We are close to the end of 2017 and by now phones with huge bezels are not fancy anymore. Sure, the iPhones from 2016 still have them and so do the Pixels from Google. However, it is just a matter of time until they launch their 2017 offerings with high-screen to body ratio. No, it wasn’t the G6 or the Galaxy S8 that started this trend. It was actually the Mi Mix from Xiaomi, that made borderless phones a thing.

Of course, you can argue saying that Sharp was the first one to do this with the Aquos Crystal. But the Mi Mix was done much better, with more powerful hardware and a premium design.

The Xiaomi Mi Mix is a concept phone and that’s what even the company calls it. It is because the company didn’t made a lot of Mi Mix, which makes it pretty rare. Secondly, in order to come up with this insane looking display, Xiaomi did some hardware-level changes like using piezoelectric ceramic driver to deliver sound through the display glass. It’s something that was never done on any smartphone till date, and that’s why the concept status of the phone and its limited availability.

Anyway, now that there are a ton of new devices in the market with a high screen-to-body ratio and even the new Mi Mix 2 has been launched, is the original Xiaomi Mi Mix worth buying in 2017? Well, let’s find out.

Design

When it comes to design, there is no beating around the bush. Hold the Mi Mix up close in person, you’ll realize how gorgeous it is. Once the display is turned on, it is arguably the best-looking smartphone. Especially up top, it is all display from corner-to-corner and that by itself is what this phone is all about.

Flip the phone around and you are greeted by an ultra-glossy ceramic back. You can get the Mi Mix in two variants i.e. the base variant which looks gorgeous by itself. However, if you are feeling like being awesome, then you can go with the top variant, which gives you a 18k gold rim around the rear camera and the fingerprint sensor.

However, in both cases, the ceramic back is a fingerprint magnet. Oh yes, not to forget about the fact that it can be very slippery as well. But thankfully, the company is bundling the device with a premium leather case in the box.

Display

The Xiaomi Mi Mix has a 6.4-inch display with an insane screen-to-body ratio of 91.3-percent. While the screen-to-body ratio is an arguable topic, it is a breathtaking display, nonetheless. It is an IPS LCD panel with a 1240 x 1080 pixel resolution, meaning a pixel density of 362PPI. And although this is not a QHD display, you won’t find anyone complaining about it.

The display is sharp, bright, it has great colors, excellent contrast, and stellar viewing angles. All this makes the display on the Xiaomi Mi Mix one of the best in the industry. That said if you are wondering how Xiaomi managed to pull this off, they had to relocate the selfie-camera to the bottom. They have also implemented an ultrasonic sensor for proximity detection.

Next, comes the cantilever piezoelectric ceramics which converts the electrical signals into mechanical energy, vibrating the phones’ frame to create sound. All that sounds great, but be advised that the person sitting next to you in a metro will easily be able to hear your phone conversation. The aspect ratio of the Mi Mix is also different coming in at 17:9 as compared to the other phones in the market. This makes the smartphone fairly wide or at least wider than something like the Galaxy S8.

Performance

The internals hardware powering the Mi Mix proves that the phone is not just about the looks. It has enough power to satisfy even the most demanding users out there. Internally, it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC. This is offered in multiple storage configurations. You can head over to the Gearbest website and buy yourself a 6GB RAM variant with 256GB of internal storage as well.

That means, the Mi Mix should be good enough to run any game you throw at it, hold a lot of apps in the memory and it has more than enough storage for all your files. It also has a massive 4,400 mAh battery to back all these powerful specs. Oh yes, it also supports Quick Charge 3.0. What else can you ask from a smartphone?

Camera

They say, not everything on a smartphone can be perfect. Well, in Mi Mix’s case, the camera is sort of average. The Mi Mix sports a 16-megapixel rear-facing sensor with a f/2.0 aperture and dual-tone LED flash. On the front, there is a 5-megapixel sensor. It has exposure issues and even the photos are not as sharp as you would expect it to be. The low-light performance is also not all that commendable. The front-facing is also okay-ish, however, do make a note that you have to flip the phone upside-down to capture a selfie, which is an extra task for what it’s worth.

Software

Love it or hate it, the MIUI is one of the most powerful and heaviest skins on top of Android out there. It has a ton of built-in customizations like the Dual app feature or hiding the navigation bar to get more screen real estate, etc. Well, if you don’t like it, then you can also flash LineageOS 15 based on Android 8.0 Oreo. Yes, even that is possible now.

Verdict

When you hold this excellent piece of technology, you instantly become the part of an exclusive club. Be it the gorgeous ceramic back or the gigantic front display or the high-end specs, there are little to no compromises whatsoever. Yes, if you can live with an average performing camera, you won’t be disappointed.

So, is the smartphone really worth it? Well, currently retailing at about $489 on Gearbest, the Xiaomi Mi Mix is comparatively less expensive than something like the newly launched Galaxy Note 8. For this price, it is definitely not a bad deal.

However, it again comes down to what you are looking for. If you are willing to a give up on the fact that it is a slippery phone and are willing to show off the great display, then, by all means, go ahead and buy it. It doesn’t get any better for the price. Yes, of course, the Mi Mix 2 has been launched, but it’s slightly more expensive.

With that said, be sure to let us know what do you think about this smartphone by leaving a comment down below and check out the links below as well for more amazing deals from Gearbest.

→ Buy Xiaomi Mi Mix from Gearbest

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