Introduction
Seven years in the making. Thats what Xiaomi says and you can feel the pride of a job well done. Is it arrogance? Maybe. And it may be surprising but not completely unfounded. A five-inch screen in a hot, curved metal-and-glass body. A dual camera with 2x optical zoom. A Snapdragon 835. The Xiaomi Mi 6 has many virtues and well... modesty isnt one of them.
The 6th generation comes packed with premium features, as if Xiaomi is trying to pick a fight with every contemporary flagship. The latest Snapdragon 835 chipset may as well have been the only option - no other wouldve suited their best phone yet.
To be fair, Xiaomi did well to refine the series design and even added splash resistance. The dual 12MP camera with a telephoto lens and portrait photography is Xiaomis take on what seems to be the latest fad in phones. All of these - at the expense of an audio jack. If Apple can get away with it... What did we say about modesty?
Now, being a mix of every new trending feature around the Xiaomi Mi 6 is surely going to step on a lot of flagship toes. And it sure looks like an offer you cant refuse. Even the premium model is half the price of a name brand counterpart - were talking ceramic finish and 18-karat gold plated camera rims.
There are far too many similarities with a certain Cupertino smartphone though - the lack of an audio jack, the added water-resistance, the telephoto camera for portrait photography, and the newly introduced stereo speakers. Its not that we dont welcome those upgrades, but it looks like the new Mi is for the first time trying too hard to be cool instead of simply playing to its own strengths - of which it obviously has enough.
Xiaomi Mi 6 key features
- Body: 3D glass body with stainless steel frame; curved all around, splash resistant
- Screen: 5.15" IPS LCD display, 1080p resolution, HDR video support
- OS: Android OS v7.1.1 Nougat with MIUI 8.2
- Chipset: Snapdragon 835 chipset: octa-core Kryo 280 CPU (4x2.46GHz +4x1.9GHz); Adreno 540 GPU; 6GB of RAM
- Camera: Dual 12MP Sony IMX386 camera; wide-angle F/1.8 + telephoto F/2.6, live bokeh effects, 4-axis optical image stabilization, dual-LED flash, phase detection auto focus, 2160p@30fps video;
- Selfie: 8MP front-facing camera with 1080p@30fps video
- Storage: 64GB/12GB of built-in storage
- SIM: Dual-SIM (nano-SIM)
- Connectivity: 1Gbps LTE; Dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, Bluetooth v5.0; NFC, USB-C port, IR blaster
- Audio: Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic; 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res audio
- Battery: 3,230mAh non-removable battery, QuickCharge 3. 0 support
- Misc: Fingerprint sensor, stereo speakers
Main shortcomings
- 1080p screen resolution falls short of flagship standards (though, not an issue)
- No 3.5mm audio jack (but an adapter is provided)
- Not fully water-resistant
- No microSD slot
- Limited market availability, markup on gray import prices takes away its competitive edge
The Mi 6 lost the audio jack in favor of more battery juice, which should have made it easier for Xiaomi to focus on water-proofing. Recent teardowns have revealed that Xiaomi attempted to secure the Mi 6 against water, yet the USB port omits any kind of seals and is left completely unprotected. The company just did not go the extra mile, for some reason. IP68 certification could have made up for the lack of the fan-favorite audio jack.
So, the Mi 6. The low-cost flagship redefined. Xiaomis most powerful smartphone and an ambitious cameraphone. It looks like an exciting journey ahead. Follow us on the next page where we look closely at one of the best-looking phones lately. Well, perhaps a little too familiar-looking if you know what we mean.
Anyway, lets see what the Mi 6 is made of and how good it is at what it does.
Special thanks to eudirect.shop for providing the review unit.
Retail box
The Mi 6 ships in a regular cardboard box, which contains a Quick Charge 3.0-enabled charger plug and a USB Type-C cable. The company has also thrown in a silicone case and a USB-to-3.5mm analog adapter as an extra for the Mi 6. You will definitely need the latter, as there are no bundled headphones.
Xiaomi Mi 6 retail box contents • the silicone case as worn on the Mi 6 • the 18W charger
Xiaomi Mi 6 360-degree spin
The Mi 6 measures 145.2 x 70.5 x 7.5mm, roughly the same as the Mi 5. The Mi 6 has notably gained some weight, though. The regular Mi 6 is now 168g, thats 39g more than the Mi 5. The ceramic model is even heavier at 182g, some 43g up from the Mi 5s ceramic edition.
Design
The Xiaomi Mi 5 won a lot of hearts last year with its stylish and lightweight glass sandwich design. In spite of the fragile build, the Mi 5 kept making our recommendation lists - not only because of its features, but for its looks as well. This year, Xiaomi righted all of the wrongs and the Mi 6 continues to wow us with style and build quality.
Xiaomi Mi 6
The Mi 6 gained almost 40g, and most of those we can attribute to the sturdy stainless-steel frame and the larger battery. Unlike the Mi 5, the Mi 6 wont break under pressure, and is shaping up to be one of the better-built glass phones this year.
The highlight of the refreshed glass sandwich design is the rear piece of Gorilla 5, which Xiaomi li kes to call four-sided curved 3D. Indeed, the curve flows seamlessly around the edge and continues naturally on the corners instead of ending abruptly into the frame. While this is a rather subtle improvement, we understand the engineering challenge and it was all worth it for those extra style points.
A Gorilla 5 glass piece also covers the front of the Mi 6, but of a rather common origin - a regular flat piece with 2.5D finish on the ends. The capacitive Home key is carved out of the screen, but it does not come with a metal rim as was the case on the Mi 5.
The metal rims are reserved for the camera. If you get the Ceramic Edition, those rims will be made of 18-karat gold.
Xiaomi opted for an all-glossy stainless-steel frame, which complements the design regardless of the finish - glass or ceramic. It is prone to fingerprints, as is the entire phone, but as f ar as looks are concerned the Mi 6 is nothing short of impressive.
Thanks to its mid-sized footprint, the Mi 6 fits nicely in the hand and can be easily operated without stretching your fingers. The phone is slippery, but not much as youd expect from an all glossy design. Its like Xiaomi has applied some sort of oleophobic coating. The glass and frame are somewhat grippy, but also very easy to clean- even with a bare hand.
Handling the Xiaomi Mi 6
Device overview
Unless you are looking for the analog audio jack, the Mi 6 is business as usual. Above the screen is the earpiece, which also doubles as a speaker. The 8MP selfie camera is around, a notification LED, and a couple of sensors.
Xiaomi Mi 6 • The all-glass front • the earpiece above the screen
Below the screen is the capacitive Home key, seamlessly flowing into the screen glass. The fingerprint scanner is embedded under the glass and is of the always-on variety.
In our experience the sensor is fast and pretty accurate.
The Home key is below the screen • the fingerprint scanner is beneath the glass
The dual-SIM tray is on the left side of the Mi 6, while the right side has the volume rocker and the power/lock key.
The left side • the dual-SIM tray • the right side • the volume rocker
The top of the Mi 6 has the IR blaster and the secondary microphone. The primary mic is under a grille at the bottom of the phone with the USB Type-C port right next to it, and the other grille covers the second sp eaker.
The top of the Mi 6 • the IR blaster • the bottom • the connectivity port
The dual-camera setup is on the back accompanied by a dual-tone flash. Depending on the model you opt for, the camera rims will be made of either 18k gold or some common alloy.
< span>The dual-camera is the highlight on the Mi 6 back
Display
Much have changed since the Mi 5, but the display is not among the long list of upgrades. The Xiaomi Mi 6 uses a 5.15" IPS LCD with 1080p resolution. Were already used to seeing QHD screens on flagships but on a screen of this diagonal, were quite content with 1080p as well.
The pixel density of 428ppi is great and provides a very sharp image. Xiaomi promises 600nits of maximum brightness and 1500:1 contrast. Putting those claims to test, we can confirm we got exactly 603nits or maximum brightness. Unfortunately, the contrast ration was not as good as advertised. Due to the not-so-deep blacks it only managed to achieve 1305:1, which is quite good too.
The Mi 6 offers a minimum brightness of just 1.2 nits, great for late-night reading.
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | ||
| 0.462 | 603 | 1305 | |
| 0.51 | 628 | 1227 | |
| 0.51 | 660 | 1294 | |
| 0.44 | 637 | 1448 | |
| 0.416 | 592 | 1423 | |
| 0.46 | 500 | 1094 | |
| 0.35 | 561 | 16 03 | |
| 0.40 | 656 | 1640 | |
| 0.00 | 391 | ∞ | |
| 0.00 | 563 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 440 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 618 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 447 | ∞ | |
| 0.228 | 468 | 2053 | |
| 0.277 | 564 | 2036 | |
The Xiaomi Mi 6 managed to surprise in our sunlight legibility test scoring as high as an AMOLED panel would.
Sunlight contrast ratio
- Samsung Galaxy S8
4.768 - Samsung Galaxy S8+
4.658 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
4.615 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
4.439 - OnePlus 3
4.424 - Samsung Galaxy S7
4.376 - HTC One A9
4.274 - Samsung Galaxy Note7
4.247 - Samsung Galaxy A3
4.241 - OnePlus 3T
4.232 - Google Pixel XL
4.164 - ZTE Axon 7
4.154 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
4.124 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
4.124 - Samsung Galaxy Note5
4.09 - Huawei Nexus 6P
4.019 - Vivo Xplay5 Elite
3.983 - OnePlus X
3.983 - Apple iPhone 7
3.964 - Oppo R7s
3.964 - Huawei P9 Plus
3.956 - Meizu Pro 6 Plus
3.935 - Lenovo Moto Z
3.931 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016)
3.918 - Samsung Galaxy C5
3.911 - Samsung Galaxy C7
3.896 - Samsung Galaxy A5
3.895 - Samsung Galaxy J7 outdoor
3.879 - Samsung Galaxy J2 outdoor
3.873 - Samsung Galaxy A8
3.859 - Sony Xperia XZs
3.818 - Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016)
3.817 - Motorola Moto X (2014)
3.816 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
3.804 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) outdoor mode
3.802 - LG V20 Max auto
3.798 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
3.798 - Sony Xperia XZ
3.795 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
3.789 - Apple iPhone 6s
3.783 - Meizu Pro 5
3.781 - Microsoft Lumia 650
3.772 - Xiaomi Mi 6
3.767 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
3.756 - Oppo F1 Plus
3.709 - Vivo X5Pro
3.706 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
3.688 - Apple iPhone SE
3.681 - Huawei Mate 9
3.68 - Samsung Galaxy A7
3.679 - Meizu PRO 6
3.659 - BlackBerry Priv
3.645 - Apple iPhone 7 Plus
3.588 - LG G6
3.556 - Apple iPhone 6s Plus
3.53 - Motorola Moto Z Play
3.526 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) outdoor mode
3.523 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)
3.523 - Acer Jade Primo
3.521 - Microsoft Lumia 950
3.512 - Oppo R7 Plus
3.499 - nubia Z11
3.466 - Huawei P10 Plus
3.456 - HTC U Ultr a
3.453 - Samsung Galaxy J7
3.422 - Meizu MX5
3.416 - LG V20
3.402 - Huawei P10
3.379 - Oppo R9s
3.352 - Honor 8 Pro
3.341 - Oppo R7
3.32 - Lenovo P2
3.316 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
3.276 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
3.244 - Xiaomi Mi 5
3.24 - Samsung Galaxy J2
3.235 - Sony Xperia X Performance
3.234 - Xiaomi Mi Note 2
3.228 - Motorola Moto X Play
3.222 - Oppo F3 Plus
3.218 - Huawei Mate 9 Pro
3.206 - Huawei P9
3.195 - Lenovo Vibe Shot
3.113 - Motorola Moto X Force
3.105 - LG Nexus 5X
3.092 - Huawei Mate S
3.073 - Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
3.065 - Sony Xperia XA1
3.012 - Sony Xperia X
2.989 - Huawei Mate 8
2.949 - Xiaomi Redmi 3S
2.913 - Sony Xperia XA Ultra
2.906 - LG G5
2.905 - HTC One S
2.901 - Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime
2.893 - Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus
2.884 - Sony Xperia XZ Premium
2.877 - Sony Xperia XZ Premium (sRGB)
2.877 - Sony Xperia Z5
2.876 - Microsoft Lumia 550
2.851 - Lenovo Moto M
2.813 - X iaomi Redmi 3 Pro
2.803 - Sony Xperia Z5 compact
2.784 - Meizu MX6
2.751 - LG V10
2.744 - Xiaomi Redmi 3
2.735 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
2.714 - Meizu M5
2.71 - Sony Xperia M5
2.69 - Huawei P9 Lite
2.679 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
2.679 - Vivo V3Max
2.659 - Xiaomi Mi Mix
2.658 - Xiaomi Mi 4i
2.641 - Sony Xperia XA
2.609 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus (max auto)
2.582 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus
2.582 - Meizu M5s
2.58 - Xiaomi Mi 4c
2.574 - LeEco Le Max 2
2.5 67 - Microsoft Lumia 640
2.563 - Asus Zenfone 3 ZE552KL
2.563 - Lenovo Moto G4
2.544 - Lenovo K6 Note
2.544 - Oppo F1
2.528 - Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
2.525 - Huawei Honor 7 Lite / Honor 5c
2.506 - Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
2.503 - Oppo F1s
2.481 - Motorola Moto G
2.477 - Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus
2.473 - Huawei G8
2.471 - Huawei nova
2.467 - Sony Xperia Z
2.462 - Lenovo Vibe K5
2.459 - Meizu m3 max
2.447 - HTC 10 evo
2.407 - Huawei Honor 7
2.406 - Sony Xperia E5
2.386 - ZUK Z1 by Lenovo
2.382 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
2.378 - HTC 10
2.378 - Oppo F3
2.376 - vivo V5 Plus
2.371 - Meizu m1 note
2.362 - Huawei nova plus
2.329 - HTC One E9+
2.305 - Alcatel One Touch Hero
2.272 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
2.254 - Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
2.253 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (MediaTek)
2.249 - Sony Xperia C4 Dual
2.235 - Xiaomi Mi Note
2.234 - Motorola Moto G (2014)
2.233 - Huawei P8
2.196 - Meizu M5 Note
2.189 - Huawei Honor 6
2.169 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 2
2.166 - OnePlus Two
2.165 - HTC One X
2.158 - LG Aka
2.145 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (X20)
2.145 - Archos 50 Diamond
2.134 - Xiaomi Redmi Note
2.119 - Xiaomi Mi 4S
2.095 - Acer Liquid X2
2.084 - Huawei P8lite
2.078 - vivo V5
2.059 - Moto G 3rd gen max manual
2.026 - Xiaomi Mi 3
2.001 - Xiaomi Mi Max
1.996 - Sony Xperia E4g
1.972 - OnePlus One
1.961 - Meizu m3 note
1.923 - BlackBerry Leap
1.892 Meizu m2 note
1.892- ZTE Nubia Z9 mini
1.759 - Sony Xperia U
1.758 - Asus Zenfone Selfie
1.68 - Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
1.675 - ZTE Nubia Z9
1.659 - Jolla Jolla
1.605 - Motorola Moto E
1.545 - Sony Xperia M
1.473 - Sony Xp eria L
1.351 - HTC Desire C
1.3 - Meizu MX
1.221 - Sony Xperia E
1.215
You can choose from three different options for the screens color calibration. The default one is Automatic, which also optimizes the contrast dynamically in response to the available ambient light. When you use the phone in bright light, it would brighten up any dark on-screen areas to make them better legible.
The standard contrast mode doesnt have that but it offers very accurate color rendering with an average DeltaE of 3.2 and maximum deviation of 5.8 in the whites.
Finally, there is the Increased Contrast, which visually oversaturates all colors, in case thats your thing.
Additionally, there is a Reading mode similar to Apples Night Shift. It removes the blue hues in line with recent trends as they potentially interfere with your sleep quality when you use the device just before bedtime. For extra convenience, you can configure this mode to be enabled only for selected apps.
Battery life
The Xiaomi Mi 6 has a sealed battery of 3,350mAh. Thats a 10% improvement over the Mi 5. The phone supports Quick Charge 3.0 and the supplied charger can fill up to 55% of a depleted battery in 30 minutes.
We ran our battery test and the Xiaomi Mi 6 scored an 80h rating, which surprisingly is lower than the Mi 5s rating. The culprit is the Mi 6s relatively high power draw in standby mode because otherwise, it scored better in the three individual test of calling, web browsing and video. This unusual power consumption in standby might be software-related and fixed with a future update.
Our endurance rating stands for how long a single battery charge will last you if you were to use the Xiaomi Mi 6 for an hour each of telephony, web browsing, and video playback daily. Weve established this usage pattern so our battery results are comparable across devices in the most common day-to-day tasks. The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case youre interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones weve tested will compare under your own typical use.
Connectivity
The Xiaomi Mi 6 is well-stocked with connectivity options, mostly due to the well-equipped Snapdragon 835 SoC. The Mi 6 offers LTE at Cat. 16 with impressive 1Gbps of download, courtesy of the latest Qualcomm modem with 3x carrier aggregation.
Unfortun ately, unlike other flagships, the Mi 6 has very limited LTE support of just 9 bands. While it supports the widespread band 3 and 7, it omits band 20, which may be a problem in some EU countries. So, if you consider the Mi 6 and you want to use LTE networks, just make sure it supports your local band before you buy.
The Xiaomi Mi 6 also comes equipped with dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac with 2x2 MIMO antennas for speeds up to 867Mbps (if you have a compatible router). The local connectivity list goes on with Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX and Low Energy, and NFC.
The Wi-Fi connection can be used for screen casting - be it Miracast, Google Cast, or DLNA.
GPS, GLONASS, and BeiDou satellite positioning are supported are supported, but apparently the Mi 6 omits Galileo support.
The Xiaomi Mi 6 has no FM radio. There is no audio jack either, but Xiaomi provides a proper USB-C-to-analog jack adapter.
The USB port is Type-C but we cant confirm whether its 2.0 or 3.x. Sti ll, it lets you hook up USB storage and accessories and charge other devices.
MIUI 8 powered by Android Nougat
The Xiaomi Mi 6 comes with Android 7.1.1 Nougat and MIUI 8.2. MIUI is one of the most extensive customizations of Android to date. It has a big following in China where Google services are not accessible so Xiaomi refocused the ecosystem away from Mountain Views services. For those living elsewhere, the official and not-so-official importers are providing various international (global) ROMs, which come stripped from the Chinese services, in favor of Googles.
MIUI 8 is a familiar launcher already with lots of new features and UI tweaks. Its looks are just a minor part of the way MIUI is different from stock Android, though.
MIUI 8
The highlights of the MIUI 8 features are Dual Apps and dual spaces. Dual Apps means you can have two instances of the same app on your device. This allows you to do things like have two WhatsApp accounts on the same phone, one for each SIM.
Dual apps settings • Dual apps - the second instance is mark et with a special icon
Dual spaces lets you have two different workspaces on your device, each with its own set of apps, customizations, and image gallery, and you can enter a custom passcode or a different fingerprint to enter either space.
Space 1 • Space 1 • Space 2 • Space 2
The lockscreen is fairly standard (time, notifications, a couple of shortcuts), but once you set up the fingerprint reader, youll rarely see it anyway. Still, the Wallpaper Carousel can put beautiful images on the lockscreen every 15 minutes.
The always-on fingerprint sensor is accurate and can take the phone from sleep to the homescreen pretty quickly (the lockscreen is bypassed). Its as fast as some of the latest flagship implementations, which is quite a treat.
The lockscreen
MIUI has a simple philosophy - every shortcut, plus widgets of your choosing, are dropped on the homescreen. You get a docked menu for the most commonly used apps, of course. The homescreen also supports a wallpaper carousel, so you can enjoy different beautiful wallpapers all the time.
The Homescreen
The notification drawer has a consolidated list of quick toggles, notifications, and a weather panel at the top that changes color and animation according to the weather.
The notification drawer
The app switcher feels like it came out of iOS - apps a re either represented by their icons, in a single horizontal row, or by appropriate thumbnails in the same manner.
The Task Switcher
Themes are fully supported, and several are available out of the box. You can download more and change your wallpapers, lockscreen style, system icons, font, and sounds.
Theme store • new themes
Finally, if you have difficulties controlling MIUI 8 on the Mi 6s screen, you may want to turn on the Quick Ball UI helper. It can store up to 5 shortcuts and you can put pretty much anything here - from Android actions to app shortcuts. The Ball can also hide automatically on chosen apps, and move aside when you are running a fullscreen app.
Quick Ball
Performance
Xiaomi Mi 6 utilizes the latest Snapdragon 835 chip by Qualcomm. It packs an octa-core Kryo 280 processor (4x2.46GHz and 4x1.9GHz), Adreno 540 GPU, and 6 gigs of RAM in the case of Mi 6.
Unlike most of the current flagships, the Mi 6 is sticking to the aging 1080p resolution, which will surely give it an edge over the competition. But dont you worry, because of the mid-sized screen those pixels are crammed for a flagship-grade image.
GeekBench 4 is always a good start for our benchmarking routine. Apple is still king in the single-core processing, but the new Kryo 280 core is the best any Android smartphone could wish for right now.
GeekBench 4 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 7
3488 - Xiaomi Mi 6
2026 - Samsung Galaxy S8
1945 - Huawei P10
1927 - Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
1915 - LG G6
1733 - Sony Xperia XZs
1724 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
1682 - Sony Xperia XA1
800
But Apple has to step down when all four high-speed Kryo 280 cores work together. The Snapdragon 835 has one of the most powerful processor to date, sharing the first place with Samsungs Exynos 8895 Octa.
GeekBench 4 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy S8
6175 - Xiaomi Mi 6
6132 - Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
6106 - Huawei P10
6069 - Apple iPhone 7
5654 - LG G6
4209 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
3987 - Sony Xperia XZs
3979 - Sony Xperia XA1
3554
As far as graphics are concerned, our recent tests often showed the Adreno 540 as one of the best GPU on the mobile scene right now. GFXs offscreen tests confirm that, putting the GPU inside the Mi 6 on top of the charts.
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (1080p off screen)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 7
43 - Xiaomi Mi 6
41 - Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
39 - Samsung Galaxy S8
36 - Sony Xperia XZs
32 - Xiaomi Mi 5
30 - LG G6
26 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
26 - Huawei P10
22 - Huawei P9
10 - Sony Xperia XA1
6.2
GFX 3.1 Car scene (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Mi 6
25 - Samsung Galaxy S8
25 - Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
23 - Sony Xperia XZs
20 - Xiaomi Mi 5
17 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
16 - LG G6
16 - Huawei P10
14 - Huawei P9
6.5 - Sony Xperia XA1
3.7 - Apple iPhone 7
60 - Xiaomi Mi 6
38 - Sony Xperia XZs
34 - Huawei P10
30 - Xiaomi Mi 5
29 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
26 - Samsung Galaxy S8
23 - Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
18< /li> - Sony Xperia XA1
15 - LG G6
12 - Huawei P9
11 - Xiaomi Mi 6
25 - Sony Xperia XZs
21 - Xiaomi Mi 5
17 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
16 - Huawei P10
16 - Samsung Galaxy S8
13 - Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
12 - LG G6< /span>
8.5 - Sony Xperia XA1
7.9 - Huawei P9
7.1 - Samsung Galaxy S8
42370 - Huawei P10
39433 - Xiaomi Mi 6
38541 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
36240 - Samsung Gala xy S8+ (SD 835)
34951 - Sony Xperia XZs
33815 - Xiaomi Mi 5
33110 - LG G6
30507 - Huawei P9
16942 - Sony Xperia XA1
9714 - Apple iPhone 7
1547 - Samsung Galaxy S8
1189 - Xiaomi Mi 6
861 - Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
817 - Huawei P1 0
716 - Sony Xperia XZs
623 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
588 - Xiaomi Mi 5
580 - LG G6
541 - Huawei P9
341 - Sony Xperia XA1
191 - Xiaomi Mi 6
4402 - Huawei P10
3393 - Samsung Galaxy S8
3272 - Sony Xperia XZs
2606 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
2507 - Xiaomi Mi 5
2444 - Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
2364 - LG G6
2291 - Huawei P9
2190 - Sony Xperia XA1
1367 Xiaomi Mi 6
3547- Apple iPhone 7
3416 - Samsung Galaxy S8
3376 - Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
3319 - Huawei P10
2910 - Sony Xperia XZs
2386 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
2378 - Xiaomi Mi 5
2180 - LG G6
2126 - Huawei P9
2068 - Sony Xperia XA1
1351 - Xiaomi Mi 6
177326 - Apple iPhone 7
174532 - Samsung Galaxy S8
174435 - Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
168133 - LG G6
143639 - Sony Xperia XZs
133574 - Xiaomi Mi 5
131758 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
131666 - Huawei P10
126629 - Huawei P9
98069 - Sony Xperia XA1
60707
Having the advantage of the lower 1080p resolution, the Mi 6 GPU does even more impressive on the onscreen benchmarks. It is bested only by the iPhone 7, which runs on even lower 750p screen.
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
GFX 3.1 Car scene (onscreen)
Higher is better
Basemarks X and ES3.1 tests show us a different perspective. Both apps feature on- and off-screen tests, and thus give a better understanding of the GPU performance. The Mi 6s Adreno 540 is slightly behind the Mali-G71 MP20 GPU inside the Galaxy S8 series, but still an admirable performer.
Basemark X
Higher is better
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal
Higher is better
Finally, we ran BaseMark OS II compound benchmarks - they gauge CPU, GPU, RAM, Web, and OS performance. Here, the Xiaomi Mi 6 aced every single stress test and thus occupies the top spot in the charts. The Snapdragon 835 chip maybe not be an equal to the latest Exynos SoC, but having a 1080p screen helped the Mi 6 score better than the Galaxy S8 lineup.
Basemark OS II
Higher is better
Basemark OS 2.0
Higher is better
The popular Antutu 6 benchmark also thinks that the Mi 6 belongs on top of our chart due to the same reasons it bested every device in the Basemark OS tests.
AnTuTu 6
Higher is better
For what the Xiaomi Mi 6 lacks in pixel count, it makes up in performance. There is nothing that Mi 6 cant handle right now and it should be performance-proof for at least a few years post any 1440p smartphone lifecycle. Even better, there is not a single app or game to lag on the Mi 6 for whatever reason, something we cant say for the Galaxy S8 of the LG G6.
But does it run cool? Yes, it does. During the week we spent with the Mi 6, it has never reached anything beyond a warm state no matter for how long we ran benchmarks or played Angry Birds Pop. Pokemon Go has the power to make it a little bit hotter when played for long, but once again - nothing to really worry about. Both Qualcomm and Xiaomi did a good job with the chip and the phones thermal-spreading design.
Telephony
The dialer and the phonebook share a single app, but two shortcuts bring you straight to the tab you need. The app has a pleasant flat look which feels somewhat fresh. It uses a tabbed interface - recents and dialer on the first and the contact list on the second.
Call recording is available - the files can be saved either on your device or on your MiCloud.
The Phonebook
The dialer may look rather familiar, but its quite capable. Unfortunately, most of the new smart features are only available in a few market s such as China and India.
It can automatically recognize business numbers, as well as scan contacts thanks to the Xiaomis Caller ID database. You can also search in both Hindi and English from the T9 numpad, which is helpful. And if you live in those countries, you can use the integrated Yellow Pages option.
The Dialer
Loudspeaker
The stereo speakers on the Xiaomi Mi 6 scored Very Good in our speaker loudness test, up from the Good mark achieved by the Mi 5 and consistent with what we measured for the Mi 5s. The sound is rich and crisp, with good bass and high notes.
| Speakerphone t est | Voice, dB | Ringing | Overall score | |
| 62.9 | 65.2 | 71.6 | Below Average | |
| 62.4 | 65.5 | 73.3 | Average | |
| 66.9 | 67.2 | 74.0 | Good | |
| 61.0 | 69.3 | 78.3 | Good | |
| 66.2 | 70.5 | 72.5 | Good | |
| 67.6 | 73.2 | 75.7 | Good | |
| 64.2 | 70.0 | 84.9 | Very Good | |
| 66.1 | 69.0 | 84.1 | Very Good | |
| 67.7 | 70.0 | 83.6 | Very Good | |
| 67.6 | 74.2 | 91.7 | Excellent |
Other apps
The Mi 6 offers an excellent file managing app called Explorer, which lets you browse the files in its internal storage and groups them by type.
Explorer
The MIUI v8 also offers a Security app. It can scan your phone for malware, manage your blacklist, manage or restrict your data usage, configure battery behavior, and free up some RAM. It can also manage the permissions of your installed apps.
The Security app also allows you to define the battery behavior of selected apps and applies restrictions only to the apps you choose.
Security app • Cleaner • Battery management • Managing a single app • Battery Saver
The Mi Remote uses the IR blaster to control anything from TVs (including the Mi TV, of course) to digital cameras. The setup process is relatively straightforward, and a handy option shares the remotes youve set up with others on the same Wi-Fi network. Youd have to go through the setup only once per home, assuming everybody else uses a Xiaomi phone as well.
MiRemote app
The custom and now flat Calendar looks good, syncs with your accounts including Google, and offers Day and Month views.
Calendar
There is also the standard sound recorder, flashlight, clock, and weather apps, among others, that are offered with any self-respecting Android package nowadays.
Voice recorder • Alarms • Clock • Weather
We liked the Compass app. It has clean interface, shows the magnetic directions, and doubles as a level meter. If you lift the phone up, then youll get a nice augmented reality view with real-time East/West/North/South overlay.
Compass • level • VR directions
The Calculator app has been updated - it now supports advanced calculations and conversions.
Finally, there is a brand-new Notes app. It has been given new templates, a new look, and support for checklists.
Notes • Notes • Calculator â €¢ Conversions Menu • Conversions
Gallery
The Xiaomi Mi 6 comes with a custom Gallery app that shows the camera row by default, but the second tab includes all images and videos on the phone. You can set up a photo backup with your Mi Cloud account.
The Gallery app remains unchanged
The integrated editor offers various effects, filters, and enhancements, plus fun stuff like stickers and doodling.
Editing an image
Music player
The MIUI music player is a custom app with a well laid out, easy to navigate interface. The player has cool effects, transitions, and transparent elements, especially on the expandable Now Playing section. Lyrics are supported, too.
The music player cares about streaming as much as your offline library
Xiaomi Mi 6 offers customizable equalizers within the phones Settings menu - there are a few default presets already available for use. You can also try Xiaomis MiSound enhancer, which comes into play when you use headphones, and especially, a Xiaomi-branded headset.
Video player
Videos are launched from the gallery. Theres no subtitle support here, but DLNA is on board.
The simple video player
A surprisingly powerful video editor hides here - it can trim videos and add filters, text labels, or even a soundtrack (from a predefined library of tracks or your music library).
The advanced video editor
Excellent audio output
The Xiaomi Mi 6 did splendidly in the first part of our audio test. When hooked to an active external ampl ifier it delivered very loud and yet perfectly accurate output.
Plugging in a pair of headphones damaged the stereo quality but not too much and introduced a tiny bit of intermodulation distortion (thats basically only detectable with dedicated equipment such as ours). The output remained excellent and the volume was still very high so a great performance overall.
| Test | Frequency response | Noise level | Dynamic range | THD | IMD + Noise | Stereo crosstalk |
| +0.01, -0.02 | -94.3 | 94.3 | 0.0039 | 0.0068 | -90.9 | |
| +0.08, -0.03 | -93 .9 | 93.8 | 0.011 | 0.110 | -68.1 | |
| +0.04, -0.00 | -92.5 | 92.5 | 0.0016 | 0.0072 | -92.8 | |
| +0.03, -0.03 | -92.3 | 92.3 | 0.0056 | 0.060 | -77.2 | |
| +0.01, -0.02 | -93.5 | 93.3 | 0.0042 | 0.0092 | -92.7 | |
| +0.12, -0.32 | -92.6 | 93.2 | 0.0072 | 0.219 | -67.0 | |
| +0.01, -0.02 | -93.3 | 93.3 | 0.0059 | 0.0095 | -94.4 | |
| +0.01, -0.02 | -93.4 | 93.4 | 0.0067 | 0.020 | -56.3 | |
| +0.01, -0.04 | -93.0 | 94.8 | 0.0019 | 0.0080 | -93.5 | |
| +0.25, -0.02 | -92.7 | 93.0 | 0.192 | 0.175 | -59.5 | |
| +0.06, -0.10 | -92.4 | 92.3 | 0.0015 | 0.0093 | -80.9 | |
| +0.03, -0.11 | -92.3 | 92.3 | 0.0011 | 0.012 | -77.0 |
Xiaomi Mi 6 frequency response
You can learn more about the tested parameters and the whole testing process here.
Exit Mono, Enter Portrait - a new dual 12MP camera
Specs and features
Xiaomi has been playing with different camera sensors, features, and even setups for a while now. The Mi 5 offered a great 4-axis optical stabilization on a 16MP sensor, the Mi 5s dropped the stabilization for bigger sensor pixels spread at 12MP, then the Mi 5s Plus introduced a new setup with a 13MP color and a 13MP monochrome cameras.
Now, the Mi 6 is hopping on the dual-camera train, but it has swapped the monochrome sensor with a telephoto one. Huaweis idea has been replaced with Apples, if you will.
The regular wide-angle cam era on the Mi 6 has a 12MP Sony IMX386 sensor with 27mm f/1.8 lens and 1.25µm big pixels. The 4-axis OIS we saw on the Mi 5 has made its way back into the game and is backing the IMX386.
The 12MP telephoto sensors maker is yet to be revealed, but its specs sound familiar - 1.00µm pixels and 56mm f/2.6 lens, close to Apple used for the iPhone 7 Plus telephoto cam - 12MP, f/2.8. There is no OIS for this camera.
The camera interface is fairly simple and features toggles for HDR, Portrait Mode, and flash on the left, and 2x telephoto and the video camera on the right.
There are 12 filters available with live previews. The camera also offers quite a few different shooting modes - Panorama, Timer, Audio, Straighten, Manual, Beautify, Group Shot, Tilt Shift, and Night (HHT) as well as the camera settings. The Manual mode lets you tweak ISO (100-3200), exposure time (up to 1/4s), white balance, and focus.
Camera UI • Modes • Settings • Manual mode • Portrait mode
Daylight photos
The Xiaomi Mi 6, just like the Mi 5, snaps pictures blazingly fast, resolves a great deal of detail, and the noise levels are kept reasonably low. The white balance is accurate, and we liked the lively color rendition. The dynamic range is high without ever resorting to HDR. There is no corner softness either. And finally, we have to note the amazing foliage presentation.
Overall, the Mi 6 has a flagship worthy camera and processing, and even at 100% magni fication nothing got in the way of our positive impressions.
Xiaomi Mi 6 12MP regular camera samples
The telephoto camera also does a great job in good light, and comes in handy when you need a bit of zoom. Its quality gets close to the main cameras - the images have plenty of detail and the same great processing, colors and dynamic range. Now, the images often come out a bit softer, and are usually shot at a faster shutter speed than the regular ones and hence - at a higher ISO.
The telephoto lens lacks any kind of stabilization, but you would hardly need it either as when the light gets low, the phone will stop using it and wo uld instead switch to cropping the output of the main camera to achieve the zoomed effect. The iPhone 7 Plus does the same thing, by the way. This, of course, takes its toll on image quality so wed recommend against using the second camera in low light.
Xiaomi Mi 6 12MP telephoto samples
HDR
The Mi 6 regular camera has a wide dynamic range, sure, but there are times when youd still want to use the HDR. Here the phone does a great job brightening up the shadows though some of the highlights may be compromised in the process.
HDR off • HDR on
Low-light
The dusk shots turned out fine, with little noise and accurate colors. The stabilization and the wider aperture help the Mi 6s main camera to produce pleasant pictures with lots of fine detail and natural col ors despite the spike in the noise levels.
Dusk photo • Dusk photo • Last daylight sample • Night sample
The Mi 6 low-light shots came out sharp in a variety of scenes. In handheld shooting, the shutter speed wouuld go down to 1/12s so the OIS is not doing a class-leading job but most photos we shot turned out sharp.
Low-light photos
The Mi 6 is capable of further slowing down the shutter speed to as low as 1/4s but thats in Manual mode. Its not much as weve sen other phones offer much longer exposure times, but we guess you can download a long-exposure camera app from the the Play Store if its badly needed.
A handheld sample shot at 1/4s at night
Just like Apple, Xiaomi wants you to use the telephoto camera only in really good light and mostly for portraits. Due to the lens narrower aperture of f/2.6, the lack of optical stabilization and its smaller sensor, the telephoto camera is probably unfit to capture go od low light images.
When the light is low and you try to use the 2X camera mode, the Mi 6 will resort to using a digitally zoomed photo from its main camera. This may not sound terrific, but this photo will be actually better than the one you would get from the tele cam itself. The iPhone 7 Plus resots to the same tactics when you attempt to take a zoomed picture in low light.
Xiaomi Mi 6 low-light telephoto samples - digitally zoomed from the regular
And we managed to grab a few shots taken with the telephoto camera at dusk.
Native Xiaomi Mi 6 telephoto samples at dusk
Portrait Photography
Portrait mode uses the Telephoto camera and some software trickery to create a photo with a faux bokeh - an artificially blurry background resembling the one that occurs naturally when you use a lens with a bright aperture on a large sensor camera. Its quite the same as the Portrait Mode that Apple brought to the iPhone 7 Plus, and even the helper text in the viewfinder is identi cal to Apples. While HTC was probably the first to introduce this effect with the One M8 way ahead of its time, Huawei was actually the first to make it trendy (and naturally looking) with the P9.
Anyway, the Mi 6 uses the combination of the two cameras to map the distance to all objects of the scene and attempts to isolate the subject in front by blurring the background. This works best when youre shooting a well-lit subject which stands out against the backdrop. The software will get fooled by a strong backlight or a busy scene.
The Mi 6 shoots its portrait shots faster than the iPhone 7+, but it takes longer for the camera to read the scene and determine where the depth effect should be. The samples turned out very pleasant with mostly accurate shapes and blur effects. Its possible for the algorithm to smear an ear or some hair, though thats not a Mi 6-specific issue, but one of the method itself.
Xiaomi Mi 6 12MP Portrait samples
We also snapped the same scenes with the iPhone 7 Plus. Its images came out with somewhat duller colors and less contrast (thats how the camera is tuned in this generation), but the pixel-peepers will find the bokeh effect to be better. We also noticed that the iPhones real-time blur that you see in the viewfinder before you take the picture is more accurate than the messy preview Xiaomi is offering.
Apple iPhone 7 Plus 12MP Portrait samples
Panorama
You can capture only portrait panoramic photos with an 180-degree field of view. Shooting is easy and the resolution high at 64MP (up 4,000px tall). The image quality is great - there is plenty of fine detail, accurate colors, and no signs of bad stitching. The dynamic range is great as is the contrast. The pano shots are somewhat softer than the regular shots, and the foliage isnt as great, but given the high resolution we are happy with what we got.
Xiaomi Mi 6 panorama
You can also shoot a panorama with the telephoto camera. It has a similar resolution, great stitching, and keeps the great contrast and colors. There is less resolved detail, though, and the additive noise is much higher.
Xiaomi Mi 6 telephoto panorama
Selfies
We also tested out the 8MP front-facing camera. The images came out with more than enough detail, high contrast, and pleasant colors. The dynamic range is above average, too.
Xiaomi Mi 6 8MP selfie samples
Picture Compare Tool
Finally, you should check how the Xiaomi Mi 6 does against the Galaxy S8 and iPhone 7 Plus in our Photo Compare Tool. Weve pre-selected these two, but you are free to pick any other phone to compare it against.
Xiaomi Mi 6 vs. Galaxy S8 vs iPhone 7 Plus in our Photo quality comparison tool
Video rec ording
Video mode gives you a choice of 2160p@30fps and 1080p@30fps for common shooting with a 720p@120fps option if you want some slow-motion effects. Theres no 1080p@60fps mode, though, which would make a big difference in fast-paced scenes. No telephoto videos either.
Anyway, the 2160p videos are captured at 42Mbps bitrate and have rock solid 30fps. The audio is stereo captured at 96KBps bitrate.
The video quality is average - the resolved detail is enough and barely competitive. The dynamic range is average and they are just too soft. On the positive side, the framerate is smooth and steady, and so is the footage itself thanks to the OIS.
The audio quality is OK- there are no traces of compression, but youll notice that the quality gets worse with loud sound sources (loud music, crowds, cars honking, etc.).
The 1080p videos are shot at 20Mbps bitrate and have the same audio bitrate. The video quality in 1080p is quite different to the 4K videos and we really appreciate it. The level of detail is sibjectively higher and they are sharper overall.
The Xiaomi Mi 6 offers 4-axis optical image stabilization and its advertized as being exceptionally good even compared to other OIS systems. .
We shot a short 4K video while walking, and... the result wasnt peachy. The Mi 6 did fine with stabilizing the video, but what we were missing is the really smooth steadicam-like footage, which we get from other flagship camera phones, which combine OIS with some extra digital stabilization.
You can also download the 4K@30fps (10s, 51MB) and 1080p@30fps (9s, 23MB) video samples taken straight off the Xiaomi Mi 6.
Video Compare Tool
Finally, you can use our Video Compare Tool to see how the Mi 6stacks against the Galaxy S8 and iPhone 7 Plus when it comes to video capturing.
Xiaomi Mi 6 vs. Galaxy S8 vs iPhone 7 Plus in our 2160p Video quality comparison tool
Final words
Xiaomi tried to put everything thats hot right now in a low-fare package and the resulting Mi 6 is an amazing phone for the price. Xiaomis keen on making a statement with it and challenging the big names in the game. The way the Chinese go about it is probably not the most subtle but i n terms of looks and specs, the Xiaomi Mi 6 is the best Mi yet.
Clearly building on an all-glass design that originated with the Mi 5, the Xiaomi Mi 6 is not just sturdy now, its splash-resistant too. The new dual-camera is the highlight of the package. Even if it doesnt get Mi 5 owners craving for an upgrade though, the latest Snapdragon 835 chip and 6GB of RAM might as well.
The Mi 6 succeeds where others would have likely failed, and not just on paper. It has processing power to spare, one of the best designs, a very credible camera, solid battery life, quality stereo sound. Sure, the display resolution could have been higher, but that wouldve hurt performance. The 5.15" screen is reasonably sharp as it is and the 1080p resolution helps squeeze every drop of power out of the Snapdragon 835.
Xiaomi Mi 6 key te st findings
- Premium build and design, dual Gorilla Glass 5 and stainless steel frame, splash-proof.
- The 5.15" 1080p screen is upper-midrange at best, but its sharp enough and one of the brightest LCDs around, with very good contrast, accurate colors, and superb sunlight legibility.
- The Home key could have been retired instead of the audio jack, but on a positive note its fingerprint scanner is always-on, very fast and accurate.
- With an 80h Endurance Rating, the Mi 6 is a solid performer and does great in the individual tests of web browsing, video playback, and voice calls, but it has an unusually high power consumption in standby.
- MIUI 8.0 is built on Android 7.1 Nougat and runs fast and fluid; theming and various customization options, including the notification area and app switcher, help you get the look you want.
- The Snapdragon 835 chipset is a beast and the Mi 6 takes full advantag e. It outperforms the S835-powered rivals thanks to its lower screen resolution.
- The stereo speakers are loud, with clean output.
- Audio quality using the supplied 3.5mm auido adapter is excellent with very loud output.
- The still images from the regular camera show mature processing with accurate colors, high level of detail, and great dynamic range.
- The telephoto samples with depth effect offer good software faux bokeh when shooting people. The effect isnt as good when there is no face in the frame such as when you are shooting everyday objects. Its nice to have a 2x zoom camera in good light even though resolved detail is average. The smaller sensor and smaller aperture make the telephoto camera unusable in low light.
- Good selfies with lots of detail, nice colors, and great contrast.
- The image quality of 4K videos is average across the board - detail, noise, dynamic range. 1080p videos are better with more detail and sharper picture. The low audio bitrate takes its toll on sound quality in noisier environments.
Its not just design cues that Xiaomi obviously took from Apple - the dual camera and stereo speakers are a direct response to the iPhone 7 Plus. Overall, the Mi 6s defining features are a catalogue of what the current flagships have, Android or iOS.
Has Xiaomi sort of traded its own identity for a pass to the elite club? Xiaomis isnt exactly subtle either in how the Mi 6 is being pitched. They call it the first 5.15" smartphone with dual camera and you can take this the wrong way if youre not paying attention. There is obviously a really strong emphasis on this particular screen size.
Cant blame Xiaomi for some cheeky marketing - some rules have to be bent if youre to offer this sort of package at this sort of price. So, iPhone, Huawei and LG - they would laugh at the First Dual Camera statement but Xiaomi clearly wants to have the last laugh by offering those goodies at a fraction of the price.
Apples iPhone 7 Plus was the first to introduce the exact dual-camera setup Mi 6 is trying to emulate - and actually succeeding. But with a price thats one-third of what Apple is asking, and Android-based MIUI we feel nobody will ever have to choose between those two. The Mi 6 has been built to win this round right away - with the right group of customers, that is.
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
Huaweis P10 matches most of the specs except instead of telephoto, it goes for a monochrome secondary camera. You can have memory expansion and an even catchier design with the P10, but its hard for the Leica-branded flagship in markets where Xiaomi is officially selling phones.
Huawei P10
The Snap dragon 835 club has some prominent figures that are not going to give Xiaomi the warmest of welcomes. The Mi 6 wants to compete against the best but may have trouble matching some of their special features. The infinity display on the Galaxy S8 and the 4K HDR display on the XZ Premium are one-of-a-kind. None of these has a second camera, but their primary imagers are probably the best in the market.
Samsung Galaxy S8 • Sony Xperia XZ Premium
Finally, the LG G6 has a price thats easier to swallow. The phone has last years Snapdragon 821 chip, but its HDR 1440p screen and iconic dual-camera with regular and ultra wide-angle lens are well worth having.
LG G6
There you have it - the Mi 6 sounds like a wish come true. It has everything thats cool and at a price thats hard to believe. In China, it starts at $360, which is a steal, but if you shop on Western markets (Europe and US), youll be lucky to get it for less than $600. Thats still competitive but not the discount that will make you buy Chinese over name brand any day of the week.
Strange though it may sound, its Xiaomis good enough track record that makes the markup prices credible. What can you do, some retailers importing it directly from China will be making a good fat profit.
Thats hardly the point though. The thing is the Xiaomi Mi 6 is a phone that challenges the big brands in a way they certainly wont like. Its trying to break into the rich club and hoping to blend in. Thats probably its biggest mistake. A personality of its own wouldve helped it stand out - the way it deserves.
Special thanks to eudirect.shop for providing the review unit.
! ( hope useful)
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