. The unit they sent us is the rose gold and it is very nice color and elegant. However, we are sure that the other two color options give it a distinctive look as well.

The Xiaomi Mi A1 has a speaker at the bottom, along with a USB Type-C port and 3.5mm jack. The hybrid SIM card slot is on the top left, while the volume switch and power button are on the right edge. There are also thick plastic strips on all four sides of the screen, with noticeable but not very large bezels underneath.

The strip below the screen has backlit capacitive buttons, while the form factor and overall weight are still quite ergonomic.

The power button comfortably respects the thumb (if you're right-handed), while the volume can be easily reached. This mobile also includes an infrared projector located at the top, which is used to control the television, air conditioning or decoder.

screen

Basically, in terms of specifications, the Xiaomi Mi A1 is equal to the already known Xiaomi Mi 5X. It has a 5.5-inch touch screen with Gorilla Glass protection, which gives it a premium feel, and FullHD resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels.

The microphone and an infrared sensor are placed at the top of the screen. It also has capacitive keys, a home button key, a multi-tasking key, and a 5-megapixel camera.

The display is impressive as it produces vivid colors with great precision. Sunlight readability is fine and viewing angles are satisfactory.

The smartphone feels like a pretty solid device and certainly has high-quality finesse. With a thickness of 7.3 mm and a weight of 165 grams, the smartphone is suitable for one-handed operation.

Memory and sound

It is equipped with an octa-core Snapdragon 625 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, which can be expanded up to 128GB using a microSD card. Sound quality is guaranteed by the DHS audio algorithm.

Dual camera, but not up to the smartphone

The great highlight of this Android One during the presentation was the double rear camera, which according to Xiaomi, is similar to that of the iPhone 7, but with an improved algorithm when it comes to photos in Portrait Mode, with the background out of focus.

This camera has two 12-megapixel sensors, a wide angle (26mm, f / 2.2) and another telephoto lens (50mm, f / 2.6), equivalent to a 2x optical zoom, even achieving digital zoom up to 10x. The front camera is 5 megapixels.

The bokeh effect of the smartphone is called “Stereo Mode” and the images captured in this mode are acceptable but do not stand out. Although the cameras were able to tell the difference between the foreground and the background, the images come out grainy and blurry. Colors were also inaccurate.

The telephoto lens also ensures capturing images without compromising image quality and works with up to 10x digital zoom. In various tests, images captured up to the 5x zoom are fine, but images captured at the 10x zoom come out grainy. Low light photos can sometimes be blurry and take a long time to process.

It's a good camera to work with, and it will take great photos to share on social media, but don't expect much more. The color tones are balanced, but not as balanced as we've come to expect from company devices, though it does respond to commands quickly and is bright enough to be used in direct sunlight.

Stereo mode

The task in this way is to create a blue background. While this is done through a combination of hardware and software, the end effects are laudable most of the time.

The problem is that the Stereo Mode only works when there is enough light, which means that most night shots will have to be done using the automatic mode only. Although the level of detail and colors are quite good in this mode, this seriously limits its usability.

Zoom

Xiaomi promises 2x optical zoom with this device, and the 1x / 2x button is very useful. It switches from wide angle to telephoto (56mm) seamless and the results are pretty good. It looks somewhat blurry and grainy when shooting indoors, but not enough to hamper image quality or cause great loss of detail.

Automatic mode

When shooting in auto mode, the Mi A1 produces very sharp and detailed photos in daylight conditions. However, it suffers from considerable noise and loss of detail in low light. It is also best used when taking close-up shots, with noticeable aberrations in longer-range photos.

Portrait mode

Portrait Mode works similarly to what we've seen on the Mi 6, with the camera blurring the background to focus on the subject. The mode needs a lot of lighting to work, and while the camera does a decent job in terms of blurring the background, it has a hard time outlining the edges.

The first Xiaomi with pure Android

Xiaomi and Google have teamed up to launch an Android One to the market, with security updates made monthly, and with the guarantee of the arrival of Android Oreo this year.

This is one of the happiest unions in the tech world, bringing Xiaomi even closer to the rest of the world.

Until now, Google has partnered with Indian smartphone brands like Micromax, Sharp, and Lava to implement Android One. However, it has now teamed up with the Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi, and the result is the Xiaomi Mi A1.

Since 2014, the brand has been accumulating a certain amount of good reviews with its premium products at affordable prices. It has not been a bed of roses, but Xiaomi is a name to consider. Android One, on the other hand, has never enjoyed massive appeal, as the specs were disappointing. Will the union of the two brands provide a reliable product for consumers?

In the Mi A1, Xiaomi has only kept three MIUI applications: Mi Remote, Mi Store and Feedback. With Android 7.1.2 ready to use, this is the most advanced Xiaomi phone so far.

The other change is in the camera app and algorithm, which was necessary, since Android doesn't natively support dual cameras yet.

performance

The phone runs on Android 7.1.2 Nougat. This is a refreshing change, as Xiaomi, until now, had its own user interface. Android takes some of the overhead out of the processor, and the phone has a smooth, lag-free experience with everyday basics. The applications load as expected and without many setbacks.

Android Stock ensures no bloatware and offers a pure Android experience and regular updates to the operating system. The company has even said that the Mi A1 will receive the Oreo update in December. Along with this, users will also get unlimited storage in Google Photos.

During our tests, the smartphone handled everything right, from multi-app switching to gaming without a hitch. There were also no heating problems in moderate use, something that many current smartphones suffer from. Overall performance was smooth and lag-free.

The call quality was good even in areas where the signal was weak. The reception of the network is satisfactory. Calls are handled smoothly when network coverage is somewhat problematic.

The audio quality of the speaker, which is located at the bottom, is good, but keeping the smartphone in landscape orientation reduces the output a bit.

The Xiaomi Mi A1 is lag- free and fast enough. The performance of the games is good, with minor delays from time to time. The only real problem is that the phone gets hot enough to make you feel uncomfortable while playing for long periods of time. It seems that Xiaomi's thermal control algorithms in MIUI are better than native versions of Android.

Either way, if you're not a multi-hour player a day, this phone shouldn't cause you any trouble.

Like the camera, the Xiaomi Mi A1 produces functional levels of performance and is reliable at all times. It just won't qualify as a very fast mobile, which many shoppers in this segment may not care about.

Using keyboard shortcuts is fast enough, while application loading times and application performance are easily acceptable.

Battery, we have plenty during the day

The Xiaomi Mi A1, which runs on Android 7.1.2, is powered by a non-removable 3080 mAh battery, which lasts a little over a day of average use using games and navigation applications on social networks, with Wi-Fi on.

Xiaomi wants this device to be as cheap as possible, so the company probably thought that a 3080 mAh battery should suffice. In practical terms, that translates to just over 11 hours of operation in the PCMark test. That ranks the Mi A1 among the best batteries among devices in this segment.

You'll have to charge it every night, but it should work without much else, unless you're playing for hours on end every day.

The only downside is the lack of a quick charge option. The Mi A1 fills up to 5V / 2A, and it takes almost two hours to fully charge the phone.

Differences with the Xiaomi Mi 5X

Among the few differences that we find with the Xiaomi Mi 5X is the Android version and the user interface, since the Mi 5X is presented with the MIUI interface, while the Mi A1 comes with Android in its purest version.

In addition, since a larger number of markets is intended than is usually the case, it supports more bands from the different networks (4G 800 MHz). The owners of the Mi 5X are expected to be able to install the official Google ROM on their smartphone, albeit with little "tricks".

Other features of the Xiaomi MI A1

The Xiaomi Mi A1 is a dual SIM (GSM and GSM). Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, GPS, bluetooth, infrared, USB OTG, 3G, and 4G.

The phone's sensors include a compass, magnetometer, proximity sensor, accelerometer, ambient light sensor, and gyroscope.

Final words and conclusion about Xiaomi Mi A1

The Xiaomi Mi A1 offers strong build quality, good display, and adequate battery life. Apart from this, it comes with a bloatware-free Android experience and company confirmation that the device will receive at least two more Android OS updates. The first (Android Oreo) arrives in December.

But the Xiaomi Mi A1 is not really a perfect device. The camera, which is supposed to be the most prominent key of the smartphone, is not one of the best on the market compared to other models. If you are a loyal Xiaomi user and looking for a pure Android experience, then this phone is for you.

We recommend reading our article on smartphones with the best camera

For others, there are device alternatives with better cameras and pure Android experience in the same price segment that can also be considered. Instead, it is a very reliable smartphone that you should definitely consider. It's what Android One phones should have been from the start.

This Xiaomi is a fluent performer and offers reliable battery life. The emphasis here seems to be on keeping prices as low as possible. Currently we can find them in Chinese stores for a price of 180 euros with a discount coupon, while in Spanish stores (with their 2-year warranty) we see it at 250 euros . What do you think of the price and its performance? We want to know your opinion!

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
- ANDROID STOCK WITH UPDATES FOR 2 YEARS.	- THE CAMERA DOES NOT STAND OUT IN SITUATIONS WITH LOW LIGHT.
- PERFORMANCE AND RELIABLE DESIGN.	- THE BATTERY LIFE IS BETTER.
- VARIETY OF COLORS.
- BATTERY LIFE DURING THE WHOLE DAY.
- HOW FAST IT GOES AND THAT ALLOWS US TO PLAY DECENTLY TO ANY GAME.

The Professional Review team awards you the gold medal and recommended product:

Xiaomi Mi A1

PERFORMANCE - 85%

CAMERA - 80%

AUTONOMY - 82%

PRICE - 90%

84%