Mi MIX 2s Review (After Using for 15 Days)

It has been 15 days of using Mi MIX 2s, I want to go over some of my likes and dislikes about this phone. (there is also an unbox + AI camera test video at the end of the article). IMPORTANT: This is NOT a sponsored review by Xiaomi. I simply got in contact with a friend who works at Xiaomi, therefore received an early access to the product. Meanwhile, the MIX 2s I have runs on MIUI 9 8.3.23 Beta, which although I hear is more or less the same as the latest customer version, still has a few minor bugs that are expected to be improved. Mi MIX 2S full specs (gscamera) [caption id="attachment_6810" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Mix 2s full specs[/caption]

Exterior

The bezel-less display feels simply awesome. With its relatively large screen size, the MIX 2s brings a very elegant and futuristic feel to the table. If you end up getting this phone, I think its display would make a strong impression on you as well. The ceramic back, although fancy, is extremely easy to get fingerprints all over. If this is a huge turn-off for you, I wouldn't recommend MIX 2s. [caption id="attachment_6805" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Mix 2s ceramic back after-touch(left) vs.  clean (right)[/caption]

O.S.

This is my first time using Xiaomi's own Operating System (O.S.), MIUI, it is not so different from regular Android and quite intuitive to use. I have been an iOS user since 2007 with occasional uses of Android-based devices, the switch to MIUI has been surprisingly smooth. [caption id="attachment_6812" align="aligncenter" width="500"] MIUI[/caption] MIX 2s also gives a user the option to turn on full-screen gestures, which I find a lot more convenient than using a navigation bar. They have also added a nice touch, the 'double check' feature, to mobile game apps, which basically triggers a message that asks you to swipe up again to exit the app in case you did the swiping motion by accident. [caption id="attachment_6813" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Full screen gesture Mi MIX 2s[/caption]

Here are some minor problems I've encountered in the last 15 days:

1. Turning off alarm doesn't work well. It asked me to swipe up to turn off the alarm, and when I did, it would either not work (so kept ringing) or rang a few more times in the next hour or so. I unlocked the phone using fingerprint instead and then alarm was turned off automatically.
2. The phone froze one time after a heavy gaming session (5-6 hrs). For about 30 sec or so it didn't respond to any of my actions. I had to reboot the device (turning off then on) to bring it back to life.
3. XiaoAi, the voice assistant turned on itself a couple of times. It uses voice-activation, so I'm guessing the O.S. mis-recognized some words I said when I was actually talking to others.
4. Face ID doesn't work well under dim lights.
5. Brightness auto-adjustment is not very consistent. It would yield very different results sometimes, even though I had been under the same lighting environment.

Here are three features I've especially enjoyed:

1. Unlocking the phone is super fast. You have the option to use Password, Fingerprint or Face ID. I have all three turned on. Face ID and Fingerprint unlocks in a split second with fingerprint working slightly faster.
2. Split screen to run two applications at the same time! You also get to customize the area size for each side.
3. Fill screen on YouTube (or other video hosting sites) videos.

[caption id="attachment_6824" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Mi MIX 2s split screen multi-task[/caption]

Features that I'm not quite sure about:

1. AI color correction (camera): not that useful of a feature.
2. Camera ID - You can use the camera to scan objects and it tells you the nature of the object: not that useful of a feature as well.
3. Front camera location. There are pros and cons to it. On one hand, it has got rid of the notch (Thank God!), on the other hand, taking selfies now requires an extra step of rotating the phone upside down.

Camera Quality

In terms of image quality, it is so far one of the best smartphone cameras I've worked with. Its image quality is on par with iPhone X, and has great in-camera stabilization for videos, and background blur for portrait mode. Check out some of the shots I've uploaded below. [caption id="attachment_6825" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Mix2s portrait mode[/caption] Check out this quick vlog I made with Mi MIX 2s: https://www.youtube.com/embed/f4wdGFb3074

Battery

The battery drains relatively fast in my opinion. With my gaming and YouTube binge sessions, I'd need to charge it to full at least 2 times a day. For light users who mainly use for calls, messages, and web browsing, lasting a 12-hr-day on a full charge can be achieved (barely).

Overall Feeling

Xiaomi has introduced many new designs and functions through Mi MIX 2s, which is a flagship product after all. Aside from a few minor bugs, the phone's overall performance and design have exceeded my expectations for a smartphone in the 500 USD price range.  

Mi MIX 2s Unbox & AI Camera Test

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SapNCEmFkZI&t=3s