Xiaomi Mi4c review - good value for money. Video review and unboxing. Observations during operation and conclusions

According to the analytical agency Canalys, in the second quarter of this year, the famous Chinese manufacturer of high-tech devices Xiaomi took first place in the number of smartphones sold in the Chinese market. Considering the volume of this segment, such a result can be called revolutionary. At the same time, the company continues to pursue a policy of official availability only in the local market, and enthusiasts from the rest of the world have to use the services of resellers to get acquainted with very interesting devices from this manufacturer.

Xiaomi Mi3, announced at the end of last year, set a new vector for the company's top devices. If earlier its models were powerful smartphones in relatively simple and compact cases, now significant attention is paid to the design and materials of the device body. In addition, the screen diagonal was increased to 5″, which also affected the positioning.

The new product presented in the summer - Xiaomi Mi4 - received an updated Qualcomm platform, a body with metal elements and MIUI firmware. There are some other differences from its predecessor in technical characteristics. Moreover, in most respects the device can be put on par with the flagships of other companies.

Characteristics

Like its predecessor, Xiaomi Mi4 in the version for WCDMA networks uses a quad-core chip from the Qualcomm Snapdragon family. Only now this is a modification with a core frequency of 2.5 GHz ( diagnostic programs show a maximum value of about 2457.6 MHz). In practice, in the vast majority of cases the difference will not be noticeable. In addition, the manufacturer decided to add another gigabyte of RAM - the new product boasts 3 GB.

But nothing has changed with flash memory. Two modifications are offered - 16 and 64 GB; there is no support for memory cards, but if necessary, you can use USB OTG. In the tested junior model, about 11.7 GB of the 13.4 GB flash drive is available to the user out of the box.

The formal characteristics of the smartphone screen are similar to its predecessor - an IPS matrix with Full HD resolution and a 5″ diagonal is used. The physical dimensions of the screen are 62x109.5 mm, which gives a pixel density of about 440 ppi. The touch sensor supports up to ten simultaneous touches. Its sensitivity is quite high, which can sometimes interfere. Settings this parameter We didn't find it on the menu.

The device supports 2G (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) and 3G (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz) networks with a maximum data transfer rate of 42 Mbit/s (DC-HSPA+). There is one slot for a micro SIM card. There is no support for 4G/LTE in the current modification, and this is perhaps the most serious criticism of the flagship. Some sources talk about the possibility of releasing an updated version of the device this year with support for fourth generation networks.

Charging and connection to a computer are carried out via a standard Micro-USB 2.0 port. It supports OTG, which partially compensates for the lack of a memory card slot. Access to the device memory is possible via MTP and PTP protocols. The company offers a special utility for working with Mac OS.

Since the platform is practically no different from the previous version, the set of wireless interfaces and controllers has remained almost unchanged. The device is capable of working with Wi-Fi networks 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, supports Bluetooth 4.0, has a built-in FM radio receiver and can determine coordinates using GPS and Glonass. The ability to work with NFC was removed from the new product, but an IR transmitter was added for controlling household appliances.

Interestingly, among the list of sensors in the device you can see devices related to the user’s physical activity, including a detector and a step counter.

As for the cameras, the main one, as before, has a 13 megapixel matrix, is equipped with a flash and supports autofocus. Selfie lovers may like it front-camera, which has been improved to 8 megapixels (versus 2.1 megapixels for its predecessor). In addition, the rear camera has gained the ability to record 4K video.

Xiaomi Mi4 smartphone specifications

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8274AC), quad Krait 400 cores, 300 MHz - 2.5 GHz
• GPU Adreno 330
• Operating system Android 4.4.2, MIUI firmware
• Touch display IPS, 5″, 1920×1080, capacitive, multi-touch
• RAM 3 GB
• Internal memory 16 or 64 GB
• Communication 2G GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz, 3G WCDMA 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
• Data transmission GPRS, EDGE, HSPA+, DC-HSPA+
• Bluetooth 4.0, HID support
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4/5 GHz, WLAN Display
• Micro-USB with OTG support
• GPS, AGPS, Glonass, gyroscope, compass, accelerometer, pressure sensor, temperature sensor
• FM radio
• IR transmitter
• Cameras: 13 MP (autofocus, LED flash, 4K video) and 8 MP
• Non-replaceable 3080 mAh lithium-ion battery
• Dimensions 139x68.7x8.9 mm
• Weight 152 g

Today, there are devices on the market based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 platform from many manufacturers, including HTC, LG, Oppo, Samsung, Sony, Vivo and ZTE. In addition, we recently tested an interesting device, OnePlus One, which also uses this SoC. All models are aimed at the top segment, equipped with screens from 5″ and above, and some boast a resolution exceeding Full HD. At the same time, for some users it may be more important to have characteristics such as support for LTE or memory cards.

All these models simply cannot fit into one table, so we will limit ourselves here to only the most similar devices.

	Xiaomi Mi4	Xiaomi Mi3	HTC One M8	Samsung Galaxy S5	Sony Xperia Z2
Screen	5″, IPS	5″, IPS	5″, Super LCD 3	5.1″, Super AMOLED	5.2″, IPS
Permission	1920×1080, 440 ppi	1920×1080, 440 ppi	1920×1080, 440 ppi	1920×1080, 432 ppi	1920×1080, 423 ppi
SoC		Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, 4 cores, Krait 400, 2.3 GHz		Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, 4 cores, Krait 400, 2.5 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, 4 cores, Krait 400, 2.3 GHz
RAM	3 GB	2 GB	2 GB	2 GB	3 GB
Flash memory	16/64 GB	16/64 GB	16/32 GB	16 GB	16 GB
Memory card support	No	No	There is	There is	There is
operating system	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.3	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.4
4G/LTE	No	No	There is	There is	There is
SIM format	Micro-SIM	Mini-SIM	Nano-SIM	Micro-SIM	Micro-SIM
Battery	non-removable, 3080 mAh	non-removable, 3050 mAh	non-removable, 2600 mAh	removable, 2800 mAh	non-removable, 3200 mAh
Cameras	rear 13 MP (4K video), front 8 MP	rear 13 MP, front 2 MP	rear 4 MP, front 5 MP	rear 16 MP (4K video), front 2 MP	rear 20.7 MP (4K video), front 2.2 MP
Dimensions	139×69×8.9 mm, 152 g	144×74×8.3 mm, 142 g	146×71×9.4 mm, 160 g	142×73×8.1 mm, 145 g	147×73×8.2 mm, 163 g
Cost (Ya.Market)	T-10971773 T-11009143	T-10632786 T-10632967	T-10761030 T-10761041	T-10725078	T-10724878
Xiaomi Mi4 (16GB) offers	L-10971773-10

Equipment

The packaging design for the smartphone in question has not changed compared to previous models - a familiar sturdy box made of recycled cardboard. Since the device is aimed at the Chinese market, the main information is provided in this language.

However, a significant part of the technical specifications is in English. In particular, the name of the chipset, the amount of RAM and flash memory, screen resolution, battery capacity, wireless interfaces. But perhaps the most useful for the user will be a list of cellular network standards and frequency ranges.

The smartphone is supplied with a power supply (5 V 2 A, supporting Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0), Micro-USB cable, a couple of leaflets in Chinese and a key to open the SIM card tray. Note that the standard power supply has a “flat” plug, and for domestic sockets you will need to use an adapter, and the black matte Micro-USB cable looks quite appropriate for the level of the model.

Appearance and ease of use

The company tried to combine a large screen and relatively small body size in the new device. The model turned out to be approximately 5 mm narrower and shorter than its predecessor - 139 × 68.7 × 8.9 mm. And the slight increase in thickness is almost imperceptible due to the shape of the case. Among modern smartphones with a 5″ screen, Xiaomi Mi4 is one of the most compact. Interestingly, the weight has increased by ten grams compared to Mi3, but this does not lead to any inconvenience during use. Rather, on the contrary, it creates the feeling of a solid and powerful device.

One of the reasons for the increase in weight is the use of a steel frame element in the design, which runs externally along the sides. Most of it is matte, and the chamfer on the front side was made smooth. Like some other models, you will notice plastic “jumpers” on the top and bottom ends, which may be used to highlight the wireless antennas.

Formally, the case has a replaceable back panel, but this only gives the opportunity to change the appearance. There's nothing under the lid replaceable battery, no slots for memory cards and SIM cards. Interestingly, there are no special slots for removing the cover, and, apparently, it is suggested to use special tools. The advantage of this solution is that the body is indistinguishable from monolithic options and looks great. Perhaps this is the most significant difference from its predecessor, which seemed too “plastic” to us.

The device fits perfectly in the hand. The design of the side ends leaves no doubt that the smartphone will be securely held. The slightly convex surface of the back cover makes it easy to lift the model from the table with one hand.

As for the color design, there are two options: white and black. The first one was used for this review and is shown in the photographs. The second is distinguished by the use of a black background around the screen, a black back cover and a black metal frame.

The smartphone screen is covered with protective glass, the brand of which is not specified by the manufacturer. Please note that this model does not have edges to protect the glass in case it is placed face down on a table. The side margins visually seem very small - the white frame is already two millimeters. But in reality there is still about one millimeter between it and the screen. At the top we see a silver logo, light and proximity sensors, a speaker grille and a front camera window.

Below the screen are three standard touch buttons. Their designations are clearly visible both without and with backlighting. Note that a white LED is used, and the duration of its operation can be adjusted through the menu. You can also configure actions for buttons.

Below the central button is an almost invisible status indicator. It notifies you not only about the charging status, but also about missed calls, messages and notifications. At the same time, for the latest events, you can independently choose colors from seven options.

The volume and lock buttons are located at the top of the right side of the device. They are also made of metal and do not differ in color and texture from the frame. They are easy to find by touch, the pressing is clear and reliable. Interestingly, some changes in the implemented functions are available for them, although the list of possibilities is small.

On the left side there is a slot for installing a micro SIM card, to open which you need to use the supplied key, a paper clip or other suitable tool.

The tray is also metal and very precisely made. The top end is used for the headset connector and infrared port. At the bottom there is a Micro-USB port, as well as a grille behind which are the main speaker and microphone.

The standard back cover in the version under review is made, at first glance, of simple white plastic. But if you look more closely, you will notice an ornamental mesh on it, coated with transparent varnish. The result is a very expensive looking option.

At the top of the cover there is a hole for an additional microphone, a slightly protruding main camera block and a flash LED. Below them is the traditional manufacturer’s logo made of silver plastic.

We think that many readers will find features in the design of the device that are familiar from other popular models, but this does not detract from the efforts of Xiaomi designers, who were able to combine them into one beautiful, stylish and convenient smartphone.

Screen

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. You can read expert opinion about this screen below.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Xiaomi Mi4, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the Xiaomi Mi4 is quite a bit lighter (brightness according to photographs is 110 versus 104 for the Nexus 7). The ghosting of reflected objects in the Xiaomi Mi4 screen is very weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS - One Glass Solution type screen). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass-air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, but maybe a little worse than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed more easily and appear at a slower rate than with regular glass.

With manual brightness control and when the white field was displayed in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 460 cd/m², the minimum was 2.3 cd/m². The maximum brightness is high, which means, given the excellent anti-glare properties, readability even on a sunny day outdoors will be quite good. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker slot). In automatic mode, as external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider. If it is 100%, then in complete darkness the automatic brightness adjustment function reduces the brightness to 140 cd/m² (not excessively bright, but it could have been lower); in an office illuminated by artificial light (about 400 lux) the brightness increases to 340 cd/m². m² (a bit too much), in a very bright environment (corresponding to the lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) is set to 460 cd/m² (which is what is needed). Brightness slider at 50% - the values ​​are as follows: 7, 180 and 460 cd/m² (in principle, acceptable values), at 0% - 2.3, 24 and 460 cd/m² (the logic is clear). In general, the operation of the automatic brightness adjustment function does not cause any special complaints. At any brightness level, there is virtually no backlight modulation, so there is no screen flickering.

This smartphone uses a matrix IPS type. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen and without inverting shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which the screens of Xiaomi Mi4 and Nexus 7 display identical images, while the brightness of the screens is initially set to approximately 200 cd/m² (across the white field across the entire screen), and the color balance on the camera is forced to switch to 6500 K. The white field is perpendicular to the screens:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture:

The colors on the Xiaomi Mi4 screen are oversaturated and clearly shifted towards the red area. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens, but on the Xiaomi Mi4 the contrast has decreased to a greater extent due to the brightening of blacks and a decrease in image brightness. And a white field:

The brightness at an angle of the screens decreased (at least 5 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but in the case of Xiaomi Mi4 the drop in brightness is noticeably greater. When deviated diagonally, the black field brightens greatly and acquires a violet or red-violet hue. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is approximately the same!):

And from another angle:

When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is good, but it is relatively light and has a pronounced tint:

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) for an IPS matrix is ​​not the highest - about 735:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 15 ms (8 ms on + 7 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 24 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.27, which is quite a bit higher than the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve deviates somewhat from the power-law dependence:

The color gamut is noticeably wider than sRGB:

Let's look at the spectra:

They are atypical, but we have already seen them in the case of Sony Xperia Z2 and Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet. Sony indicates that these screens use LEDs with a blue emitter and green and red phosphor (usually a blue emitter and a yellow phosphor), which, in combination with special matrix filters, allows for a wide color gamut. Most likely, this statement is also true in the case of Xiaomi Mi4. In the characteristics of this smartphone they simply write that the coverage is very wide and is 84% ​​of the NTSC coverage, presenting this fact as an undeniable advantage. This is an outright lie, since as a result, the colors of images - drawings, photographs and films - oriented to the sRGB space (and the vast majority of them) have an unnatural saturation. This is especially noticeable on recognizable shades, such as skin tones. The result is shown in the photo above. But the average person is accustomed to the fact that if something is bigger, then it is better, so the manufacturer usually succeeds in such deception and gets away with it.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is slightly higher than the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is less than 10, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, color temperature and ΔE (without taking into account the sharp decrease in the dark area) change little from hue to hue - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since there is no color balance of great importance, and the measurement error color characteristics at low brightness it is large.)

This device allows you to change the color balance by choosing one of two saturation profiles and one of three color temperature profiles. The graphs above show additional data obtained for the profiles Warm And Cool. It can be seen that they change the image in accordance with the names: when you select the first, the picture becomes “warmer”, when you select the second, it becomes “cooler”. However, in the first case, ΔE increases slightly. Below is a photo Xiaomi screen Mi4 again in comparison with Nexus 7, which is obtained by selecting a profile Brilliant:

Selecting this profile slightly increased the saturation (color contrast, without changing the gamut) of the image, which only aggravated the detrimental effect of the wide gamut of the Xiaomi Mi4 screen.

Let's summarize. The screen has a fairly high maximum brightness and has good anti-glare properties, so the device can most likely be used outdoors without any problems, even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. It is also possible to use the mode with automatic adjustment brightness, working adequately. The advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, the absence of flicker and air gaps in the layers of the screen, good uniformity of the black field, and acceptable color balance. Significant disadvantages are the low stability of black to the deviation of the gaze from perpendicular to the screen plane and an excessively wide color gamut, which regular means cannot be corrected to sRGB. Nevertheless, taking into account the importance of characteristics for this particular class of devices, the quality of the screen can be considered high.

Sound

Thanks to its placement at the bottom end, the main speaker will not overlap no matter how the device is placed. However, when playing games in landscape mode, it can be closed by hand, although in this case there is no blocking - high frequencies are lost and the sound comes from the rear panel. The maximum volume level for this model is average. The sound quality is quite good for a mobile device, low frequencies, as usual, is not enough, but the distortion is invisible even on maximum volume.

The sound of music in headphones is much richer and more accurate. In this mode, you can use an equalizer or select ready-made profiles for certain headphone models. The smartphone has advanced capabilities for working with headsets equipped with buttons. The user can choose the option to adjust the volume or navigate through tracks. We tested this feature with the HTC model, but the Apple headset in this case only works with the central button (start/pause). Note that both models also supported a built-in microphone.

The quality of the main microphone and speaker of the smartphone is not bad. There is an option for noise reduction using a second microphone located above rear camera. Unfortunately, it only works for traditional telephone conversations. In particular, Skype only uses one microphone, so there is no noise cancellation.

Let us mention the presence of a vibration alert in the device, and for system confirmations you can choose one of three levels of its operation.

Camera

The rear camera with the Sony IMX214 module allows you to take photographs with a resolution of up to 13 megapixels (4208×3120 pixels), it has an LED flash and autofocus. The front camera has an 8 megapixel matrix (3264×2448).

The camera program supports simplified and full interface options. The main screen contains buttons for controlling the flash, switching photo/video modes, changing the camera, accessing the gallery and the settings menu. There are quite a lot of them, so the factory reset button is very appropriate here. IN simple mode You can quickly access panoramas, filters, HDR and other functions. Advanced mode allows you to adjust focus modes, ISO, white balance and shutter speed.

Full settings include changing the size and quality of photos, additional image settings, muting the shutter sound, assigning a function to the volume buttons (capture or zoom) and other options. When working with the front camera, there are significantly fewer settings and options.

From interesting features Let us mention the identification of persons with the display of gender and age. The accuracy, of course, is clearly low and depends on the shooting conditions, but in case it comes in handy...

Examples of photographs and comments on them are given below.

	Sharpness is fairly uniform, but overall not very good.
	Noise and what remains of it after processing are clearly visible in the shadows.
	The sky is noticeably dotted with noise and noise reduction.
	You can find several out-of-focus areas in the image, although they still need to be highlighted against the background of the general blur.
	Even with close-ups the camera copes so-so.
	As you zoom out, details begin to get lost in the noise, and the foregrounds aren't much better.
	The camera doesn't handle macro photography very well.
	Although the flash significantly improves the situation.
	In general, the text is legible, although it is noticeably damaged in places.
	The camera copes poorly with night photography.

The camera is far from a flagship, although it can claim to be a good one. It's immediately obvious that she lacks sharpness. Sometimes local areas of unpleasant blur appear. Software processing also leaves much to be desired. Generally speaking, it’s difficult to understand from the pictures exactly which component of the camera is letting it down like this: perhaps it’s all because of not very high-quality optics or because of an excessively noisy sensor, or maybe it’s all in the program. In this case, identifying the “black sheep” is not so easy. In addition, it is possible that all components have defects. This is why the pictures at first glance seem good and even nice, but upon closer examination the desire to shoot with such a camera disappears: here it’s a little noisy, here it’s a little soapy, and there it’s completely blurry. The camera makes such an impression largely due to disappointed expectations: in a budget smartphone one could still put up with such flaws, but here...

Once again the camera's problems are confirmed by bench shooting. The graph shows that the camera shows a poor result, and only in good lighting can the result still be called acceptable, and even then, as can be seen from field photographs, this is not always the case.

Of course, the camera is suitable for some use cases, but the beautiful vacation photos taken by it can probably only be shown on a smartphone screen.

The main camera can shoot video in formats up to 4K inclusive. With it you can adjust the white balance, use the HDR mode and change the focus point at the time of shooting. The front camera always works at 720p, and has filter overlay as an additional feature.

The characteristics of the resulting videos and examples are given in the table below. When recording video with the standard application, only the main microphone is used, and the sound is monophonic. In all modes it is recorded in AAC LC format, two channels, 96 Kbps.

The video quality can hardly be called good. The main problems are standard for mobile devices and include blurriness, noise, poor sensitivity, inconsistent frame rates, rolling shutter, heavy pixelation in fast-moving scenes, and low profile for 4K video.

Software

Xiaomi mobile products traditionally use the MIUI firmware, which is very popular due to its interface, speed and advanced features. Compared to the original Android, it offers the user a large number of useful and convenient functions and services, as well as system settings. Among them are backup, information protection, changing the appearance of the interface and the functions of indicators and buttons, managing applications and notifications. In this testing, the stable version of KXDCNBF 24.0 was used. The update to it was carried out “over the air” using a built-in utility. This firmware belongs to the MIUI 5.0 family and is based on Android 4.4.2. Note that the manufacturer also promptly offers versions for developers. In particular, they provide root access.

Considering the release of a new one planned for the near future basic version MIUI, it doesn’t make much sense to dwell on the current version in this material.

As before, the standard versions only support Chinese and English languages. If you need to work with Russian, you can use firmware third party developers or add a Russian keyboard if the OS interface does not need to be translated.

The second significant point is the absence of Google services in the firmware. You can find several installation options online. One of the simplest is to use the utility available in the proprietary Mi-market. Besides it, there are several other services associated with the Mi account - backup, smartphone search, cloud storage and others. The smartphone can be easily rebooted into standard recovery, in which wipe/reset options and installing firmware from a zip file will be available.

When you turn it on for the first time, you configure the interface language (Chinese or English), keyboard, connection to a wireless network, Mi account, synchronization of messages and contacts, phone search function, traffic control, cellular data, positioning services.

The lock screen shows the date and time, the number of unread test messages and other information. It gives you quick access to your phone's apps, messaging, camera, and flashlight. The menu, called up by the power button, contains the items to turn off, reboot, activate airplane mode and enable the silent profile.

The MIUI interface involves placing icons of all installed programs directly on the desktop. For convenience, you can collect them in groups. You can place up to 20 icons on each table. The bottom line contains icons for four applications (phone, contacts, browser and messages), but you can add a fifth. The system provides for the use of widgets. The standard firmware contains modules for interface switches, quick access to settings, clock, photo gallery, weather, music, calendar and others.

The appearance of the interface can be easily changed thanks to the support of themes. They can be downloaded from the company’s catalog for free or for Mi-credits. In the second case, there is an option for preliminary testing of the topic.

The switch panel can accommodate up to eleven icons, and the user can independently change their composition. There is also a screen brightness control and a button to call up the settings menu. The notifications tab also shows some additional information, such as the amount of data downloaded via the cellular network and controls for the music player. Provided customization notification options for each program.

There are no complaints about the smooth operation of the interface, which, however, is not surprising on such a powerful platform. Most traditional programs of the Android operating system are represented by original versions of MIUI with advanced features. The firmware contains several Chinese utilities, some of which can be removed in the usual way. We will only mention WPS Office, which can be useful for viewing and editing office documents.

The device’s firmware is also interesting due to the presence of a multifunctional Security utility, which is used to implement functions useful to many users: cleaning the system, monitoring traffic consumption (including individually prohibiting programs from working via cellular networks or Wi-Fi), black lists of subscribers, maintaining energy consumption profiles, anti-virus scanner and application rights control system.

The smartphone settings menu is quite rich, so dedicating a special page for quick access to the basic parameters is quite justified. Full version consists of both traditional Android items and advanced options. Some of the features that were previously introduced separate applications, moved to the settings menu.

Telephone and communications

The smartphone modification in question supports operation in most frequency bands of 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks. There are no comments about the speed of data processing and the quality of telephone conversations. Note that it is possible to record conversations.

The built-in Bluetooth controller provides a traditional set of services, including audio transmission, connection of headsets and input devices. Data transfer speed from a smartphone is about 80 KB/s. At the reception we received a figure of 120 KB/s. Please note that not all file types can be transferred this way.

The smartphone is equipped with the most advanced dual-band wireless controller for mobile devices with support for 802.11a/b/g/n/ac networks. Its speed was tested with Asus RT-N66U and RT-AC68U routers. The distance between the devices was about four meters. A multi-threaded data exchange scenario was used. In the 2.4 GHz band with the 802.11n standard, the smartphone connects at a speed of 72 Mbit/s, and real performance is 55-60 Mbit/s. For 802.11n in the 5 GHz band, you can count on 120 Mbit/s (connection speed in this mode is 150 Mbit/s). If you have a router with 802.11ac, then you can receive more than 220 Mbit/s for transmission, and the same 120 Mbit/s for reception (connection speed is 433 Mbit/s). As we can see, the results in this class are excellent and clearly better than those of its predecessor. As for the choice of channels in the 5 GHz band, the smartphone is capable of working with both 36/40/44/48 and 149/153/157/161.

Qualcomm is one of the most active manufacturers in terms of implementing new technologies. In particular, the model in question can work with wireless displays using the Miracast standard. Testing with a Netgear receiver has shown that this feature can be used for some scenarios that do not require high resolution or dynamics (for example, presentations).

To determine coordinates, there is support for GPS and Glonass systems. Subjectively, the operating speed and sensitivity of the receiver did not seem very high, but this may also be due to poor weather conditions during verification. Note that the firmware allows you to selectively provide location information to applications.

The FM radio tries to work without connecting headphones, but it doesn't work well. The program has the ability to output sound to the main speaker of the smartphone, compile a list of favorite stations, sleep timer, and broadcast recording mode.

Using an IR transmitter to control household appliances is complicated by the lack of English translation V standard utility XMremote. However, with some skill, you can still teach her to communicate with your devices. Or you can simply install from Google Play alternative programs, such as IR Remote or IR Remote Control.

Performance

The platform used in the Xiaomi Mi4 smartphone is currently Qualcomm’s top solution. And we already know that devices from this manufacturer are capable of showing excellent results both in performance tests and in terms of battery life. This is facilitated by the presence in the firmware of an option to switch the SoC operating mode.

True, Xiaomi Mi4 did not implement an economical mode, limiting itself to the modes of maximum performance (High performance - HP) and balanced (Balance - B). In the first case, the computing cores operate at a constant frequency of 2.5 GHz. As for the second, a check of the use of frequencies showed that work is mainly carried out on 300, 960, 1200 and 1500 MHz.

Interestingly, when running some popular benchmarks in balanced mode operating system prompts you to switch to high performance mode. It is also worth noting that when running resource-intensive applications in it, the smartphone body heats up noticeably. According to the built-in temperature sensor, it can exceed 50 degrees.

This year, our laboratory has already been visited by a couple of devices based on this version of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC, equipped with screens with Full HD resolution. Interestingly, they belong to completely different market segments. We added the Xiaomi Mi3 (in two of the three supported modes) to the performance comparison.

Formally, we also tested other devices on this chip, but they have a different frequency and/or screen resolution, which puts them in a different category. On the other hand, from a consumer point of view, it is almost impossible to find a difference in the experience of using devices on this platform. The performance level of modern top-end Qualcomm solutions is in most cases excessive, and this section can rather be used to confirm the absence of errors in the firmware than to actually select models based on speed parameters.

In high performance mode, you can record the new product as a leader. However, if you look at the more popular balanced mode, then everything is not so clear. You can also pay attention to the differences in the implementation of processor frequency control modes for Xiaomi Mi4 and Mi3. The second device practically does not reduce the speed of operation in medium mode. But the battery saving option, as we remember from the last article, is significantly slower for the Xiaomi Mi3 than the others. The new device noticeably “sags” immediately when maximum performance is turned off.

We see a similar distribution of forces in graphics tests - in maximum mode Xiaomi Mi4 performed excellently, and in terms of balance it is inferior to other participants. GFXBench 3.0 again confirmed that it is a graphics-oriented test, since the speed of its execution depends little on the processing cores of the processor. For top platforms, the Bonsai Benchmark and Epic Citadel tests are irrelevant, since they show values ​​close to the maximum of 50-60 fps.

The last group of browser tests also confirms the above results.

In general, there are no comments on the device’s performance. It is quite difficult to find tasks where the speed of work in a balanced mode will not be enough. However, perhaps the manufacturer should have left the Mi4 with all three modes, like its predecessor, or provided the user with more flexibility in setting them up.

The speed of working with internal flash memory when connected to a computer via USB is 17-19 MB/s, which is an average result for this version of the interface. Given the availability fast Wi-Fi, perhaps it will be more convenient to use it to work with files on a smartphone.

Playing video

Considering the modern Qualcomm platform and high-quality MIUI firmware, there is very little chance of encountering problems when playing video files. In addition, it is worth recalling that the device is capable of recording 4K video, so it should show this format. Testing has confirmed that the smartphone supports current formats with high bitrates, resolutions and profiles. The testing results using our method are shown in the table below.

The stock video player showed similar results, except for the lack of support external files subtitles.

We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices) 720/24p Great No

Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes green ratings are given, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with playback of the corresponding files.

According to the frame output criterion, the quality of video playback on the smartphone screen itself is excellent, since frames (or groups of frames) can (but are not required) be output with uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames. The smartphone can even display files with a resolution of 4K up to 30 fps inclusive. However, uniform alternation of frames is a relatively unstable state, since some external and internal background processes sometimes lead to periodic failure of the correct alternation of intervals between frames and even (very, very rarely) to the skipping of single frames. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p), the image of the video file itself is displayed one-on-one, exactly along the edge of the screen and in true Full HD resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235, which is required for correct playback of typical video files. In the shadows, only a couple of shades are indistinguishable in brightness from black, but in the highlights all gradations of shades are displayed.

Battery life

Non-removable container battery almost no different from its predecessor - 3080 mAh. This model claims to support Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 technology, which allows you to restore the charge of mobile devices much faster than in traditional configurations. Note that the technology was announced more than a year and a half ago and requires the use of an appropriate charger capable of delivering not only the standard 5 V, but also higher voltages, with a power that can reach 60 W. According to the developer, this technology allows you to get half a charge of a 3300 mAh battery in twenty-five minutes. Unfortunately, even today there are very few devices on the market that support this standard. And one of them is Xiaomi Mi4. We tried to evaluate the capabilities of this technology and plotted charge versus time graphs using the original power supply and a conventional model with parameters of 5 V 2 A.

Testing has shown that there is no difference between these options. Both models allow you to get about 80% in an hour and a half, and the last percentage will take about another hour. In general, the situation with this technology is not very clear. The Qualcomm website states that the Xiaomi Mi3 also has support for Quick Charge 2.0, but we did not focus on it at the time of testing and received the same result of two and a half hours for a standard charger.

As we saw above, the device platform is so powerful that in most situations you can use the smartphone in Balance mode, and High performance was apparently saved specifically for those who like to compare numbers in benchmarks. In testing, we, as usual, used the screen brightness setting at 100 cd/m². You should also not forget about the use of an AMOLED screen on a Samsung smartphone and the larger screen size on the OnePlus model.

	Xiaomi Mi4 (B)	Samsung Galaxy S5	OnePlus One	Xiaomi Mi3 (B)	Xiaomi Mi3 (BS)
Games	5:10	4:30	2:45	4:30	5:30
Reading	16:50	17:20	14:00	12:30	10:50
Video	13:20	12:30	9:30	9:00	9:30

Let us remind you that these indicators significantly depend on the settings of the processor core frequency control system. IN Xiaomi firmware Mi4 seems to use algorithms that are less aggressive in terms of performance, so its advantage in autonomy over the previous model is very noticeable. Moreover, for reading and video viewing scenarios, the new product also outperforms the Battery Savings mode in Xiaomi Mi3. Additionally, we conducted a test for the gaming task with High setting Performance in Xiaomi Mi4. He showed a result of three hours and ten minutes, which once again confirms the lack of practical meaning in this mode for most users.

If we compare the device with other modern smartphones of a similar level, then Xiaomi Mi4 also performs very well.

For most uses of the smartphone, the charge will definitely last for one day. With a light load, you can count on two to three days, especially if you pay attention to the settings of the corresponding profiles in the standard utility.

Prices

The company's website lists prices at 1999 and 2499 yuan for models with 16 and 64 GB of flash memory, respectively. Unfortunately, Xiaomi’s policy makes it significantly more difficult for users outside China to purchase devices, so these attractive figures (formal conversion at the exchange rate gives a little more than 12 and 15 thousand rubles) will have to add a significant markup from resellers. In Moscow, they ask for about 20 thousand rubles for the younger model. Foreign online stores operate in amounts of $400-$500.

Despite this, the device turns out to be cheaper than similar smartphones from HTC, Samsung and Sony. However, the latter can offer LTE, security and support for memory cards, so the choice is not easy. Moreover, there is also OnePlus One, which has an even lower price, and Xiaomi Mi3 may seem to someone a more interesting offer.

Bottom line

The current pace of technology development continues to surprise even us. Over these two years, we have become acquainted with the Xiaomi Mi2, Mi2S, Mi3 models, and now it’s the turn of Mi4. The first two were interesting devices for enthusiasts who pay attention to the hardware platform and its capabilities. When developing Mi3, the company took into account the growing popularity of models with five-inch screens, and also spent some effort on bringing the design to the general “thin and light” trend. At the same time, the device retained the high-performance Qualcomm chip and, like its predecessors, was distinguished by high quality manufacturing and reliable operation.

Xiaomi Mi4, announced this summer, is aimed at the modern top-end smartphone segment. The device is equipped with a powerful platform, a high-quality 5″ screen and a corresponding battery. Let us also mention the preservation of special energy management technologies in the firmware, which allow achieving good results in battery life tests. True, some of the technical characteristics of the considered modification of the device may not satisfy perfectionists. Among them, we mention the lack of support for LTE, NFC and memory cards.

But the most striking change in Mi4 is the updated design of the device using metal and the ability to change back covers. Of course, now in the mobile market it is difficult to call any solutions absolutely original, but Xiaomi Mi4 certainly stands out in this parameter and can compete with industry leaders.

Using MIUI firmware is also worth adding as a plus. It looks attractive, is easy to use, and has a large range of useful additional functions. The only thing that clouds the picture is the lack of Russian language support in the standard version.

It is difficult to unambiguously assess the availability and cost of the device. Due to the fact that it is officially sold only in China, the buyer will have to either communicate with foreign online stores or pay extra to domestic resellers. We would not say that this is a significant disadvantage, but we should take into account this moment worth it when choosing.

It is safe to say that the time when only a few major smartphone manufacturers could guarantee high quality in their products has already passed. It will not be difficult for any person, an ordinary user and an experienced expert, to draw the appropriate conclusions if he carefully familiarizes himself with modern Chinese manufacturers. To confirm this statement with facts, it is best to use as an example a new product that I recently purchased from the Russian branch of a well-known trading platform aliexpress.com.

General parameters and equipment

The first minutes of getting acquainted with this device are not surprising. It comes in a box familiar from previous models from the same manufacturer. It is made from recycled materials, which is economical and is a definite tribute to fashion. On the other hand, its strength and quality factor do not cause any complaints.

Only basic devices and accessories are included as standard. Here, in addition to the smartphone itself, there is a device for opening the tray, a charger, a connecting cable for working with a computer (MicroUSB - USB), and a couple of brochures with instructions. The flat plug must be supplemented with an adapter for connecting to domestic sockets. If the original device is missing, replace it SIM card It won't be difficult with a regular paper clip.

You don’t have to be an expert to immediately determine that when creating this device, many solutions were “spiked” from Apple. The external resemblance to the iPhone is obvious, but let us immediately note that this device is not a copy. New tablet of the same brand, too similar to the Apple iPhone 5C. However, there will be no accusations of plagiarism, because these are different mobile devices.

Let's return to the main topic of the article. Xiaomi Mi4 is still truly original. To make sure of this, let's study its details in more detail.

The frame is made of stainless steel. In this video you can see the features of the production process.

This material clearly illustrates that this company takes the quality of its products extremely seriously. This material ensures high strength of the case. It is resistant to a variety of external influences, looks solid and will retain ideal aesthetic parameters even after several years of intensive use. Note, however, that in the black model this element is covered with a layer of paint. The integrity of such a layer may be damaged over time.

These photographs show only some examples of possible designs for the back cover. Replaceable panels are one of the main features of this model. With their help you can really transform appearance smartphone.

It is also interesting that some covers will be made in the form of imitation, made of plastic. In the manufacture of others, it is planned to use natural wood species.

However, for now only white and black design options are available. If you look closely, you can see miniature diamonds on the light lid under the transparent layer.

These photos show that the SIM card slot is made of metal, very accurately. Its fit to the body is even better than in a similar device from Apple. Pollution will not accumulate here.

Control buttons, main speaker grille, USB port - these and other details look good even when enlarged and very carefully examined. Let me note right away that some functions of the controls can be changed by the user. It is permissible, for example, to turn on the device using the volume key.

The overall impression of good quality is harmoniously complemented by user-friendly dimensions and relatively low weight.

For comparison, here is a table with the parameters of other smartphones:

Model	Height (mm)	Width (mm)	Thickness (mm)	Weight (g)	Screen diagonal (inches)
Xiaomi Mi4	139,2	68,5	8,9	149	5
Xiaomi Mi3	144	73,6	8,1	145	5
Apple iPhone 5S	123,8	58,6	7,6	112	4
HTC One(M8)	146,4	70,6	9,4	160	5
Nokia Lumia 930	137	71	9,8	167	5
Samsung Galaxy S5	142	72,5	8,1	145	5,1
Huawei Ascend P7	139,8	68,8	6,5	124	5

It shows that this device has a relatively small body width. This means that it will be comfortable to work with one hand.

Basic hardware parameters and software

Processor SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8274AC), four cores Krait 400, 300, clock frequency 2.5 GHz. The most powerful smartphone models from LG and HTC, Samsung and Oppo, Sony and ZTE are created on this platform. Their productivity is so great that in most cases it even exceeds modern needs. This fact indicates that purchasing Xiaomi Mi4 is an excellent investment. This technology will not become obsolete within a few years. It will work decently with “heavy” applications without interruptions, artifacts or other distortions.

Operating system Android 4.4.2, original MIUI firmware. In the first versions of smartphones, the fifth version of MIUI was installed, and now the sixth is offered. This firmware provides good speed compared to stock OS. The advanced settings are especially good, which are useful for adjusting the device to the needs and preferences of a particular user.

The only limitation is that standard programs only support displaying the interface in Chinese and English.

3 GB of RAM is enough for the most complex programs to be processed quickly, without delays. Internal memory is offered in only two options, 16 or 64 GB. It cannot be expanded using SD or microSD. The problem can be solved if you use an external flash memory connection using supported USB OTG technology.

We must also not forget that a lot of space, about 4 GB, is occupied by standard software that is installed serially.

It was already noted above that performance of this processor very big. To save energy, it can be switched to a special, balanced mode.

In this mode, the equipment begins to work using lower frequencies (from 300 to 1,500 MHz). This manufacturer has not implemented a special economy mode in its device, which is provided by the creators of the processor. When studying the parameters of specialized tests, you can find out that when using maximum settings, this technique fully complies with the parameters best smartphones upper class . Setting the balanced mode worsens the performance. However, I would like to especially note that such settings are quite sufficient to solve most practical problems

. The hardware power is enough to run office applications and modern games, and watch video materials in 4K format.

Sound and screen, camera, technical features

The touch display is created using IPS technology, which is confirmed by the following micrograph:

Its diameter is 5″. A resolution of 1920×1080 at such dimensions provides a number of dots per inch indistinguishable to the human eye, 440 ppi.

Fast and economical Bluetooth 4.0 is useful for connecting a headset and connecting to other smartphones and devices.

This device is equipped with a Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac unit (frequencies 2.4 and 5 GHz). It is capable, when using the most modern standard, ac, to transmit at speeds of 220 and 120 Mbit per second (for transmission and reception, respectively).

The Xiaomi Mi4 smartphone also has the following components: GPS, AGPS, Glonass, gyroscope, compass, accelerometer, pressure and temperature sensors, IR transmitter.

The built-in radio operates in the FM range. It has high sensitivity and selectivity, and receives signals well in the presence of strong interference in urban environments.

The proprietary operating system allows, if necessary, to disable the function of notifying applications about the location of the mobile device.

The main camera is equipped with a sensitive sensor from Sony. Pictures can be taken from high resolution, up to 4,208 by 3,120 pixels (13 MP). Automatic focusing is useful for quickly achieving focus. At night, you can use the LED flash.

The 8 MP front camera is quite suitable not only for video calls. Its parameters are sufficient to create high-quality images selfie.

Particularly noteworthy is the presence of a function that automatically detects faces in the image, indicating the character’s gender and age.

Practical use and battery life, additional features

The capacity of the battery installed in the smartphone, 3,080 mAh, is enough for intensive work throughout the day. This model supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0. This technology is used to charge batteries faster than conventional methods. The power consumption can reach 60 watts. At the same time, the manufacturer claims that a 50% battery charge will last less than half an hour.

To increase battery life, it is useful to use the above-mentioned optimal processor load mode. Its parameters will be sufficient for stable operation of most modern programs and applications. We should also not forget about the correct user settings, the ability to automatically change the screen brightness depending on the intensity of external lighting.

The Xiaomi MiBand bracelets shown in this photo are intended for use with a smartphone of this model. They will help you count the number of steps and distance traveled. The devices built into them will notify the owner about various events, received messages and others. To unlock Xiaomi Mi4, you just need to bring your hand with such a bracelet on your wrist to its screen. This device can operate without recharging for up to 30 days. It operates reliably over a wide temperature range.

The Xiaomi Mi4 smartphone deserves to be assessed as a high-quality mobile device that fully complies with modern requirements that apply to the corresponding group of technical products. It has a powerful processor and an excellent screen, as well as many other details and characteristics that are associated with top-level devices.

The only thing that may cause some difficulties is the process of purchasing this model. The fact is that for now this manufacturer is working to meet the needs of the Chinese market. This is precisely why some limited language support is associated. However, this problem can be resolved quickly if you choose the right trading company, taking into account its reputation and real capabilities.

To buy the latest smartphone model without overpayments, you should not contact domestic resellers. It is convenient and profitable to place the appropriate order using . Here you can do all the necessary actions yourself, without outside help. A fairly long delivery time, about a month, will pay off completely. Using this resource you can purchase an original Xiaomi Mi4 at a reasonable cost, with reliable guarantee by choosing a payment method convenient for you. By the way, they also offer a variety of add-ons and accessories for this smartphone model at low prices.

The excitement around the popular Chinese brand continues. The smart technology manufacturer constantly attracts attention with high-profile innovations and daring pricing policies, becoming one of the largest technology giants in the world in a short period of time. The young company managed not only to break into the leadership, but also to break the stereotype about the quality of Chinese equipment. In this review, we will take another step into an inexpensive and productive future with the help of a flagship smartphone - Xiaomi Mi 4.

Having heard plenty of complaints about copying the style of the iPhone and iOS, while simultaneously “simmering in the mess” of competition with dynamic fellow countrymen - Meizu and ZTE, the Chinese Xiaomi holds the brand and sets development trends, maintaining a leading position in the Celestial market. Along the way, the company got involved in the race for global leadership, having already become the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world. Starting from the category of affordable devices with attractive characteristics and price, in a fairly short time it moved into the class of stylish and productive smartphones that retained an attractive price and superior famous brands in almost all respects. At the same time, by introducing tablets into its range, Xiaomi challenged Apple, intending to become a leader in this segment as well.

Disputes about the similarity of Xiaomi devices Apple products are not unfounded - it is quite possible. The Chinese company followed the path of the “mentor” from Cupertino, taking what was created as a basis and striving to make the best and most accessible out of it. Those who encroached on this earlier remained outsiders. Today, Xiaomi is striving forward, gaining a recognizable face and fans who are buying up thousands of devices under this brand in a matter of minutes. Having taken a closer look at the flagship smartphone Mi 4, we will find out how realistic the company’s plans are.

Design and practicality

Before we start looking at the device, let's take a look at its packaging: minimalism has already become a recognizable feature of Xiaomi. The same “chest” made of thick recycled cardboard inspires confidence that the contents will not receive a single scratch during transportation.

At first glance, in comparison with its predecessor, the device looks more “plastic”. Perhaps this is due to the white body of the test sample and its glossy surfaces. Analogies with Apple also became obvious: the frame bordering the body at the ends and sides is very similar to the same frame in the iPhone - even in the chamfer design they are identical. At the same time, the elements and their placement are made in a completely different way.

Once in your hands, Mi 4 dissipates the effect of plastic glamor. Cold steel edging, strong-touch lacquered plastic, tangible weight - all this gives a feeling of monumentality. The dimensions of the smartphone are 139 × 68.5 × 8.9 mm, weight - 149 g. Note that the back panel is removable, although at first glance it does not seem so. The manufacturer offers more than 20 options replaceable panels, however, you need to order them additionally.

The microSIM tray, located at the top of the left side, fits so tightly to the body that you will have to spend some time and effort to remove it.

At the top of the opposite side there is a volume rocker and a power control button as usual. The controls protrude a good millimeter above the surface of the frame; they are easy to find by touch during a conversation or in the dark. Pressing is easy to read, the buttons do not make any extraneous sounds or play.

The manufacturer equipped the top end with a 3.5 mm jack for headphones/headsets and an infrared port. The functionality of the latter is obvious - household appliances are controlled using software downloaded from the market. Interestingly, the headset jack can be used in an unconventional way - Xiaomi offers an ultra-cheap MiKey button for this, which costs less than a dollar. It is inserted into the audio jack and performs various functions, linked by a proprietary application to the number of clicks.

At the bottom end there is a connector for connecting to a USB 2.0 charger/computer. To the right of it is a grille, under which the call speaker and microphone are hidden. It is easy to cover it with your hand while playing or watching a movie in landscape mode; the call is difficult to hear even from your clothing pocket. The playback quality is at an average level, the sound is somewhat muffled, and at maximum volume you can sometimes hear distortion - not the best indicator for a device of this level.

The second microphone of the noise reduction system only works when calling from a smartphone - IP telephony applications use only one microphone. It is located on the rear panel and, outside of talk mode, is used as a video recording microphone, which is definitely better than using the main microphone. Below it is a slightly protruding camera window, and below that is an LED flash.

The entire front panel is covered with protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass v3. It collects fingerprints reluctantly, which, however, can be said about the entire case. At the top, from left to right, are: the logo, the light/proximity sensor window, the earpiece grid and the front camera window.

When turned off, the screen is black, without shades. The sides of the frame around it are narrower than two millimeters, which visually makes the side margins small, but does not exclude the possibility of accidental palm presses.

Below the screen are the main control buttons - “Menu”, “Home” and “Back”, as well as an event indicator. A long press on the first two buttons causes additional functions. It is noteworthy that the “Back” button can turn on the camera from the display lock mode when the corresponding function is activated in the smartphone settings. The button backlight time and indicator color can be changed. Unfortunately, you cannot change the intensity of the glow - it seemed insufficient to us.

Display

Initially complaining about the size, over time users get used to devices growing in size. In our opinion, the future lies with the 5-inch diagonal - there is enough space on it for a convenient arrangement of all interface elements, while maintaining the possibility of manipulation with one hand. This is exactly the diagonal of the Mi 4 display. The image resolution is 1080×1920 pixels (441 ppi). This resolution gives a clear picture with high detail and smooth halftones. The IPS matrix has good color reproduction and maximum viewing angles. With a strong deviation, the brightness of the picture drops slightly, and the black color at an angle acquires a purple-red tint.

As we already mentioned, the screen is covered with scratch-resistant glass with an oleophobic coating that glares in the sun. The matrix has a large brightness reserve; in bright lighting it is enough to adequately convey the image. The sensitivity of the sensor is high, but we did not find the “With gloves” mode, like in . He does not perceive touches with gloves well: winter leather ones with lining and knitted ones did not cause a response. The screen still responded to touches with ordinary leather gloves without lining - their conductivity without lining is, of course, higher. Under normal conditions, multi-touch recognizes 10 touches without problems.

Brightness in automatic mode, controlled by the sensor, behaves predictably, responding to changes in lighting within a few seconds, and has an adjustable threshold accessible from the drop-down menu in the notification panel. Of course, not everyone will like the behavior of the sensor - depending on your preferences, you can manually set the brightness differently than the system does.

The colors on the screen are oversaturated, but not only saturation, but also color temperature can be adjusted. By default, the temperature value is “Natural”, when changed to “Warm” the picture goes into warm yellow tones, when set to “Cold” it acquires a slight bluish tint. The saturation only changes to an even brighter one, which moves the picture away from reality.

In general, the quality of the display is excellent, just like its predecessor; Xiaomi does not skimp on the main element of user interaction with the device.

Sound

IN current version firmware, sound control is the same as in, however, the audio chip has changed from Cirrus Logic to Qualcomm WCD9320. This is not to say that it has become radically better. Note that it is still at its best.

The sound quality of the earpiece is also very good. The sound is replete with high frequencies, but is clearly designed - this makes the speech of almost any interlocutor intelligible.

Cameras

Recording video in 1080p is no longer news for modern smartphones. It must be said that in Mi 4 both cameras can record Full HD video. But so far only a few can boast of the ability to record in 4K - the device in question is among them. It's a pity that during shooting only the rear microphone is used - the sound is monophonic. But you can change the focusing area and apply the HDR effect, which, however, does not exclude the appearance of noise and insufficient sensitivity in low light conditions.

The modules cope much better with the photography process: the main camera with a Sony Exmor IMX214 sensor takes pictures with a resolution of up to 13 megapixels (4208 × 3120 pixels). The autofocus function is implemented perfectly: after pointing the camera at the subject, you do not need to move your finger to the shutter button - the picture is taken by tapping again on the focusing area. In addition, the exposure scale is displayed on the focus ring, which greatly simplifies and even makes using this function more frequent, because you do not need to open additional menus for this!

The aperture corresponds to f/1.8, the camera uses six lenses, and two operating modes are available - normal and professional. In the last quantity manual settings increases significantly, it becomes possible to apply effects, control shutter speed, ISO, change focus modes and much more. The post-focus function is also interesting, allowing you to change the focus area on an already taken photo. Photos are clear, blur-free, and well-balanced in color.

HDR Live mode

In the shadows without flash

The aperture of the front camera is also f/1.8, it has five lenses, and the resolution reaches 8 megapixels. Thus, during video calls the interlocutor will be able to see you perfectly. True, in photo mode the functionality of the camera is significantly limited compared to the main one.

Both cameras also have an interesting function for detecting faces, age and gender. The indicators are often far from reality, but the attempt is, of course, interesting. We also note the focusing time of the cameras - in both cases it is minimal, so even a fast cat will not have time to escape from the photographer with Mi 4 in his hands.

Functionality

Unfortunately, the release of the custom version of MIUI 6, scheduled for the end of September, did not take place before the release of this review - the smartphone runs version 5. Functionality and beauty are still the main indicators of the shell, which is based on Android 4.4.2 (and comparisons with iOS involuntarily come to mind). You can find a detailed description of it in, we will only note the change in the graphic component: it has become more elaborate and beautiful, animation of some icons has appeared, such as the clock and calendar, and the desktop grid has changed.

The Russification of the interface is now much deeper: during testing, hieroglyphs were noticed only in applications offered by the Mi-market, otherwise everything is very clear and in Russian. However, when connected to a computer, the phone offers to install a data exchange program from the built-in media, which is not Russified at all. This fact is somewhat upsetting; we were not able to fully test it.

Let us note a strange “glitch” that appeared in the first days of testing on the lock screen clock. Most likely, it relates to the firmware; it disappeared when the buttons were pressed, and then stopped appearing altogether. Mi 3, we again see a flaw on the part of Xiaomi engineers, I would like them to pay more attention to this - in this good smartphone everything should strive for the appropriate indicators. When performing most standard tasks, such as calls, working in applications, accessing the Internet and listening to music, no heating was observed.

The built-in Li-Ion battery has a capacity of 3080 mAh. In a “balanced” mode of operation when performing standard functions (calls, surfing, viewing files, taking photographs), it can confidently last up to a day and a half. In the “productive” operating mode, the life time on a single charge drops to 6-8 hours (watching Full HD videos, playing games with Wi-Fi/3G turned on). But the battery charges very quickly for such a capacity - just over two hours. Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 technology implemented in the smartphone must also be supported by the power supply (the standard power supply is not adapted to our sockets - it has a flat plug).

Test video 3840p

Other advantages include support for DC-HSPA+ (data transfer up to 42 Mbps), Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, USB-OTG (connecting external drives) and MHL (video streaming and audio simultaneously with charging the device), GPS navigation and GLONASS - the satellites are found very quickly by the device. The device “maintains” the network perfectly, but Wi-Fi was sometimes lost, which can probably be attributed to the cheap routers from which the signal was received. The smartphone also has a radio receiver that works without a connected headset, although in this case there is much more interference than when using it.

conclusions

It is obvious that Xiaomi is actively developing and has no plans to slow down. The Mi 4 smartphone is yet another proof of this - there are very few disadvantages in the device, there is practically nothing to complain about. Even the lack of LTE, which is not so critical for our latitudes, should be corrected with the release of a new version of the device at the end of the year. I would like the developers to lower the heating while playing games / watching videos - this will be another advantage in the collection of advantages of the Mi 4. Otherwise, there are solid advantages: excellent cameras, a powerful platform, no “brakes”, a well-thought-out and beautiful MIUI shell - all that , which is necessary for confident steps into the future and nervous trembling of competitors.

The last and most significant plus for the buyer is the price, which makes Mi 4 stand out among many brands. In China, it is only 320 (!) dollars, although buying a model at that price is still problematic - the device is being purchased en masse by resellers. It is also necessary to take into account the fact customs clearance and associated costs. When buying a phone in Belarus, its price starts at $520, which is quite expected in our realities and corresponds to transport and customs costs (plus the supplier’s profit). But even here, compared to the cost of flagships from other manufacturers, the price for such excellent characteristics of Mi 4 is quite acceptable!

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Delays in the development of the new flagship Mi5 caused by an overheating problem top processors Qualcomm forced Xiaomi to create new budget and mid-class devices so as not to lose the market. In 2015, the company introduced several such gadgets, characterized by a good ratio of price, quality and functionality. One of them was new Xiaomi Mi4c, which is what our review is dedicated to.

The device became a modified version of the top model presented in 2014. Some of its characteristics were improved, some remained the same, some were simply implemented alternatively, with the same capabilities. Xiaomi Mi4c was released in September 2015 in China, at a price of about 200 dollars for the younger model (2GB/16GB) and 250 (3GB/32GB) for the older one. Now you can buy it for about the same money, but from us, and in some cases you can even find it for 190 USD.

How the smartphone differs from its predecessor, and whether there are any deteriorations compared to its predecessor, our review will help you find out.

Xiaomi Mi4c has received updated specifications, but it cannot be said that they have undergone a radical improvement. This is simply an improvement to suit the trends of the times and reduce costs.

Design, materials, dimensions and weight

The Xiaomi Mi4c case is made of high-quality plastic. The regular Mi4 used metal and glass, so the changes here don't look too good. However, there are no complaints about the assembly, the smartphone does not creak in the hands, everything fits well. Externally, it differs little from other devices from this manufacturer. Rectilinear shapes, slightly rounded edges, lack of hardware physical buttons under the screen - all this has long been familiar. There are three touch control buttons.

The glass front panel is black. The speaker slot and camera eye are visible on it. The touch buttons are gray and not noticeable. Back panel can be white, gray, pink, yellow and blue. It has a camera with a flash in the top corner and a speaker grille in the bottom center.

On the right side there are buttons for adjusting the volume and locking the screen/turning on the device. On the left is the SIM card tray. At the bottom end there is a USB Type C connector, at the top there is a headset jack and an infrared port.

The dimensions of the device are slightly smaller than most five-inch gadgets. Because of this, the ratio of screen area to the entire panel is almost 72% (versus the traditional 70). A size comparison with other five-inch smartphones in this price category can be found in the video review at the end of this article.

Height – 138 mm, width – 69.6 mm, thickness – 7.8 mm. The weight of the smartphone is 132 grams, that is, in terms of this indicator it is no different from its competitors. But compared to the regular Mi4, it is 13 grams lighter.

CPU

Iron has undergone noticeable changes: instead of Snapdragon processor 801 (4 cores) in Mi4c installed Snapdragon 808 (6 cores). It consists of a quad-core Cortex A53 cluster (1.4 GHz) and a pair of Cortex A57 cores (1.8 GHz). The transition to a new technological process (20 nm versus 28 nm) had a positive effect on performance.

The graphics accelerator has also improved. Adreno 418 is slightly more powerful than Adreno 330. In AnTuTu 6, the smartphone scores not 50 thousand points, but the older version with 3 GB gets 55-60 thousand points (this variation is due to different firmware). This is enough to run any modern game, the same WoT will run on maximum graphics (with grass in sight), it gave a stable 40-50 FPS.

Memory

RAM in Xiaomi Mi4c is 2 or 3 GB, depending on the version. In comparison with the regular Mi4, a modification with 2 GB was added (it didn’t exist before), which we had on hand. At start, about 1 GB of RAM is occupied. But, again, it all depends on the firmware: there is no official Russian-language modification of the OS, and custom ones differ in the level of optimization, so the numbers may be different.

For data storage, the junior version is equipped with 16 GB permanent memory, about 10 of them are available. The more expensive model has 32 GB of storage (about 25 free). Both modifications do not have a slot for a memory card (just as the predecessor did not have one).

Battery

The battery in Xiaomi Mi4c has not undergone any changes. It's still the same non-removable battery 3080 mAh, which is slightly more than the average 5" smartphone. The battery life indicators compared to its predecessor increased slightly, but only after a software update. The first firmware was sometimes characterized by spontaneous battery consumption.

In games, the smartphone will be discharged in about 5 hours; in web surfing mode or watching videos (at partial brightness) it will last up to 7 hours. This is not much, but a little above average.

The included charger (with a Chinese plug, so you need an adapter for European sockets) has a power of 2 A. With it, Mi4c charges in about 1 hour 40 minutes. There is QuickCharge 2 fast charging technology, which allows you to charge quickly from the network. From the computer, the capacity is refilled from 0 to 100% in 5 hours.

Cameras

Depending on the production batch, Xiaomi Mi4c may be equipped with a camera with a Samsung or Sony matrix. In both cases, its resolution is 13 MP, the optical aperture is f/2, and the pixel size is 1.12 microns. There is a flash and phase detection autofocus is supported. There is no significant difference between the sensors; in both cases, the smartphone shoots approximately at the level of Redmi Note 2 and 3 (which uses the same matrix from Samsung). The quality of the images can be called good, but nothing more: it is far from the new flagships. We photographed the same frame, at the same time, on three smartphones in the same price category ($190-200). These are Xiaomi Mi4C, Samsung Galaxy J5 (2015) and LG K8 (in the same order from top to bottom):

As you can see, the Mi4c camera did best shot, the colors are the most saturated, the white balance is better than that of competitors. The clarity is comparable to the Samsung J5, but the light dynamics in the Samsung image are narrow, and the sky is heavily overexposed. The LG K8 camera performed quite poorly in comparison. In general, Xiaomi can be given first place.

Another shot with the main camera:

The front camera of the smartphone is 5 MP and has an aperture of f/2; it is also identical to the sensor in Redmi Note 2 (which is not surprising, since the smartphones came out around the same time). Against the background of 8 MP, the regular Mi4 has a decrease in resolution, but there is no significant difference between the images. The viewing angles of the front camera are wide, you can take a full-length photograph of yourself from an outstretched arm. See example below:

The main camera records video in a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels, with a frame rate of 30 FPS. The front camera can boast the same thing. The video quality is average: hand shakes are noticeable, detail is not ideal, but tolerable.

Screen

The Xiaomi Mi4c also exhibits a range of displays. In any case, the matrix has a diagonal of 5", a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels (440 DPI) and a brightness of about 350 cd/m2. But its manufacturer changes in different batches. You can win this “lottery” and stumble upon IPS screen from LG or Sharp (considered to be of higher quality), but you can buy a smartphone with a matrix from AUO (also quite good, but unloved by some users).

The touch screen is covered with glass, but there is no data on its tempering (Mi4 without the letter C had Gorilla glass). It supports up to 10 simultaneous touches and has an oleophobic layer (of average quality and effectiveness, since stains still remain).

Connection

The smartphone is equipped with two SIM cards, but there is only one module, so it is only supported Dual mode Standby. Supported networks include GSM, 3G and 4G. The LTE frequency range is large, but not complete: 3 and 7 are available, but 20 is not supported. So in Europe (including Russia, and especially Moscow) high speed internet will not be everywhere where there are fourth generation networks.

Internet access is provided by dual-band Wi-Fi, supporting frequencies of 2.4 and 5 GHz. To connect a headset wirelessly, there is Bluetooth 4.1 with stereo support and energy-saving functions. Of course, it can also be used to share files, but Wi-Fi Direct represented by MiDrop makes it faster and more efficient.

Navigation works with GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou satellites. The signal reception quality is excellent; during a cold start, a dozen satellites are present even when driving in the car. As usual, 2 Chinese satellites are visible on the territory of Eastern Europe, 6-8 Russian and American satellites.

Sound

There is no dedicated audio processor in the smartphone, so you shouldn’t expect spectacular sound. The speaker is loud, clear, and dry, like in 95% of high-quality smartphones. Everything is better with headphones, bass appears, and listening to music is comfortable. Some users may find the volume in their ears (also depends on the headphone model) to be excessive. Unfortunately, there is no radio in Xiaomi Mi4c.

operating system

Unlike the 2014 model, Xiaomi Mi4c runs on Android 5.1 OS (not 4.4). More precisely, a modification of MIUI version 7 is used, which is based on the kernel from Lolipop. The user interface has been significantly changed (for example, there are themes, but there is no familiar Android menu). Everything works quickly and without brakes. Simultaneously launched WoT Blitz and Opera with a dozen open pages.

The first versions of the OS (especially those hastily Russified by sellers) experienced premature battery consumption and minor bugs, but they were later fixed. However, now you need to be careful when updating the software: starting with version 6.14, the developers blocked the bootloader and removed root. So those for whom this is important will have to flash custom ones. Well, or contact the Chinese to unlock it.

Peculiarities

Unlike Mi4 2014, the smartphone received a USB Type C interface connector (instead of the traditional MicroUSB). But its functionality is not fully implemented: there is a connection to a PC, OTG is present, but MHL is not).

Xiaomi Mi4c is equipped with an infrared port for controlling household appliances. The database contains many modern devices (TV, tuners, air conditioners, media centers, etc.). But the port is not trainable (there is no IR receiver), so the remote control will not be able to work with exotics and some Chinese products.

An interesting feature is the “sensitive” body. By tapping its right and left corners, you can adjust the camera's autofocus or go back. However, this function does not work well and does not work the first time, so tap and take care of your nerves.

Pros and cons of Xiaomi Mi4c

• new, faster hardware;
• improved autonomy;
• good price;
• Not a bad (for the money) camera.

• no memory card slot;
• no support for the twentieth LTE band;
• poorly optimized software;
• cheaper body materials. compared to Mi4.

Who is a smartphone suitable for?

The smartphone is suitable for those who value the ratio of cost and functionality and are open-minded about “Made in China” brands. It is designed for people who do not like large 5.5" devices. Gamers will appreciate the performance in games and normal battery life, movie lovers and web surfers will be satisfied with the screen. A good camera will satisfy those who need normal photos with friends, and detailing at the level of dust particles does not matter. The gender ratio of the target audience is approximately equal: it is suitable for both men and women (especially since the case is available in bright colors).

Phablet supporters, connoisseurs of large internal storage and fans of metal will not like the smartphone. It will not suit enthusiasts who like to “digging” the firmware either. In such cases (if you need Xiaomi), it is better to pay attention to Redmi Note 2 (almost identical in appearance and functionality, but the screen is 5.5", there is a memory card, the bootloader is not locked, the price is $50 less) or Redmi Note 3 Pro (5.5" screen, slightly faster, metal body and fingerprint scanner, same price).

Review from the website website about the Xiaomi Mi4c smartphone

Xiaomi Mi4c is a worthy update to the popular flagship 2014, which made the device faster, more efficient and cheaper. The review did not reveal any critical flaws in the smartphone; the device is good. The price of 200-250 dollars makes it interesting for those who are devoid of prejudices about Chinese technology. It can handle all modern tasks, so the smartphone can be called universal.

As a drawback, it would be worth noting the crude early versions of the software, which is critical for those who want to update to a stable modification of the OS, but are afraid of losing the Russian language, Google applications and root. But practice shows that sellers usually install the latest Russian-language version of the software, so the disadvantage can be neglected.

Xiaomi has long entered the global market of gadgets and smartphones, and at this stage can already confidently compete with famous brands. In this review, I propose to learn more about the flagship XIAOMI model Mi4C, which is confidently in the top 15 in the antutu, has some innovative functions and remember the saying about “everything new is well forgotten old.”

In addition, I would like to thank the Gearbest store, which, although they tried to “move out,” in the end acted honestly and fairly.

First, I’ll write about why thanks to Gearbest. At the end of October, the brave Chinese mixed up the price and entered $127 instead of $227. Well, it would be a sin not to try to grab this device for this amount.

This was a pre-order, there were a couple of weeks left before the batch was due to be shipped, and when at the end of the pre-sale I received an email canceling the order. Then the painful correspondence began, the search for those responsible, communication with managers and other hassle - well, it’s not my fault that the Chinese were so stupid, but I managed to buy. And in the end, after almost a month of fighting with technical support and the manager, I won.

✔ CHARACTERISTICS OF XIAOMI Mi4C

CPU: Snapdragon 808 with a frequency of 1.8 GHz
GPU: Adreno 418
Screen: 5" IPS Full HD display 1920 1080 441PPI, IPS, viewing angle 178°
Main camera: Sony IMX258 / Samsung S5K3M2 | 13MP, f2.0, phase focusing, writes HD 1080p video
Front camera: 5MP, f2.0, writes HD 1080p video
Memory: 2 GB LPDDR3 RAM + 16 GB flash memory
Bluetooth: 4.1 HID
WiFi: 802.11b/g/n/ac 2.4/5GHz, MU-MIMO
GPS: GPS, Glonass, Beidou, AGPS
SIM: 2 SIM cards
Radio module: one
4G network frequencies: FDD-LTE: Bands 1(2100MHz)/3(1800MHz)/7(2600MHz), TDD-LTE: Bands 38(TD2600)/39(TD1900)/40(TD2300)/41(TD2500)
3G network frequencies: TD-SCDMA: Bands 34(TD2000)/39(TD1900), WCDMA: Bands 1(2100MHz)/2(1900MHz)/5(850MHz)/8(900MHz), CDMA 2000: BC0/BC1
2G network frequencies: GSM: Bands 2(1900MHz)/3(1800MHz)/5(850MHz)/8(900MHz), CDMA 1X: BC0/BC1
Sensors: compass, gravity, light, gyroscope, IR (infrared), Hall, proximity
OS: Android 5.1.1 MIUI V7
Software support for video formats: H.265/HEVC(Main profile), H.264 (Baseline/Main/High profile), MPEG4 (Simple profile/ASP), VC-1(Simple/Main/Advanced profile)
Battery: 3080mAh, support fast charging 2.0, Sony/Samsung/ATL 4.4V banks
Connection to computer/charging: USB Type-C, OTG
Dimensions: 138.1 69.6 7.8 mm
Weight: 132 grams

✔ PACKAGING AND EQUIPMENT OF XIAOMI Mi4C

Regular delivery, which took almost 50 days thanks to jd sales.

Thanks for the adapter, it’s always on point regarding Xiaomi products. The box is poisonous orange with a small logo. (Oukiteel perfectly licked the color for himself).

Depending on the 2/3 GB version, a sticker with the characteristics of the smartphone is attached.

General kit.

The instructions, like all Xiaomi products, are strictly in Chinese.

A paper clip for the tray, the thickness of a regular paper clip is perfect.

Cable good quality, except for one thing, but the connector is not yet very familiar USB Type-C, so I recommend buying adapters or spare cables for charging your smartphone at work or with friends.

Charging, as expected with a Chinese plug, the adapter will come in handy here. Charger parameters 5V - 2A, 9V - 1.2A, 12V -1A. Support Quick technology charge version 2.0.

It can handle a 2A load at 5V without sagging, and in general the smartphone charges with “native” charging much faster than even the “native” 2 Amp One+.

The smartphone itself is covered with transport film in front and even on back cover film with serial numbers, holograms and a warning in Chinese.
We decided not to bother too much with design and materials, focusing more on hardware and software. The plastic cover, which fits onto a smartphone like a bumper, is available in 7 different colors from simple to bright.

There are frames, but they were not masked like on 2.5D displays. There is a small company logo on the front. Before this, I didn’t pay attention to this, but the main brands, such as Samsung, Sony and other LGs, place the logo on both the front and back of the smartphone, while Chinese manufacturers mostly only on the back, as if afraid to show that the smartphone is not a famous brand.

There is no protective film included in the kit or from the factory, but I recommend buying glass instead - the difference is night and day, not in favor of the film.
At the top of the smartphone there are light and proximity sensors, speaker, front camera and LED indicator.

The indicator can be configured for any event, but, unfortunately, you cannot set your own color, you can only choose from existing ones.

At the bottom of the smartphone, the manufacturer left space for backlit touch buttons; I don’t really like on-screen buttons even on 5-inch displays.

At the bottom there is a thick USB Type-C connector and a conversational microphone.

At the top there is a 3.5 jack connector for headphones and one of the “goodies” that I mentioned at the beginning of the review, namely an IR transmitter for controlling household appliances. Everything new is good, forgotten old;)

Nice plastic and a “metal” logo at the bottom.

They decided to place the speaker at the bottom, rather than at the bottom end. But even here there are some small tricks, namely a small border, thanks to which the smartphone’s speaker does not close when you put it on the table. If you put it on a soft surface, the sound is muffled! The volume and sound quality are at a high level, I didn’t notice any wheezing, the call can be heard well.

Near the main 13 megapixel Sony cameras The IMX25 features a very bright two-color LED backlight and a noise-canceling microphone.

On the right side of the smartphone there are plastic volume and power keys. They protrude a little unusually above the body, but there are no false alarms and they do not cause discomfort.

The body is monolithic, there is nothing loose, if you knock a little in the area of ​​the rear camera, there is a slight, barely audible rattling.
“The lenses in the camera are in an electromagnetic field, i.e. coils are located on two blocks of lenses, when focusing, an electric potential is applied to the coils and thereby the lenses are driven and focused, the moment of focusing by contrast focus is monitored by the controller, when the camera is turned off, there is no potential and they hang freely on the suspension, so when shaking we hear This is a “rattling” sound; as soon as you turn on the camera, you won’t hear this “rattling” sound. This method has recently been used not only in smartphone cameras, but also on “large” cameras, common among Sony, Sigma... The system is reliable and compact.” w3bsit3-dns.com

On the left side there is a tray for two Micro SIMs.

Tray in a plastic case, with a metal backing.

Unfortunately, this device is not designed to work with Micro SIM + micro SD.

The dimensions of the smartphone are width: 70 mm, thickness 7.9 mm and length 138 mm.

Weight is 130 grams.

✔XIAOMI Mi4C SCREEN

Xiaomi does not skimp on the quality of its displays, and this device is no exception. The screen is neither a shovel nor a small thing - 5 inches are made using IPS technology without an air gap. Famous brands are used as suppliers - Sharp, LG or AUO. You can find out exactly what type your device has using the engineering menu and the Dmesg command, where the manufacturer will be indicated in the Panel Name.

The screen is very rich and bright, and with a FullHD resolution of 1920 by 1080 and 441 PPI, pixelation is practically invisible. The viewing angle is 178°.

Supports 10 simultaneous touches.

An oleophobic coating is applied to the screen; fingers glide quite well, although they leave marks, but they can be easily removed simply by wiping them once on a cloth. It fits perfectly in the hand; when working with one hand, there is no fear that the smartphone will fall out, as I have with 5.5 inches.

It cannot be called thin, but it fits comfortably in the hand thanks to the beveled corners on the lid.

It takes a little getting used to blindly hitting the volume rocker without hitting the off button, but you get used to it.

✔ SOFTWARE OUT OF THE BOX IN XIAOMI Mi4C

Can be used out of the box installed MIUI, but I HIGHLY recommend flashing the phone right away, especially since this is done in a couple of clicks.
I won’t dwell entirely on MIUI7, but in general, it seemed to me that it was much faster than the 6th version.

From the lock screen you can turn on the camera or flashlight without entering a password, applications can be grouped into folders.

You don’t have to reach for the top of the smart phone to open the curtain; just swipe down on the screen. Required applications You can pin it in the application manager. Unfortunately, the translation was not completed completely, which prompted me to reflash it.

Initially, a strange version 87.0.4 based on Android 5.1.1 was installed out of the box.

There are quite a lot of settings and some of the applications, such as camera settings, are included in general settings.

There is no Russian search for T9 in the dialer yet, there is also insufficient translation, which can be corrected by flashing it. One of the nice features is the ability to set up automatic recording of conversations “out of the box” and set a short video instead of a regular photo of the subscriber.

A little more about the chips; there are sensors on the edges of the smartphone. It is possible to activate them from the settings menu and then double tapping on the left side of the smartphone is equivalent to pressing the “back” button, and in camera mode it takes a photo, the first touch focuses, the second touch takes a photo. A convenient feature when working with one hand; you don’t have to reach for the touch buttons when working in the browser.

There is a child mode setting, where you set which applications your child can access. Setting up blocking as in regular Android. It is possible to enable reading mode, configure color temperature and enable wake on double tap. By the way, it was noticed that when this option is enabled, battery life is reduced.

For those who are 5 inches, there is still the ability to switch the display to 4 or 3.5 inches mode. After activation, just slide your finger over the touch button from the center to the side to activate and reverse direction to disable this mode.

Manage pop-up notifications and tiles in the curtain. The connection speed is shown “out of the box” when you activate the desired item in the menu.

It is possible to customize the headset keys and touch buttons to suit your needs.

12.14 GB of internal memory and approximately 800 MB of RAM are available to the user.

✔ COMMUNICATION IN XIAOMI Mi4C

As befits a modern smartphone, Mi4 has almost the entire range of wireless communication models. But just as NFC was not present in previous models, it never appeared, I don’t know why Xiaomi abandoned this technology, but it’s a fact.
WiFi module dual-band 2.4 and 5 GHz - Wi-Fi ac/a/b/g/n
Measurements of 2.4 GHz speed in a room with a router and through 2 concrete walls.

Penetration is at a high level, the position of the arrow in the green zone has practically not changed.

Speedtest at 5 GHz, as we can see, the speed drop through 2 walls is already stronger.

The smartphone has a module Bluetooth version 4.1.

As for GPS, above all praise, both GPS and GLONASS and Chinese Beidou, very fast cold start. Well, there’s nothing to say about accuracy here, everything is excellent.

Instead of NFC, the manufacturer remembered old Nokia smartphones and software for switching TV channels. But in this smartphone everything is much simpler, select the device type, select popular model in the popular list Chinese brands or go to the detailed list, where there is simply a huge list of equipment manufacturers.

After choosing a manufacturer, we test the buttons, and if everything is ok, we give a name to the new remote control and indicate the placement of the equipment. Then everything is the same as in the usual remote control, the range is no worse, I tried it from 5 meters, it works perfectly.

As for the sounds from the headphones, here I also give 5 points, my native Pistons sound much better than in my On+, I liked the sound even without third-party enhancers.

✔ XIAOMI Mi4C FIRMWARE

The bottom line is that the firmware was updated, but updates arrived, but the translation was crooked, Chinese extra software and mediocre values ​​in Antutu are three factors for flashing.

All you need to do for flashing:
1- download from mi website
2 - Install it and connect your smartphone. By the way, the application itself is very convenient for everyday use.


3- download the TWR archive and unpack it into a folder -
4- download the firmware - choose it yourself, but I am V7.1.4.0.LXKCNCK, upload it to your smartphone
5- set the smartphone to fastboot mode- turn off the smart phone and turn on the volume "-" key while holding down the volume key. Or run 1.bat with the smart connected, if the option fails
6- connect your smartphone to your computer and run 2.bat
7- after installing custom recovery, select the firmware file from the recovery menu and install with cleaning
8 - rejoice

After flashing, it’s still the same MIUI 7, but without unnecessary software, with almost complete localization and works faster.

✔ XIAOMI Mi4C TESTS

This is the Antutu data obtained after installing the new firmware - 64740 parrot.

Information about the smartphone using CPU-Z.

Info from AIDA64.

And some more ironclad information.

There are all possible sensors, except for temperature, which is strange, since the system has these sensors.

I have no complaints about the operation of the sensors.

GeekBench gave 1021 in one core and 2589 in all.

IceStorm produced 359 parrots, and Quadrant 14175.

Vellamo either overtakes the Meizu MX4 and sits on the tail of OnePlus, or lags behind in the browser by several points.

Comparison and benchmark from GFX.

In Antutu 3D there are 6929 parrots, and in Nenamark 60.1 fps.

Although Cyatdel warmed up the processor, the values ​​at super quality are very high - 49.3 fps.

✔ BATTERY IN XIAOMI Mi4C

The smartphone has a built-in battery with a capacity of 3080 mAh
This device cannot be called super-survivable; in Antuta it scores 6066, while in 4 hours the smartphone drops to 20% at maximum brightness.

There are many settings that can reduce energy consumption, such as turning off at night wireless modules and show the most voracious processes.

In general, there is enough work for a full day, even taking into account games. But if you play a game that requires smartphone resources, then prepare to charge it after about two and a half hours.

In browser mode, face book, audio player, calls - with the screen operating time of about 5 hours, there will still be 10% charge left.

✔ XIAOMI Mi4C GAMES

There were no problems with games. But the heating is present, you don’t burn your fingers, but it’s still there (around 45-50 degrees).

The second point is that at high temperatures, throttling appears and performance drops, this is confirmed by Antutu tests, which were carried out in cold conditions and after 20-30 minutes of play.

There are no problems with this, games can hang in the memory if the smart device is not overloaded with unnecessary resource-intensive applications.

But although the tanks are running quite confidently, on the average graphics, on the maximum there are freezes, either this is a flaw in the game or throttling is to blame.

✔ CAMERA OF XIAOMI Mi4C SMARTPHONE

The main camera with a Sony IMX258 module has a resolution of 13 megapixels. Information about photos and videos.

The camera is pretty fast quick start and focus. Judge the quality of the pictures for yourself, but they turn out to be of pretty good quality.

Almost without focusing, it does not blur the photo.

In a dark elevator, the flash works very well.

Just a bright banner.

Eat.

In low light conditions, it is better to use the HDR mode.

Manual focus.

Poor lighting.

It shoots video in FullHD format, and can also shoot slow-motion video at 120fps in 720P mode.

✔ VIDEO REVIEWS of XIAOMI Mi4C

Review of the appearance of Xiaomi Mi4C - Snapdragon 808 64-bit Hexa Core 1.44GHz 2GB RAM 16GB ROM

Comparison XIAOMI MI4C 2GB 16GB vs 3GB 32GB

Firmware XIAOMI MI4C 2GB 16GB how to flash MIUI recovery fastboot

Tests, capabilities and Antutu of the XIAOMI MI4C 2GB 16GB smartphone review

✔ TOTAL FOR XIAOMI Mi4C

I tried to tell as much as possible about this smartphone, indicating both strengths and weak sides, I will summarize below.
I'll list the advantages:
- excellent performance
- high-quality FullHD display with normal oleophobic coating
- the camera takes really good pictures
- presence of IR and a large number of sensors
- additional features + notification LED
- MIUI in this case is also a plus
- in this case, the monolithic body is also an advantage
- fast charging
- easy flashing
- I’ll take the battery as a plus, only because it’s higher than 3000mAh

The cons:
- no possibility of memory expansion via microSD
- low throttling activation threshold
- damp pre-installed firmware
- lack of NFC
- high power consumption when gaming