Xiaomi Mi4 is a bombshell in the $300 smartphone war (REVIEW)

This is Xiaomi’s third year in the hardware business. The Chinese startup is a software firm first, so its phones – the actual hardware – can sometimes feel perfunctory, like the box that holds a diamond ring. But the Beijing-based company, which now ships to six countries outside China and Hong Kong, is slowly starting to take more care with its hardware, and that’s seen clearly in its flagship smartphone.

Last year’s Mi3, with its lozenge-like edges borrowed from the Nokia Lumia phones, was a vast improvement in terms of hardware design over its predecessor, the Mi2, which was basically a Soviet brick. The latest Mi4 pushes things forward again by melding the best bits of the iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S4. However, the fact that the Mi4 has changed so much from the Mi3 – and borrows different style cues from different rivals – shows that Xiaomi still lacks its own style language for hardware. Samsung has a recognizable style (albeit a boring one), and HTC has a flair all of its own (albeit one few people are buying into), but Xiaomi is more of a magpie, stealing shiny things from here and there.

Despite all that, the Mi4 looks good and packs in a lot. And it’s only RMB 1,999 in China, so it’ll be the equivalent of about US$325 when it eventually hits a few other markets. Before we get on with the review, let’s recall the Mi4 specs compared to that of the outgoing Mi3:

Hardware

The Xiaomi Mi4 looks solid, handsome, glistening, despite its oddly hybrid appearance. It reminds me of the old comedy skit for cheesy peas – if you love cheese and you love peas, you’ll love cheesy peas. So if you like the way the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S4 look, you’ll like the Mi4. OK, the cheesy peas skit is satirical, but the Mi4 breaks through the cynicism by looking and feeling like a great deal at that price. That’s the Xiaomi secret sauce.

When I first unboxed the Mi4, I spent a few minutes trying to peel a protective cover off the back. But it turns out there was no cover – the Mi4 really is that shiny. It’s also a bit slippy, which is a concern I had with the otherwise attractive MiPad that I tested out last month. But at least it feels like quality plastic on the Mi4, and there’s not an atom of flex or shifting.

The Mi4 is less likely to slip out of your hand than the MiPad thanks to the gently gradated metal (or is it polymer?) band around the frame, which allows you to get a grip of it with relative ease with one hand. The 5-inch form factor is perfect for that, ensuring you have a good hold of the device while still having a thumb free to do some tapping in the lower area of the screen – but you’ll need to do that perilous palm shuffle if you’re going to get your thumb up higher the screen. But a 5-inch screen feels good – like it’s the maximum realistic size that I want to grapple with on my phone each day.

The Mi4 will have swappable rear covers, taking a leaf from the Motorola book – albeit not truly customizable and unique ones. Still, many might appreciate the choice of rear cover. Apparently the Mi4 rear covers are easily swappable with the use of a small suction cup. But without a replacement at hand, I didn’t give that a shot.

Screen and sound

Software – customizable MIUI

Quick glimpse at the more minimal MIUI 6

Camera blues

Performance and battery life

Mixed bag of rivals

Conclusion

Pros & cons