In all other respects, the Mi Max screen is good - very bright (although it does not have any 600 cd / m2 or more, at least in manual adjustment mode), the contrast is also good, and the colors are not oversaturated, contrary to the latest vulgar fashion. Tempered glass is durable, does not get dirty and does not collect scratches for no good reason.

The sound in the headphones of the Mi Max is peculiar. Xiaomi got at its disposal a good sound path Snapdragon 650/652, and this could be limited to. But the Chinese went their own way, so initially the phablet sounds dirty, inexpressive and generally worse than it should be given such initial data. But in the audio settings there is a bunch of settings for headphone xiaomi and an equalizer.

To be honest, the presets for “native equipment” are not inspiring - for the basic Xiaomi Piston 3, for example, the installation from the “Piston 3 Youth Edition” headphones came up. And from "just Piston 3", judging by the miserable sound, did not fit.

Better to quit doing nonsense and not connecting presets, but activate the equalizer and adjust the knobs specifically for your headphones. In this case, the sound will be good - no worse than that of conventional smartphones for non-audiophiles.

The speaker in Mi Max is of average quality, it was clearly introduced into the smartphone after they measured the space for the battery and processor. That is, the sound is average in volume, but not painfully intelligible - it does not come to wheezing or screeching, but in general, the famous speakers in computer clubs 1990s

Iron

The first thing for which they love Xiaomi smartphones is that they are "poured" powerful processors at the lowest price. Mi Max was no exception, although the creators did not make it a flagship and limited themselves to Qualcomm's “sub-flagship” processors with six and eight cores. Basically, after leaving Redmi note 3 no one is surprised at such components anymore.

Today we have another unboxing and full overview smartphone from Xiaomi. This time we are testing a real phablet and the largest smartphone from a Chinese manufacturer in 2018 - Xiaomi Mi Max 3. Despite its large dimensions, the dimensions have hardly changed from Mi Max 2. On the other hand, look at the image below. looks so small compared to the Mi Max 3. That's because it has a 6.9-inch display.

Also, Xiaomi Mi Max 3 comes with a Snapdragon 636 processor, a 5500 mAh battery, a microSD card slot, a 3.5 mm audio jack and even a dual speaker. These features make it an ideal multimedia device. Well, let's start reviewing already!

Xiaomi Mi Max 3: Unboxing

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 comes in a white box with the Mi logo in the upper right corner and a large MAX 3 lettering at the bottom. On the back you can find specifications... Everything is in Chinese, because this smartphone has not yet been released on the international market.

Inside the box you can see Mi Max 3 with factory films on the front and back panels, an envelope with a SIM-needle and a user manual, USB cable Type-C and power adapter with support fast charging 12V / 1.5A.

You know, I don't see a silicone case in the package. Too bad, because it even comes with a protective case.

Ok, now let's take a look at the design.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3: Design

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 is available in three color options: black, blue and gold. As you already understood, I have a black version, and, in my opinion, it looks better than others.

The back panel is made of metal. First of all, this means that the smartphone does not support wireless charging... The antenna lines are located at the top and bottom ends, but they are almost invisible.

Overall, the back panel of the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 is no different from other Xiaomi smartphones in 2018. In the left corner there is a dual vertical camera and a fingerprint scanner in the center.

The front of the Mi Max 3 houses a stunning 6.9-inch display. The bezels are very thin, especially against the backdrop of this huge screen. Above the display, you can see the front camera, speaker, and flash.

On the top panel there is a 3.5 mm audio jack, microphone and IR sensor. At the bottom there is a USB Type-C port and speaker. On the right side, you can find the power and volume buttons, while the hybrid slot is located on the left side. The slot supports two SIM cards at the same time, or one SIM card and microSD memory card.

What can I say about the design of the Xiaomi Mi Max 3? It is not much different from other Xiaomi smartphones in 2018, especially. I think that Mi Max 3 and Mi A2 have completely identical design, only the large display of Mi Max 3 makes it interesting. So let's talk about the display.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3: Display

Yes, the display is the main feature of this smartphone. It will be quite difficult to find a 2018 mobile device with a similar diagonal - 6.9 inches. Full HD + resolution, 1080 x 2160 pixels. With an 18: 9 aspect ratio and thin bezels on the sides, the Mi Max 3 isn't that big and you can even hold it in one hand. By the way, the display occupies 79.8% of the front panel.

The main advantage of this diagonal is that watching movies and games provides an amazing experience. As for the rest, this is a standard IPS panel with good contrast and viewing angles. Brightness is sufficient for outdoor use.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3: Performance

Of course, we shouldn't expect flagship performance from a $ 270 smartphone. And no need to remind me of the Xiaomi Poco F1! This is a big exception to the rule.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 works on Snapdragon processor 636. This is a 14nm chipset with a maximum clock speed of 1.8 GHz. At first glance, the Snapdragon 660 looks much better than the Snapdragon 636, but below you can see the AnTuTu results from the smartphone and Mi Max 3. The numbers are almost the same - about 120 thousand points.

I have a model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. You can also buy the Mi Max 3 with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, but I don't think this is necessary because the smartphone supports a microSD card slot.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 has GPS, FM radio, Bluetooth 5.0, dual band Wi-Fi. However, there is no NFC and this is a big drawback. Many people use mobile devices for contactless payments.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3: Software

We have chinese version Xiaomi Mi Max 3, but the seller on Aliexpress has already installed global firmware with Google services... When I got the smartphone, it already had the Google Play Store, YouTube, Maps and other apps. In addition, there are some pre-installed apps from Xiaomi, such as Mi Video, Mi Drop, Mi Remote and others.

I forgot to say that this is Android 8.1 Oreo with MIUI 9.6 custom interface. The main functions are the same as other Xiaomi devices in 2018, so I will not dwell on that.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3: Camera

In the category Xiaomi cameras Mi Max 3 looks worse than Mi A2. On the other hand, we cannot talk about it yet, because we have not tested the Mi Max 3 camera yet. In the coming days we will take photos in different conditions and add them to this article.

The specs indicate that the Mi Max 3 has a 12-megapixel main sensor with f / 1.9 aperture and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor for the depth effect. On the front is an 8-megapixel camera with f / 2.0 aperture.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3: Battery

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 is huge smartphone so it comes as no surprise that it is equipped with a large battery. Firstly, it has a 5500mAh battery and secondly, it supports 18W fast charging technology. This is very important for such big battery... You can count on 2 days autonomous work from one charge.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3: Sound

Many were surprised that the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 has a dual speaker. In fact, the smartphone has one speaker at the bottom, while the second speaker is the speaker at the top of the screen. Yes, it sounds interesting, and maybe even better than many other budget single-speaker devices, but the sound quality is still far from the Galaxy S9, Huawei P20 Pro, or Google Pixel 2.

Another highlight of the Mi Max 3 is the 3.5mm audio jack. You don't need an adapter to listen to music with headphones.

Conclusion

I got the impression that the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 is the big brother of the Xiaomi Mi A2. These smartphones have the same design and similar performance. On the other hand, the Mi Max 3 comes with an amazing 6.9-inch display, 5500mAh battery and most importantly, it has a 3.5mm audio jack and a microSD card slot. Xiaomi Mi A2 lacks the last two features.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 looks like a good smartphone for entertainment such as watching videos, social networks and games. Below you can watch a video review of the Mi Max 3 from popular bloggers on YouTube.

Look for a discount coupon for this smartphone on our "" page. Why pay more when you can use a coupon!

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 Video review in Russian

Or not. In truth, I still can't make up my mind. On the one hand, a 6.44-inch smartphone is a great help in consuming any kind of content (videos, toys, books, websites), and on the other hand, a huge shovel that strives to slip out of your hands at any time. Already by the second day of operation, I typed text on Mi Max with one hand using Swype relatively smoothly (I usually use it) and controlled the Twitter feed without third-party help, but the feeling of concern that I was about to drop it still did not leave me ... It leaves very mixed and even somewhat contradictory impressions this smartphone, but let's talk about everything in order.

The text can and probably does contain grammatical, spelling, punctuation and other types of errors, including semantic errors. I ask readers in every possible way to point out these errors and correct me through private messages.

▌Technical Specifications

Screen:	6.44-inch IPS display with FHD (1920x1080) resolution; Corning GG 4 protective coating; 2.5D shape (rounding at the edges); oleophobic coating
Body materials:	metal backdrop with plastic inserts at the top and bottom
CPU:	six-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 (two Cortex-A72 cores 1.8 GHz and four cores Cortex-A53 1.4 GHz) / eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 (four cores Cortex-A72 1.8 GHz and four cores Cortex-A53 1.4 GHz)
Graphic arts:	Adreno 510 (600 MHz)
Operating system:	MIUI 7 on Android base 6.0
RAM:	3/4 GB
User memory:	32/64/128 GB + the ability to install a memory card up to 128 GB instead of nanoSIM
Camera:	16 MP (f / 2.0 aperture), autofocus, LED flash; front camera 5 MP, also f / 2.0, viewing angle 85 °
Network support:	GSM / EDGE (850/900/1800 / 1900MHz), CDMA 1X / CDMA2000: BC0, WCDMA (850/900/1900 / 2100MHz), TD-SCDMA, FDD-LTE (Band 1/3/7), TDD-LTE (Band 38/39/40/41), two card slots (micro-SIM + nano-SIM, one radio module)
Wireless technologies:	Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac (dual-band: 2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, GPS / GLONASS / BDS, support for A-GPS, FM radio
Sensors:	fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, gyroscope, digital compass, distance and illumination
Additionally:	USB 2.0 microUSB port with USB-OTG support, fast charging using Quick Charge 3.0 technology, infrared port, 3.5 mm headset
Battery:	4850 mAh, non-removable
Contents of delivery:	PSU (5 V, 2 A), USB cable, manual
Dimensions:	173.1 x 88.3 x 7.5 mm
Weight:	203 grams
Cost (official)
Cost (real):	/ / dollars

Initially, Xiaomi announced 3 versions of the smartphone, which, in addition to the price tag and the amount of user memory, differed in a more productive platform in the two older versions and 4 GB of RAM in the top model for 1999 yuan ($ 300 at the time of publication). Later, the most budget version of the smartphone with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of user memory for ~ 190 dollars appeared on the virtual counters of Chinese trading platforms. For the test I got the younger version from the previously announced Max line, i.e. smartphone with Snapdragon 650 on board, 32 GB of user memory and 3 GB of RAM.

▌ How big is he!

The length of the smartphone is just over 17 centimeters. Right now, take a ruler in your hands and see how much it really is. For comparison, the dimensions of several popular smartphone models:

At the same time, Mi Max manages to more or less adequately lie in the hand. During operation, I either supported it with my little finger when working with the keyboard, or kept it closer to the middle of the case while flipping through the social tapes. networks. In most other situations, it was necessary to resort to the help of the second hand.

When typing, Swype comes in handy. even if you have not reached any extreme letter, it is very likely that AutoFit will insert it by itself. Therefore, there were no special problems with typing with one hand, with the exception of a slight jitter about the likelihood of dropping the smartphone when intercepting it. The programmed one-handed control mode somehow did not take root for me.

The appearance of the smartphone is in the best traditions of Xiaomi: a metal back panel with plastic inserts at the ends, under which the antennas of the radio modules are located. There are three color variations to choose from: gray, silver and gold, which I got for the test. The backing on the front panel remains white in any case. It looks nice, but there are a few complaints about the design. Firstly, in the torsion test, the components of the smartphone noticeably loose. Fortunately, this fact does not affect the daily operation of the smartphone, but it is probably due to the thickness of the case, which is only 7.5 mm.

Secondly, the camera module protrudes outside the body. Yes, such a solution has already been repeatedly encountered in many smartphones, but Xiaomi designers made a fatal mistake by sinking the protruding rim against the glass. Thus, when the smartphone comes into contact with flat surfaces, the entire "blow" in the upper part falls on the glass covering the camera. After two weeks of use, the following picture can be observed:

Perhaps the sapphire crystal used in the notorious iPhones (covering the camera) would have saved the day, but who would put it in a $ 250 smartphone?

I can only say good things about the rear-panel fingerprint scanner, except for the fact that I'm not a fan of this arrangement. The speed of the sensor even among the most budgetary representatives of the Redmi line is simply excellent, and the number of recognition errors is minimal. In addition, I like the shape, size of the scanner and its location in a tangible depression, which they cannot boast of.

There is only one multimedia speaker at the bottom end, and a spoken microphone is hidden behind the second grill. The quality of speech transmission raises no objections, but the dynamics lacks volume and low frequencies... The use of MicroUSB instead of USB Type-C seems to hint at a certain budget of the device, since the company is gradually introducing a new interface connector into older series smartphones.

The function keys on the right side do not play and have a noticeable tactile response. Above unchanged: audio output and IR transmitter. The tray on the left side is combined: micro-SIM and a choice of nano-SIM or microSD.

Considering that we have a multimedia device, saving on the display would look like blasphemy on the part of Xiaomi. However, this did not happen, the Mi Max has an excellent IPS matrix in all respects with a brightness adjustment range from 2 to 631 cd / m2 and a contrast ratio of 936 to 1. The display is readable in the sun and does not blind your eyes in the dark. The only but - a weak oleophobic coating in comparison with the one I have been on the test recently.

Many reviewers have complained about the black bezels framing the display, but I haven't figured out what's wrong with that. They are absolutely not striking in the eye, and with a dark screen saver they look great at all, illusory expanding the space occupied by the display. But how many people, so many opinions.

The protective coating of the display after 2 weeks of using the smartphone without a cover and films remained pristine, despite the fact that before me the smartphone had been tested in a different edition. The question about the origin of the coating remains open, since the model of it is not indicated on the official Chinese website, but on the Indian one about the use of Gorilla Glass 3. Some foreign ones even replicate information about Gorilla Glass 4.

▌ In a good way surprised by the gaming performance

The Snapdragon 650 chipset was originally conceived as a budget solution with the name Snapdragon 618, but was later promoted in rank and there is a logical explanation for that. The fact is that in terms of performance, it is in no way inferior and even slightly surpasses the Snapdragon 808, which other companies installed in their flagship smartphones last year.

The Snapdragon 650 SoC features four energy-efficient Cortex-A53 cores clocked at up to 1.4 GHz and two high-performance Cortex-A72 cores clocked at 1.8 GHz. Snapdragon 652, installed in older versions of Xiaomi Mi Max, is complemented by two more high-performance cores, which, according to the test results, brings it closer to the top SoC of last year - Snapdragon 810.

The first image shows the overall performance of the SoC, and the second shows the performance of the GPU.

Additional tests in comparison with the devices that have previously been in my hands:

Phone / Benchmark
Xiaomi Mi Max (Snapdragon 650)	17902	8,8	1544 / 3680	77959
Xiaomi Mi Max Pro(Snapdragon 652)	-	-	1521 / 4443	83272
	14801	4	890 / 4836	55209
	8557	5,8	635 / 2825	34009
	19594	12	991 / 2990	47075
	19564	9,9	1241 / 3222	50610
Xiaomi Mi 5 (Snapdragon 820)	29891	30	2319 / 5507	131142

Despite the comparable results of the graphics performance tests of the 808 (Adreno 418, 128 stream processors, 600 MHz) and 650 (Adreno 510, unknown number of stream processors, 600 MHz) chips, in practice the latter turned out to be victorious. For example, take WoT: Blitz... The ceiling for Xiaomi Mi 4c and 4s was medium graphics settings, and in order to achieve stable 60 frames per second, HD textures had to be turned off additionally. In my review of Mi 4c, I complained about the poor optimization of the game for this SoC, but after six months nothing has changed. Meanwhile, Snapdragon 650 allows you to run "tanks" with maximum graphics settings, and fps is kept at the level of 50-60 and sags by a maximum of 10 frames in scenes with big amount action or aiming mode.

In a shooter Unkilled on the maximum settings graphics have stable 40 frames per second without decreasing fps in action scenes. WWR(network battles of robots) limits the maximum number of fps to 30, and in scenes with high weapon activity, the rate of frames per second can drop to an unpleasant 18-20. In the latter case, it is the optimization problem that is evident, since the situation is similar on smartphones with Snapdragon 820.

In all tested games, the processor load did not exceed 30%, and the maximum number of fps was limited by performance graphics subsystem, which was loaded in full almost all the time. So, when choosing a smartphone, lovers of mobile gaming, I advise first of all to pay attention to the performance of the graphics subsystem, and not to the total number of points in popular synthetic tests.

With prolonged high load the body of the smartphone did not heat up above 40 degrees. No noticeable throttling was noticed, which is also confirmed by the GFXBench stability test.

At the start of the system, about 1500 MB (out of 3!) Of RAM is allocated for the needs of the user, and only 24.3 GB of the declared 32 GB is available for the user. To expand disk space by installing microSD up to 128 GB, you will have to sacrifice a second SIM card.

From the point of view of telephone functionality, the smartphone works well: the earpiece is loud and of high quality, the vibration signal is felt in the pockets of the trousers, both the first and the second SIM can work in the 3G / 4G network. FM radio works only with connected headphones, which act as an antenna.

▌Hemorrhoids with flashing cannot be avoided

Since the publication of the material, nothing has changed. The smartphone comes from Gearbest with partially localized firmware, which is characterized by increased consumption of RAM and low stability. For the monitored Xiaomi versions Mi Max is available official MIUI with full localization, Google Play services and support for OTA updates. The release for older modifications is scheduled for August.

Unfortunately, the presence of the official Global-firmware does not simplify the process of replacing the software in any way. The most adequate instructions for switching from custom Chinese MIUI to the official one are on the English-language forum. For testing purposes, I used (Russian) to install MIUI 8 Beta from multirom.me, but with this approach, you will lose the ability to update the firmware over the air, which is important for the beta version.

▌ Autonomy

A 4850 mAh battery in a fairly intensive mode of operation will last for 6-7 hours of screen operation or 2-3 days. Heavy use means intermittent GPS activity, Wi-Fi operation alternating with 3G, Bluetooth for pairing with Pebble watch. The brightness level of the screen is automatically adjusted. About 10-20 minutes a day falls on World of Tanks: Blitz, which I use as a benchmark for gaming performance. Calls are no more than 5-10 minutes a day, I don't use SMS either. Basically network connectivity, messengers, social. networking and surfing.

The Mi Max comes with a regular 5V charger with 2A current, and a full charge from 0 to 100% takes about 3 hours and 45 minutes. In addition, the smartphone supports fast charging technology, which for some reason is not mentioned on the official Xiaomi website.

When trying to charge a smartphone from the complete charger LeEco Le Max 2 with support for QC 3.0 technology, the charging time of the smartphone was reduced by only 45 minutes, which means that the capabilities of the charger capable of delivering 24 W of energy for a long time are far from being 100% used. Unfortunately, I didn't have a tester capable of working with QC 3.0, and the one that was available, according to the passport, is able to measure voltages within 3-7 Volts.

▌Cameras at the level of the latest generation of smartphones of the Redmi line

And that's basically all that can be said about them. They shoot well during the day, and badly in the evening. The rear camera is represented by a 16-megapixel sensor covered with an f / 2.0 aperture lens. The front camera is 5 MP, the aperture is the same, and the viewing angle is 85 °. Examples of shots in different conditions: this link.

In MIUI 8, Xiaomi has messed up the camera app. The HDR-mode activation button, which was previously in place of the current "Modes" for some reason, was moved to the top of the screen, and even made a drop-down button. Those. If you, like me, want to use HDR periodically and on your own, you will have to resort to second hand to expand the drop-down menu and activate HDR. The flash activation was moved to the same place, and the filter selection key was put in its place.

The Chinese designers have a very strange vision of the user-friendly interface of the camera application.

▌Results

Xiaomi Mi Max is perhaps one of a kind productive with an adequate price tag. My short search did not find any serious competitors for this smartphone. The same Sony Xperia The Z Ultra is already quite outdated in terms of performance, and the camera in it initially did not shine with results, the Lenovo Phab Plus, with a comparable price tag, is also inferior in performance, and it certainly cannot be handled with one hand. LeTV One Max boasts a slightly more productive platform, but it is much inferior in terms of autonomy, and it is not clear what it has with the availability and software. The relatively fresh Sony Xperia C5 Ultra dual can also be attributed to competitors, but give money similar to Mi Max for the display? No, if you please.

As practice has shown, the difference between 5.7 and 6.44-inch smartphones is very noticeable after active use of the latter for 2 weeks. When I picked up a 5.7-inch, I first of all thought about a 5, well, 5.2-inch display and I'm afraid to imagine my feelings if right after Mi Max I got some device with a display up to 5 ". I was able to get used to such a diagonal and take advantage of its advantages, but not the fact that you will succeed, therefore, I recommend that you first familiarize yourself with the device live.

Finally, I do not recommend taking the version with 2 GB of RAM. Now there is so much RAM for MIUI, but you haven't been looking after a smartphone for a couple of months?

What we liked

• Price
• Performance, particularly gaming
• Excellent autonomy
• Display with good dimming range
• smart fingerprint scanner, support for fast charging technology QC 3.0

What did not like

• Backlash in the torsion test that protrudes beyond the frame protective glass rear camera
• Difficulties with flashing, so necessary for the full use of the device
• Weak oleophobic coating

What would I like

• NFC support
• Separate memory card slot
• QC 3.0 charger included as standard

▌Related Links

Twitter. On my website, I duplicate my own publications from all over the Internet, so too. Thank you for your attention!

Specifications
Class	Phablet
Form Factor	Monoblock
Body materials	Aluminum
Operating system	Android 6.0 + MIUI 7
Network	2G / 3G / LTE (800/1800/2600), dual SIM
Platform	Qualcomm Snapdragon 650
CPU	Six-core
Video accelerator	Adreno 510
Inner memory	32 GB
RAM	3 GB
Memory card slot	There is
Wi-Fi	Yes, a / b / g / n / ac, dual-band
Bluetooth	Yes, 4.2 LE, A2DP
NFC	No
Screen diagonal	6.44 inch
Screen resolution	1920 x 1080 dots
Matrix type	IPS
Protective covering	Gorilla Glass 4
Oleophobic coating	There is
Main camera	16 MP, f / 2.0, phase detection autofocus, focus on the press
Front-camera	5 MP, f / 2.0
Navigation	GPS, A-GPS, Glonass
Sensors	Accelerometer, light sensor, proximity sensor, gyroscope, compass
Battery	Non-removable Li-Ion 4850 mAh
Dimensions (edit)	173.1 x 88.3 x 7.5 mm
Weight	203 gram
Price	250 $ / 23,000 rubles

Equipment

• Smartphone
• Charger
• PC cable (also part of the charger)

Appearance, materials, controls, assembly

On the front side we have a typical smartphone from Xiaomi - a touch panel below, a mesh conversational dynamics, indicator light and front camera on top.

But the back cover has been slightly changed, it is slightly curved at the edges. This makes the device a little more comfortable to hold in the hands and feels thinner. Most of the lid is made of aluminum, the top and bottom inserts are made of plastic.

There is also a fingerprint scanner. It works quickly, the device unlocks almost instantly.

By the way, the scanner can work with third party applications, it's comfortable.

On the right, a volume rocker and a power button were installed, on the left - a tray for two nanoSIM cards, one of the slots is combined, you can put a memory card in it, cards up to 200 GB are supported.

At the bottom there is a microUSB port, an external speaker and a main microphone (hidden in the left mesh), on top - a minijack, an infrared port and an additional microphone hole. The speaker, although not stereo, has excellent sound quality and a large headroom.

On the assembly, I have a small complaint. If you squeeze the smartphone by pressing on the plastic inserts, then you can hear small crunches. With normal use, you probably won't even notice.

Dimensions (edit)

With a diagonal of more than six inches, there is no need to talk about ease of use with one hand, but rather understand how easy it is to hold the device with two hands.

Compared with Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra

In the case of the Mi Max, given its diagonal, there is no problem with that. To be honest, initially I assumed that this smartphone has a screen diagonal of no more than six inches, one it turned out to be even higher, but it is still comfortable to use it. Of course, the small thickness plays an important role in the perception of the size of the device.

Screen

The device just has a huge screen diagonal, it is perceived in about the same way as the first Galaxy Note or the good old Xperia Z Ultra. As for the display quality, it is good, but not perfect. If you look at the screen at a right angle, then there will be no problems, but when you deviate, the picture starts to fade a little.

Separately, I would like to note the excellent oleophobic coating, good behavior of the screen in the sun and the ability to fine-tune the color gamut of the device.

Operating system

The device runs Android 6.0 and MIUI 7.0.

The MIUI shell completely changes the experience of using the device, in most cases for the better. The user can customize everything that he basically wants to customize, from icons to text size. Now I will not list all the capabilities of the shell, but in the future I plan to write an article comparing four well-known Chinese interfaces, where MIUI will pay special attention.

Performance

The device uses a fresh Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 chipset and 3 GB of RAM. To work with FHD-resolution, their capabilities are enough for the eyes. The smartphone is very fast, this also applies to the shell itself as a whole, and work with third-party applications, and support for powerful games. During the game, the smartphone heats up in the upper part, where the fingerprint scanner is located, but the heating is moderate, it does not irritate or interfere.

Autonomous work

The battery capacity here is simply royal, while Xiaomi made the case relatively thin and light, given such numbers. The device will give you five hours of screen activity without any problems, or even more when it comes to video or reading. Accordingly, depending on the scenarios of use, you can count on one or two days of work without recharging.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 supports QuickCharge 3.0 technology, but a regular charger is included with the smartphone. Unfortunately, I did not have the necessary power supply unit with QC 3.0 at hand, but the network writes that the smartphone can charge 85% in 115 minutes.

Camera

MIUI has always had a very functional camera. For example, now you can change the exposure by scrolling the focus circle. Many different shooting modes are available for selection in the settings, and you can immediately apply the desired filter. GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, LTE, two SIM cards

USB On-The-Go There is NFC No

All popular technologies are supported for Wi-Fi, the same applies to Bluetooth. Separately, I will highlight the presence of an IrDA port, it works correctly with TVs and other equipment, do not forget to install special application... But there is no NFC, even a little sorry.

Conclusion

There are no complaints about the quality of speech transmission, you and your interlocutor hear each other perfectly.

In China, Mi Max sells for about $ 230-250, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little cheaper. Our model costs 23,000 rubles. In fact, from the point of view of Russian, and even more so Chinese prices, the smartphone came out extremely good. Huge high-quality display, thin and light body, fast operating speed, great autonomy and functional MIUI. Of the competitors, you can immediately recall the Meizu M3 Max, but we have not tested it yet, so I cannot say which of them is better.

In summary: if you are looking for a relatively inexpensive but powerful and good phablet with large diagonal screen, be sure to pay attention to the Mi Max.

August 14, 2018

This year Xiaomi is holding some crazy parade of presentations: before we had time to really get to know one new product, they immediately showed us the next one. And at the end of July, in this parade, the turn came to the largest Xiaomi model among smartphones - this is a new product of the Mi Max series. In the category of phablets, the fresh Mi Max 3 looks great. Largely due to the fact that it has very few competitors: it will not be easy to find something with the same diagonal and at the same price. But in this review we will prove that the new Mi Max should be taken not because there is “no choice”, but because it is a really cool device. Go!

Appearance

The novelty deserves to be told about its size and ergonomics in a separate block - in this we are talking only about the design and arrangement of elements. And with the appearance, Xiaomi decided not to bother: Mi Max 3 looks the same as Mi A2 (only its dimensions, of course, are larger). But is that bad?

• The display occupies 85.19% of the front panel area. But at first glance it seems that almost all 95%. It is logical - for the most important detail in the phablet, you should not spare a single millimeter. The frames are completely unobtrusive. And we are also fixing a clear progress in comparison with Mi Max 2: the dimensions of the case remained approximately the same, but the display was significantly increased;
• The case of Mi Max 3 is all-metal, and the communications are hidden under neat stripes - no plastic. All corners are rounded, the side edges of the case too - the device is pleasant to hold in the hand;

On the left side there is a hybrid card tray: you can install two SIM cards or a SIM card and a flash drive. On the top, there is a 3.5 mm headphone port, an infrared port and a noise canceling microphone. And at the bottom there are two grilles (behind one - a microphone, after the other - a multimedia speaker), between which there is a Type-C connector. Module dual cameras in traffic light format - a typical solution for Xiaomi in 2018. On the back panel of Mi Max 3, this element also flaunts, protruding slightly above the surface of the case. Above the screen of the smartphone there is a speaker, a front camera, a flash and a one-color notification indicator. The control keys are on-screen, and the area under the display is empty. The novelty is available in three colors: blue, gold and black.

Dimensions and ergonomics

Of course, the 6.9-inch Mi Max 3 looks more like a tablet than a smartphone. Although it cannot be called compact, the “bulky” characteristic does not suit it either. This is facilitated by 2 factors: an aspect ratio of 18 to 9 (body height - 176.2 mm, width - 87.4 mm) and a small thickness (only 8 mm). The device does not cut into the hand and is very comfortable in the palm of your hand. And the fashionable, elongated 2: 1 screen allows you to make the case as narrow as possible, which looks good and is correct in terms of ergonomics. With the thumb of the same hand with which you are holding the smartphone, you can reach the opposite bottom edge of the display. But, of course, not every pocket is suitable for transporting the Mi Max 3. Yes, and for full-fledged work, you, of course, need a second hand. Because you cannot reach the top of the display without its help.

However, these are features of the Mi Max 3 form factor. If you buy it, then you are ready for such nuances. But not without a few blatant miscalculations on the part of the developers. So, the fingerprint scanner is installed, as always with Xiaomi, on the back of the device. But reaching it with your index finger is not easy - you need to intercept the smartphone with your other hand. It would be correct to place the sensor lower. There are no complaints about the work of the element itself: it reacts unmistakably and instantly to every touch of the owner. The same complaint about the power / volume keys on the right side is too high. True, you can "wake up" Mi Max 3 and alternative way, using the face unlock function. The method works flawlessly, even in complete darkness. Another drawback of the novelty's case is that it is very slippery. Wearing Mi Max 3 in a clip case or case (which, alas, is not included in the kit) will be calmer. The phone weighs 221 grams.

Display

The model received IPS screen with Full HD + resolution (1080 by 2160 pixels). The density is 350 ppi, which means that everything will be excellent with the detail of the picture. The display is good both in terms of contrast (1500 to 1, which is 1.5 times better than in Mi Max 2), and in terms of brightness (520 nits), and wide viewing angles are pleasing. The color temperature here can be very finely adjusted for yourself. Alas, with long-term work with Mi Max 3, the feeling that something is missing does not leave. Firstly, sometimes the phone just wants to be turned over in landscape orientation, but for work on the main screen it is not available (for videos, games and everything else - of course, yes). Secondly, for some scenarios of use (drawing, notebook, etc.), the stylus is asked for, which is not in the box. But general impression from the display is positive. The screen is the main thing for which we love the Mi Max series in particular and phablets in general. Therefore, Xiaomi developers had no room for error.

OS and hardware

Mi Max 3 runs on Android 8.1 Oreo, and MIUI 9.5 acts as a branded launcher. This firmware is not loved by everyone, but with each update it has more fans: Xiaomi specialists improve performance, optimization and appearance shell. So software part smartphones Xiaomi is progressing along with other components. For the operation of the phablet, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 chipset, made using 14nm technology, is responsible. It consists of eight Kryo 260 cores with a frequency of up to 1.8 GHz, and the Adreno 509 helps to cope with complex graphics. The Mi Max 3 uses RAM LPDDR4X type and constant - eMMC 5.1 standard. The smartphone is available in two versions: 4/64 GB and 6/128 GB. We remind you that the standard volume of ROM can be expanded with a microSD card (combined slot).

Performance and benchmarks

In AnTuTu, the novelty is gaining 118 thousand points. In GeekBench, as always, we ran two tests: single-core (1329 points) and multi-core (4907 points). The model received a good mid-range chipset. The smooth operation of the system and the impeccable performance of ordinary tasks are ensured, but it's still hard to call this phone a gamer one. For this, the third Mi Max lacks the capacity. But in fairness, it must be said that the smartphone pulls out all modern toys, just in some of them you will have to set the average graphics settings. PUBG, for example, runs 5 points. World Of Tanks for max. settings with shadows and effects enabled, maximum detailing also work well. At 40-60 FPS. Sometimes there are drops of up to 20-30 fps, but these are one-time problems that almost do not interfere with playing.

Cameras

The novelty has three cameras, in all three cases sensors from Samsung are involved. Let's start with the main dual module. It is a pair of 12MP sensor with f / 1.9 aperture and 1.4um pixel size, as well as 5MP sensor with f / 2.4 aperture for portrait mode. We will not surprise you with a list of all the gadgets and functions that are available when working with this camera: there is an LED flash, and Dual Pixel technology, and video in 4K quality at 30 fps. Let's dwell on the modes in more detail:

• The HDR mode works just fine here. I pressed the button and immediately got the finished picture, there is no need to wait for another eternity while the frame is processed;
• There are Slow Motion and Time Lapse modes for video recording;
• Macro mode pleases with excellent detailing of photos;
• Portrait mode is not here for the sake of a tick: the background is blurred effectively and correctly. However, remember that it is not suitable for all scenes;
• There are also panorama modes, Beauty-mode, night mode and a mode for group selfies.

One cannot but praise shooting with a lack of light: forget about blurry, darkened, spoiled shots. All cameras in the new Xiaomi models are good at shooting in the dark. In terms of other parameters, everything is also excellent: correct colors, effective stabilization and good sound during video recording, high detail. The front camera of the Mi Max 3 is 8-megapixel, with an aperture of f / 2.0 and a pixel size of 1.12 microns. Video recording is possible in 1080p at 30 frames per second. AI functionality is available for all cameras, which can also be called the 2018 trend among Xiaomi phones.

Battery

The new phablet received a 5500 mAh battery. Impressive, although for such a giant, a large battery is a must. What indicators of autonomy can you expect?

• you can watch videos on YouTube in 720p quality up to 17 hours straight;
• listening to music - more than two hundred hours;
• you can play for at least 5 hours if we are talking about gluttonous projects at maximum settings. Something lighter and less fresh can be played for up to 10 hours without recharging.

Mi Max 3 is able to withstand two or even three days with an average load on iron. And if you load it in full, then all the same, the smartphone must stand for a day without recharging. A nice bonus is the Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging function. In half an hour, the Mi Max 3 battery restores exactly one third of its charge.

Other

The support of a huge number of LTE bands is encouraging: the third, seventh, and twentieth Bands are supported. Those. with a 4G connection, everything will be fine. By the way, the maximum possible data transfer rate in LTE on the Mi Max 3 is 600 Mbps. There are many wireless modules, but, alas, there is no NFC among them. But there is Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac with support Wi-Fi Direct, Infrared port, radio receiver and the ability to navigate using GPS and GLONASS. We also note the stereo function, the sound in Mi Max 3 comes from two speakers: the lower one (it is louder) and the upper one, the spoken one (quieter). But there is no need to talk about some outstanding audio capabilities of the Mi Max 3.

Outcome

The new phablet from Xiaomi has drawbacks: the lack of an NFC module that is so relevant today, a “boring” design (because everyone has already seen it many times), not the most successful package (regretted the clip case and stylus), and the technical filling could be fresher ... But let's also realize that sometimes we want too much. With Snapdragon 710 or even Snapdragon 660 on board, the new phablet would cost more, because the production cost would have increased. The same can be said for the stylus, NFC and other things that the Mi Max 3 lacks. Xiaomi has got a nice, bright, functional device with good cameras, a durable battery and a nice price. The phone is definitely stronger than its predecessor and is ideal for those looking for a large screen device to consume multimedia content.