Xiaomi, known for its superior hardware, tied up with Search Giant Google to bring Android One handset at an affordable price. After the global launch, Xiaomi made a few changes and brought Mi A2 in the Indian market.
Starting tomorrow at 12 noon, the Mi India lovers can grab the new handset (available in 4 colour variants – Gold, Lake Blue, Rose Gold and Black) by pre-ordering it on Amazon India store. However, the actual sale would commence on 16th August. Apart from Amazon India, the handset can be procured at Mi India, Mi Home and other Mi preferred partner stores.
Coming to the handset, Mi A2 is a great sequel to Mi A1 both in terms of performance and camera. However, the Mi India Android One fans would surely miss 3.5mm jack, NFC, microSD slot and the mammoth battery that is synonymous with the Indian market.
Also Read: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Launched Starting at ₹9999 - 100% Made in India
Leaving that aside, Mi A2 is a standout handset in this midrange price. When compared to the other international markets, Xiaomi has priced this well. With more or less similar specs, HMD has priced Nokia 7 Plus at ₹25,999.
Regarding specifications, the new Mi A2 sports a 5.99-inch IPS LCD display (2160 x 1080) with a larger 18:9 panel and sizable bezels at the top and bottom. In fact, Mi A2 is the first handset in India to have Gorilla Glass 5 Protection on its Aluminum unibody.
With Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 on its board, the Mi A2 is probably the fastest phone in this midrange section. The 4GB RAM 64GB ROM is the only variant for sale and the company promises to launch 6GB RAM 128GB ROM variant soon. With modest 3010mAh battery, Xiaomi claims to offer a full day battery juice. Moreover, the Indian variant supports Quick Charge 4.0.
As the market is still in nascent stage, the product box packs the standard 5V/2A charger that supports Quick Charge 3.0 only providing 50% battery juice in just 20 minutes.
In terms of Optics, Mi A2 sports dual rear camera setup (12mp+20mp) that creates a DSLR-like bokeh effect. It also offers a 20-megapixel front camera capturing AI portrait selfies. It works better than Mi A1 in low-light conditions. While shooting videos, the provision of Electronic Image Stabilization offers better videos. Surely, the dual rear camera set up has created wonders for Xiaomi phones both in the day and low-light conditions.
Being an Android One handset, Xiaomi Mi A2 will soon receive Android 9 Pie update and the security updates as and when released. If one happens to compare Mi A2 with Nokia 7 Plus, then Mi A2 would seem to be a better choice. However, the lack of 3.5mm jack and 3010mAh battery would surely put Mi A2 at disadvantage. The recent Honor Play could be an excellent value for money.
Do you think Mi A2 performance and camera at ₹16,999 is worth the money? Or should one spend an extra 6K and grab Nokia 7 Plus instead? Let us know your inputs.
Also Read: Nokia 7 Plus - The Flagship Phone for Everyone Priced at ₹25999
