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Introduction
With the Xiaomi Mi 5X confined to the domestic Chinese market soon after launch, its double, the Mi A1, is called upon to boost the brand's global presence. Steered by Google, Android One is full of potential and Xiaomi's looking keen on getting its message across a wider audience and, of course, making some profit in the process with the Mi A1.
Android One started as an initiative for the emerging markets, making decent smartphone experience widely-available on entry-level and budget-friendly handsets. It has now outgrown its initial target and ready to confidently step into mature markets with more phones like the Xiaomi Mi A1. The Chinese maker benefits too from this sort of partnership, celebrating the first Mi ever that's officially available across Europe.
We, users are lucky enough to enjoy this midrange smartphone with on-time updates and a pure Android experience. The 5.5" LCD screen is a popular choice, while the Snapdragon 625 is still the benchmark for power efficiency. The dual-camera is what makes the Mi A1 so attractive though, delivering the trending imaging experience on the cheap.
Xiaomi Mi A1 key features
- Body: Aluminum unibody design
- Screen: 5.5" IPS LCD display, 1080p resolution, 403ppi
- OS: Android OS v7.1.2 Nougat, Oreo coming soon
- Chipset: Snapdragon 625 chipset: octa-core 2.0GHz Cortex-A53 processor; Adreno 506 GPU
- RAM: 4GB
- Camera: Dual 12MP Sony IMX386 camera; wide-angle F/2.2 + telephoto F/2.6, live bokeh effects, dual-LED flash, phase detection auto focus, 2160p@30fps video;
- Selfie: 5MP front-facing camera with 1080p@30fps video
- Storage: 32GB/64GB of built-in storage
- SIM: Dual-SIM (nano-SIM)
- Connectivity: LTE; Dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, Bluetooth v4.2, USB-C port, IR blaster
- Battery: 3,080mAh non-removable battery
- Misc: Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted)
Main shortcomings
- No NFC or FM radio
- No Quick Charge
The omissions of the Mi 5X are automatically inherited by the Mi A1 - it's pretty much the same phone after all. This means no NFC and no fast charging. The bundled charger will restore about 30% of a flat battery in half an hour, which is not so bad. Luckily, the phone has broader availability and is free of MIUI for better or worse.
It's a big deal when such a properly equipped package as the Mi A1 is entering the Android One program. There are lots of firsts happening for both Xiaomi and Google and we can't wait to see how the story will unfold. If you are curious too, follow us to the next page for the usual unboxing and hardware checkup.
Retail box
The Xiaomi Mi A1 ships in a plain-looking cardboard box with Android One logos all over. The contents are as basic: a USB Type-C cable and a 5V/2A charger. There are no headphones or a case included this time, but then again the 5X missed on those too.
The retail box • the Xiaomi Mi A1
Xiaomi Mi A1 360-degree spin
The Xiaomi Mi A1 is as big as the Mi 5X and pretty much comparable to the majority of the 5.5-inchers out there. It measures 155.4 x 75.8 x 7.3mm, which is 4mm taller than the Redmi Note 4 but a bit thinner. It weighs as much as the Note 4 at 165g sharp.
Design
The Xiaomi Mi A1's design is both traditional and contemporary. The overall impression is indeed very familiar if you've seen and experienced the Mi 5X, Mi Max 2 and a bunch of Redmi Notes. We can't complain about the all-metal chassis, it is both premium-looking and sturdy-feeling.
The Mi A1 follows the company's new design, which gets rid of the plastic strips on the back. Now the whole phone case is made of metal and the company adopted the new less intrusive antenna lines. So, whatever color option you choose - black, gold, or rose gold - the Mi A1 will look fresh and stylish.
The 5.5" screen occupies most of the front and has a Corning Gorilla Glass for protection against scratches. The signature capacitive keys are below the display, featuring white backlighting for the button labels.
The rest of the Xiaomi Mi A1 is made of metal with a very pleasant matte finish. The antenna strips run along the top and bottom edge at the back. The fingerprint sensor sits comfortably in the middle, while the dual-camera module is budging in the left corner but has a nice glossy rim to make that a feature instead of a flaw.
The fingerprint scanner is always-on and very accurate. Upon tap with a recorded finger it wakes and unlocks the Mi A1 in a flash.
The Xiaomi Mi A1 is a pretty handsome device, comfortable to handle and operate. It provides a reasonably secure grip not only because of its balanced weight distribution and matte finish, but also thanks to the chamfer where the screen meets the frame. Lastly, the build is well up to standard, solid and gap-free, so overall the Mi A1 has it all figured out when it comes to design and looks.
Handling the Xiaomi Mi A1
Device overview
The Mi A1 looks like a typical Xiaomi specimen, even if it doesn't run MIUI. You'll spot the usual arrangement above the screen, where the earpiece is flanked by a notification LED, a bunch of sensors and the selfie camera.
The backlit capacitive keys - Task Switcher, Home, and Back - are below the 5.5" screen.
Xiaomi Mi A1 • the earpiece • the Android keys
The hybrid SIM slot is the only thing to note on the left side - and it can either take two nano-SIMs or you can swap one of those for a microSD card.
The volume rocker and the power/lock key are on the left side of the Mi A1.
The left side • the SIM slot • the right side • the metal keys
Just like the Mi 5X, the Mi A1 also comes with an IR blaster at the top. The noise-cancelling mic is nearby too.
The bottom of the Mi A1 has the USB Type-C port, the mouthpiece, the audio jack, and the loudspeaker.
The top of the Mi A1 • the bottom • the USB port
The dual-camera is on the back, accompanied by a dual-tone flash. The fingerprint scanner is around too.
The back of the Mi A1 • the fingerprint scanner • the dual-camera and its hump
Display
The 5.5" IPS display of the Mi A1 is the same unit we saw on the Mi 5X, a pretty common choice in Xiaomi's smartphones. So, there are no surprises on the Mi A1, 1080p resolution on an RGB matrix.
Xiaomi promises 450 nits of maximum brightness for the Mi A1's screen and a contrast ratio of 1000:1. In our display test, we measured a maximum brightness of 550 nits and some pleasantly deep blacks. Overall, the Mi A1 has an excellent contrast ratio of 1570:1, way higher than the promised 1000:1. The color reproduction is passable, with an average DeltaE of 7 and somewhat punchy colors (especially the blue hues).
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | ||
| 0.69 | 632 | 916 | |
| 0.462 | 603 | 1305 | |
| 0.416 | 592 | 1423 | |
| 0.376 | 591 | 1572 | |
| 0.351 | 551 | 1570 | |
| 0.343 | 549 | 1601 | |
| 0.401 | 519 | 1294 | |
| 0.364 | 484 | 1330 | |
| 0.322 | 484 | 1503 | |
| 0.271 | 471 | 1738 | |
| 0 | 413 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 326 | ∞ | |
The sunlight legibility is okay but, overall, the Mi A1 suffers from washed-out colors in the sun. Other than that though, you will be able to comfortably see what's happening on the screen outdoors.
Sunlight contrast ratio
- Samsung Galaxy S8
4.768 - Samsung Galaxy S8+
4.658 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
4.615 - Motorola Moto Z2 Play
4.459 - Oppo R11
4.454 - 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 - Nokia 8
4.239 - OnePlus 3T
4.232 - Google Pixel XL
4.164 - ZTE Axon 7
4.154 - Samsung Galaxy Note8
4.148 - Meizu Pro 7 Plus
4.147 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
4.124 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
4.124 - Samsung Galaxy Note5
4.09 - LG V30
4.022 - Huawei Nexus 6P
4.019 - Vivo Xplay5 Elite
3.983 - OnePlus X
3.983 - Apple iPhone 7
3.964 - Oppo R7s
3.964 - Apple iPhone 8 (True Tone)
3.957 - Huawei P9 Plus
3.956 - Meizu Pro 6 Plus
3.935 - Lenovo Moto Z
3.931 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016)
3.918 - OnePlus 5
3.914 - 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 J7 (2017)
3.812 - 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 - Sony Xperia XZ1
3.765 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
3.756 - Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact
3.729 - Apple iPhone 8 Plus (True Tone)
3.725 - Oppo F1 Plus
3.709 - Vivo X5Pro
3.706 - Sony Xperia X Compact
3.694 - 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 - Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra
3.597 - 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)
3.523 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) outdoor mode
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 Ultra
3.453 - Samsung Galaxy J7
3.422 - Meizu MX5
3.416 - LG V20
3.402 - Huawei P10
3.379 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
3.378 - Oppo R9s
3.352 - Honor 8 Pro
3.341 - Oppo R7
3.32 - Lenovo P2
3.316 - Honor 9
3.289 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
3.276 - Nokia 5
3.261 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
3.244 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
3.238 - 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 - ZTE Nubia Z17
3.159 - Lenovo Vibe Shot
3.113 - Motorola Moto X Force
3.105 - LG Nexus 5X
3.092 - HTC U11
3.089 - Huawei Mate S
3.073 - Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
3.065 - Sony Xperia XA1
3.012 - Sony Xperia L1
2.994 - Sony Xperia X
2.989 - Huawei P10 Lite
2.974 - Samsung Galaxy Note
2.97 - Sony Xperia Z1
2.95 - Huawei Mate 8
2.949 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
2.92 - 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 - Nokia 3
2.871 - Microsoft Lumia 550
2.851 - Lenovo Moto M
2.813 - Xiaomi 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
2.690 - Xiaomi Mi A1
2.689 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
2.679 - Huawei P9 Lite
2.679 - Vivo V3Max
2.659 - Xiaomi Mi Mix
2.658 - Doogee Mix
2.642 - Xiaomi Mi 4i
2.641 - Xiaomi Redmi 4a
2.635 - Xiaomi Mi 5X (Standard)
2.616 - 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
2.567 - Microsoft Lumia 640
2.563 - Asus Zenfone 3 ZE552KL
2.563 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
2.561 - Lenovo K6 Note
2.544 - Lenovo Moto G4
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 - Xiaomi Mi 5X (Auto)
2.417 - HTC 10 evo
2.407 - Huawei Honor 7
2.406 - Sony Xperia E5
2.386 - ZUK Z1 by Lenovo
2.382 - 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 - Apple iPhone 4S
2.269 - 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 - LG Nexus 5
2.228 - 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 - HTC Butterfly
1.873 - Sony Xperia Z1 Compact
1.772 - 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 Xperia L
1.351 - HTC Desire C
1.3 - Sony Xperia C
1.283 - Meizu MX
1.221 - Sony Xperia E
1.215
Battery life
The Xiaomi Mi A1 has a 3,080mAh battery, which is far from spectacular for a 5.5" device. Then again, the energy-efficient Snapdragon 625 helps it achieve some good battery endurance. The Mi A1 supports regular 5V/2A charging, which restores about 30% of a flat battery in 30 minutes.
Indeed, the Snapdragon 625 chip once again lived up to expectations. The Xiaomi Mi A1 scored an endurance rating of 73h. It did a fabulous job in all test scenarios - video playback, calls and web browsing, matching the 5X. However, the standby battery draw test returned some confusing results. While the average performance was great, the phone would occasionally lose a good deal of battery charge overnight. We couldn't pinpoint the reason for this erratic behavior, as there was no difference in the running services between great and mediocre performances, so it's likely some sort of a software glitch or lack of optimization. Hopefully, it will be addressed in a firmware update soon enough.
Our endurance rating indicates how long a single battery charge will last you if you use the Xiaomi Mi A1 for an hour each of telephony, web browsing, and video playback daily. We've 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 you're interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones we've tested will compare under your own typical use.
Connectivity
The Xiaomi Mi A1 is a dual-SIM phone with LTE connectivity. Its LTE band coverage is far from impressive, but it supports the most common European bands. The SIM slot is a hybrid solution and allows you to replace one of the nanoSIMs with a microSD card.
There's also Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.2 is also available. For positioning, you get GPS, GLONASS and still Beidou.
The IR blaster is located at the top of the phone, and coupled with the right software, you can use it to remotely control pretty much any IR-enabled home appliance. Xiaomi provides its own MiRemote app, which supports a long list of devices right out of the box.
Mi Remote app
The USB Type-C supports USB On-The-Go with the proper adapter in case you need to access some external storage or use a USB accessory.
There is no FM radio on the Mi A1, in contrast with the Mi 5X model. We are not sure if the entire support is gone, or just a dedicated FM app is missing, but we couldn't find an appropriate app to verify the existence of an FM radio - or lack thereof.
Pure Nougat out of the box
Xiaomi Mi A1 runs on vanilla Android Nougat OS, version 7.1.2. Google has promised at least two major updates for the Mi A1 and Oreo should be coming in a couple of weeks. Everything but the camera and IR blaster is handled by the stock Google app suite and while this approach may not be appealing to some, it does come with two indisputable pros - fast updates and the smooth performance.
The feature-rich MIUI might be missed by some, but for others it was actually a disadvantage and they'll certainly appreciate this pure Android version.
The lockscreen displays the standard Nougat notification cards, complete with grouping, expanded view and direct reply. There's a camera shortcut but the camera can be launched with a double press of the power button from anywhere, if you enable it from the settings menu.
The Ambient display is present on the Mi A1. It comes to life whenever you get a new notification or when you pick up your phone, provided that you have enabled one or both of those functions in Settings first. It shows the clock and events that might require your attention.
Lockscreen
The Pixel-like app drawer that you pull up from the dock is your only option. Of course, since there is folder support on the homescreen as well, you can organize everything there and simply forget the Pixel-like swipe up gesture to open the drawer even exists.
Home screen • Homescreen • Folder view • Mi Apps • App drawer
A long press on an empty space on the home screen turns edit mode on. This is also where you get access to widgets and wallpapers. The latter can be sourced from the Google Wallpapers app (available in the Play Store), which has the handy option for daily wallpapers.
Homescreen editing • Homescreen settings • Google Now panel • Google Wallpapers app
The homescreen setting menu only has a couple of options, but both are interesting. The Google App toggle is used to enable or disable the Google Now interface, accessible through a swipe to the right form the homescreen. There's Google Assistant too - the customary long press on the Home button summons it.
A single pull on Mi A1's notification shade gets you six small toggles. Pull a second time and you get a total of 9 large ones per pane, with multiple panes supported. There's also a brightness slider, but Auto brightness is only accessible through the settings menu.
Notification shade
The task switcher is business as usual - the Android rolodex is present here. The 'clear all' button only appears when you scroll all the way to the top - a bit of a nuisance. There is multi-window multitasking (thanks, Nougat), but the screen is always split 50/50 - you can't adjust the windows.
Task switcher • Multi-window
Benchmark tests
The Snapdragon 625 chipset we saw on the Redmi Note 4 and Mi 5X also powers the Mi A1. This particular SoC is somewhat a favorite for the midrange class because of its power-efficiency and balanced performance. The S625 packs an octa-core Cortex-A53 processor clocked at 2.0GHz and Adreno 506 GPU. There are 4 gigs of RAM, more than enough for the class.
As usual we start with GeekBench and the Mi A1 processor did great, beaten only by the A72 core inside the Snapdragon 652 chip (Oppo F3 Plus).
GeekBench 4.1 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Oppo F3 Plus
1438 - Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
901 - Xiaomi Mi A1
877 - Xiaomi Mi 5X
868 - Moto G5S Plus
843 - Huawei P10 lite
834 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
824 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
731 - Nokia 5
672 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
551
The multi-core performance is superb for the midrange class as was to be expected from an octa-core CPU.
GeekBench 4.1 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Oppo F3 Plus
4695 - Xiaomi Mi A1
4292 - Xiaomi Mi 5X
4225 - Moto G5S Plus
4193 - Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
3783 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
3667 - Huawei P10 lite
3344 - Nokia 5
2851 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
2841 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
2445 - Nokia 3
1529
Moving on to graphics - the Mi A1's Adreno 506 GPU is perfectly capable of handling the Full HD screen resolution. The more recent mid-range Mali combos (Sony Xperia XA1 Plus, Redmi Note 4) are somewhat faster, though.
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Oppo F3 Plus
11 - Nokia 5
10 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Helio X20)
9.4 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
9 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
7.4 - Moto G5S Plus
6.8 - Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
6.7 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
6.4 - Xiaomi Mi 5X
6.3 - Xiaomi Mi A1
6.3 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
6.2 - Huawei P10 lite
5 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
4.5 - Nokia 3
3.2
GFX 3.1 Car scene (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Oppo F3 Plus
6 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Helio X20)
5.4 - Nokia 5
5.2 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
5.2 - Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
4 - Moto G5S Plus
3.8 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
3.8 - Xiaomi Mi A1
3.5 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
3.5 - Xiaomi Mi 5X
3.5 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
3.4 - Huawei P10 lite
3 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
2.5
The BaseMark X test perfectly demonstrates the balanced performance of the Adreno 506. It's in line with all recent smartphones from the same class.
Basemark X
Higher is better
- Oppo F3 Plus
16695 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Helio X20)
13666 - Moto G5S Plus
10488 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
10482 - Xiaomi Mi A1
10472 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
10446 - Xiaomi Mi 5X
10403 - Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
9543 - Huawei P10 lite
7588 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
7516 - Nokia 5
7316 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
5258 - Nokia 3
2210
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Helio X20)
287 - Oppo F3 Plus
261 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
259 - Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
191 - Huawei P10 lite
145 - Xiaomi Mi 5X
138 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
138 - Moto G5S Plus
137 - Xiaomi Mi A1
136 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
100 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
93
The compound tests AnTuTu and BaseMark confirm the Mi A1 produced two more solid scores - not quite good enough to get you bragging rights, but sufficient to handle everyday tasks with ease.
AnTuTu 6
Higher is better
- Oppo F3 Plus
91458 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Helio X20)
85162 - Moto G5S Plus
64554 - Xiaomi Mi 5X
63548 - Xiaomi Mi A1
61762 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
61616 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
61020 - Huawei P10 lite
60895 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
57902 - Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
55657 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
47495 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
46400 - Nokia 5
43392 - Nokia 3
28441
Basemark OS 2.0
Higher is better
- Oppo F3 Plus
1890 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Helio X20)
1728 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
1417 - Huawei P10 lite
1284 - Xiaomi Mi A1
1262 - Xiaomi Mi 5X
1246 - Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
1198 - Moto G5S Plus
1176 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
1107 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
1050 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
1038 - Nokia 5
982 - Nokia 3
568
The Xiaomi Mi A1 is well equipped to handle Android and its apps. Sure, the Snapdragon 625 may not be the most powerful midrange chipset, but it offers very balanced performance and lightweight processor thanks to the efficient 14nm manufacturing process. Everything on the Mi A1 runs very cool even under peak load. You bet the vanilla Android runs buttery-smooth and lag-free, and so were the games we tried.
Telephony
The Xiaomi Mi A1 has the generic phonebook/dialer app with the list of favorites, the call log and the contacts are all tabs within the same app. The dialer is summoned with a tap on a button. Smart dial is supported too.
Favorites • Call log • Contacts • Dialer
Loudspeaker test
The speaker on the Xiaomi Mi A1 scored an Excellent mark in our loudness test, the same as the Mi 5X and Mi Max 2. The sound is rich and crisp, with good bass and clean high notes.
| Speakerphone test | Voice, dB | Ringing |
Overall score | |
| 65.8 | 66.0 | 66.5 | Below Average | |
| 62.3 | 69.8 | 70.0 | Average | |
| 63.9 | 70.0 | 81.7 | Good | |
| 67.1 | 66.2 | 82.6 | Good | |
| 63.1 | 70.9 | 82.5 | Good | |
| 67.3 | 70.3 | 81.5 | Very Good | |
| 66.1 | 69.0 | 84.1 | Very Good | |
| 68.0 | 70.2 | 82.3 | Very Good | |
| 68.5 | 72.5 | 80.1 | Very Good | |
| 78.4 | 71.7 | 79.2 | Excellent | |
| 74.0 | 73.9 | 90.4 | Excellent | |
| 78.4 | 73.9 | 88.4 | Excellent | |
| 88.9 | 77.8 | 84.6 | Excellent |
Google's Photos is your multimedia hub
There are no custom apps for handling multimedia content on the Mi A1. For gallery, you get Google Photos, which isn't half bad, though for most of its functionality you need to have cloud upload enabled. If you do, you'd be able to search for photos with words: "beach", "selfies" and even people by name.
The AI assistance goes on - Google will automatically take photos (or videos) it finds interesting and spruce them up. It will create collages, panoramas, filter-heavy images and short animations.
You can, of course, stay offline, and then the album, GIF, and collage creation can be done manually.
Google Photos
Photos has a built-in editor too, which offers filters, light and color correction and basic cropping and rotation. There's no option for doodling on the images, or for slapping overlays and such - but that's hardly a great loss, really.
Photos editor
There's no dedicated video player, Google Photos also takes care of that. Its feature set is basic at best - the most it can do is loop a video, and there is no subtitle support. You can, however, edit videos - trimming, 90-degree rotation, and stabilization are the available options.
Photos as video player
Google Music
Google Play Music is loaded on by default and it has come a long way. Even if you don't intend to subscribe to Google's streaming service, it still offers bells and whistles like album art, powerful searching algorithms and also the neat ability to upload your own tracks to the cloud and stream them for free.
Google Play Music
12MP dual-camera with wide and telephoto lenses
Xiaomi Mi A1 has the same 12MP dual-camera as seen on the Mi 5X and Mi 6. Unlike the Xiaomi's flagship, the setup on the A1 lacks OIS and has slower lenses. The regular wide-angle camera on the A1 has a 12MP Sony IMX386 sensor with 27mm f/2.2 lens and 1.2µm pixels. The 12MP telephoto sensor's maker is unknown, but its specs sound familiar - 1µm pixels and 56mm f/2.6 lens - close to what Apple used for the iPhone 7 Plus telephoto cam.
The Mi A1 uses Xiaomi's proprietary camera app. Its 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 17 filters available with live previews. The camera also offers a number of 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 1/15s), white balance, and focus.
Camera UI • Modes • Settings • Portrait mode • Filters
Daylight photos
The Xiaomi Mi A1, just like the Mi 5X and Mi 6, snaps pictures fast, resolves a great deal of detail, and the noise levels are kept reasonably low (though a bit higher than what we saw on the Mi 6 due to the not-so-bright lens). The white balance is accurate, and we liked the lively color rendition. The dynamic range is good, but the slightly overenthusiastic metering leads to the occasional clipped highlight. There is no corner softness either, and the pictures are not oversharpened as the ones shot by the Mi 5X.
Xiaomi Mi A1 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 is close to the main camera's - the images have plenty of detail and the same great processing, colors, and dynamic range.
Xiaomi Mi A1 12MP telephoto samples
The telephoto lens has a narrower f/2.6 aperture and won't do for low-light shots. In those scenes the phone will stop using the telephoto camera and would 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 we'd recommend against shooting at 2x zoom in low light.
HDR
The Mi A1 regular camera has good dynamic range, sure, but there are times when you'd still want to use the HDR. Here the phone does a great job brightening up the shadows without going overboard and producing unrealistic flat images.
HDR off • HDR on • HDR off • HDR on
Low-light
The Mi A1 low-light shots came out rather soft. You can see what's in the picture, just don't expect much detail when you zoom in. There is a lot of noise, sometimes we also got blurry images due to the lack of stabilization, so their use is best restricted to social networks.
Low-light photos
If you leave the automatic low-light enhancement enabled (also known as HHT - it snaps a couple of images and stacks them for better quality) - you will get much less noise in the images but most of the samples won't benefit from much more detail or higher contrast.
Low-light samples with HHT enabled
The closeups on the other hand greatly benefit from the HHT mode. We can show you the differences between normal and HHT low-light closeup samples with our low-light picture quality chart. We snapped the chart with both modes and here are some full-res crops.
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 good low light images.
Still, we were able to use the telephoto camera in low-light from the Manual mode - there Xiaomi offers a camera switch. Unlike the Auto mode, which produces zoomed and cropped from wide-angle samples, the low-light native telephoto pictures came out underexposed as the slower lens takes its toll. You can't compensate with shutters speed either as Xiaomi only allows for up to 1/15s shutter speed in Manual.
Low-light telephoto samples (Auto mode, zoomed&cropped)
Native low-light telephoto samples (Manual mode)
Portrait Photography
The Mi A1 uses the combination of the two cameras to shoot the trendy Portrait shots. It's a process of mapping the distance to all objects of the scene and attempting to isolate the subject in front by blurring the background. This works best when you're shooting a well-lit person or an object which stands out against the backdrop. The software will get fooled by a strong backlight or a busy scene.
The Mi A1 shoots its portrait shots as fast as the iPhone 7+, but it takes longer for the camera to read the scene and apply the depth effect. The samples turned out very pleasant with mostly accurate shapes and blur effects. It's possible for the algorithm to smear an ear or some hair, though that's not an Mi A1-specific issue, but an issue of the methods themselves.
Xiaomi Mi A1 12MP Portrait samples
Panorama
You can only capture panoramic photos with the phone in portrait orientation. You get an 180-degree field of view and the resolution comes to about 48MP (up to 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.
Xiaomi Mi A1 panoramic images
You can also shoot telephoto panoramic shots, but those aren't as impressive - they came out soft and with limited dynamic range.
Xiaomi Mi A1 telephoto panorama
Selfies
We also tested out the 5MP front-facing camera.
The images came out average in detail and a little noisy, but with high contrast, and pleasant colors. The dynamic range is about average, too.
Xiaomi Mi A1 5MP selfie samples
Picture Compare Tool
Finally, you should check how the Xiaomi Mi A1 does against the Mi 6 and Redmi Note 4 in our Photo Compare Tool. We've pre-selected these two, but you are free to pick any other phone to compare it against.
Xiaomi Mi A1 vs. Mi 6 vs Redmi Note 4 in our Photo quality comparison tool
You could also use our tool to compare the telephoto cameras of the Mi 5X, iPhone 7 Plus, and Galaxy Note8.
Video recording
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. There's no 1080p@60fps mode, though, and no telephoto videos either.
Anyway, the 2160p videos are captured at a bitrate of 41.6Mbps and have rock solid 30fps. The audio is stereo captured at 96KBps bitrate.
The 4K video quality is great - the resolved detail is plenty, the dynamic range is above average, the colors and contrast are very good. The noise is kept quite low, and the Mi A1 produces some really nice 4K videos. The audio quality is awful though - there are traces of compression, and you'll notice that it gets even worse with loud sound sources (loud music, crowds, cars honking, etc.).
The 1080p videos are shot at a bitrate of 20Mbps and have the same audio bitrate. The video quality in 1080p is quite different to the 4K videos though. The level of detail is very low and everything is way oversharpened. It looks like the picture was upscaled from a lower resolution and sharpened too much. This isn't the first time we've experienced this with a Xiaomi, unfortunately.
You can also download the 4K@30fps (9s, 48MB) and 1080p@30fps (10s, 23MB) video samples taken straight off the Xiaomi Mi A1.
Video Compare Tool
Finally, you can use our Video Compare Tool to see how the Mi A1 stacks against the Mi 6 and Mi Max 2 when it comes to video capturing.
Xiaomi Mi A1 vs. Mi 6 vs Mi Max 2 in our 2160p Video quality comparison tool
Wrapping it up
One small step for Google, one giant leap for Xiaomi. OK, this may be an overstatement but it really looks like a new page for the Mi line. Android One has been long overdue for a hardware refresh and is better off with a device like the Mi A1. , Yet, Xiaomi officially releasing a phone in Europe is a huge confidence-booster for the Chinese maker and a milestone in its market expansion.
There's no need to sugarcoat the Xiaomi Mi A1, a powerful smartphone that's clearly capable of making a stand - and making a difference - in a competitive market. It has a premium design, a screen that hits the 5.5" sweet spot, a decently powerful and power-efficient chipset and, of course, the season's favorite dual-camera experience with portrait shots. With MIUI gone in favor of vanilla Android, users will be getting both a performance boost and a fast-track to OS updates.
Xiaomi Mi A1 key test findings
- Top-notch build quality, up-to-date design with an all-metal unibody, nice color options.
- The display is great with 500+ nits of brightness, high contrast, and good sunlight legibility. The minimum brightness is superb for night reading, the blacks are deep enough, and the viewing angles are decent.
- With an Endurance Rating of 73h, the Mi A1 has reasonably good battery backup. It did well at the on-screen tests and voice calls, while the power consumption in standby was questionable.
- Android 7.1.2 Nougat runs fast and smooth. Stock Android will please purists but may force fans of customization to look for third-party launchers. It's the latest 7.1.2 Nougat with an Oreo update in the works, a commitment to Android P down the line, and guaranteed monthly security updates.
- The Snapdragon 625 chipset offers enough punch for the class and will handle routine tasks trouble-free. It doesn't excessively heat up at even peak loads. There are faster chips out there, but not nearly as power-efficient as this one.
- Audio output through the jack is one of the loudest around with excellent clarity. The speaker loudness is excellent, as is its sound quality.
- Image quality from the main camera in good light is superb: a lot of detail, low noise, pleasing colors. In low light, it's quite obviously inferior as the sensor lacks OIS and uses high ISO. The automatic low-light enhancement didn't work as expected, so we'd advise against using that.
- The telephoto cam produces a bit softer, though still nice samples. It works only in very well-lit scenes because of the narrower aperture. As it gets darker, the phone would switch to the primary camera and use digital zoom and crop instead. But if you insist, you can stick to the telephoto lens in the dark in Manual mode.
- The Portrait shots turned out very good with punchy colors and well-balanced blur effects. The selfies are low-res at 5MP and with average detail, but reasonably good for the class.
- 4K videos have top-notch picture quality but poor audio. The 1080p videos don't have much resolved detail and usually come oversharpened.
Noteworthy alternatives
The first one is inevitably the Xiaomi Mi 5X, the Chinese twin. It's the same phone really, and we mean performance, battery life and camera quality, the lot. The only difference is MIUI on top of Android 7.1.2. Officially, it's only available in China, but many retailers would still ship worldwide with the latest global MIUI ROM. Oh, and there is FM radio support, it that's important to you.
Xiaomi Mi A1
The dual-camera is the key feature of the Mi A1 and 5X but, if that's not a must-have, you can save some cash and go for the Redmi Note 4. It's pretty much the same phone but instead of a dual-camera it will offer a much bigger battery. That's another way to get the latest MIUI too.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
The Sony Xperia XA1 has the same display size in an equally attractive body, but comes with a more productive chipset and higher-resolution main and selfie cameras. While it can't do bokeh effects, it has better battery backup, NFC and FM radio. The Sony handset will cost you some €100 over the Mi A1, which is by no means negligible.
Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
The Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) is an eye-catcher with its Super AMOLED screen and premium unibody. It has an equally efficient chipset, a superior selfie camera and an even bigger battery. For these, you have to give up the dual-camera setup and cough up some extra €40.
Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
The Nokia 6 isn't as good as the Mi A1 when it comes to performance and camera, but does tick the right boxes in terms of history and fandom. The 6 turned out to be a balanced and reliable package running vanilla Android Nougat. The Nokia 6 costs as much as the Mi A1 and, while it cannot quite match Xiaomi's specs, the brand awareness might work in its favor, especially in Europe.
Nokia 6
Probably the perfect match for the Mi A1 is the Moto G5S Plus. It has the same screen, chipset, battery, and even near-stock Android 7.1 with an Oreo update on the way. Lenovo has also gone with metal for the G5S Plus' body, and the dual-13MP camera is as capable as the A1's. The Moto costs €50 more than the Mi A1 though.
Motorola Moto G5S Plus
The verdict
There we are, Xiaomi has started rolling out the Mi A1 in a number of European countries following the launch in India a month ago. Adding Europe to the traditionally strong Southeast Asia markets, Xiaomi is really getting out there and making a statement.
Still a long way to go compared to true global players like Huawei, Xiaomi has made the first step and Android One makes all sorts of sense. Now, the Mi A1 is clearly not an entry-level device (the kind Android One was until recently associated with) but is probably the cheapest smartphone with a dual-camera. And that's on top of premium build, a reasonably good 5.5" screen, sensible hardware and future-proof Android.
Xiaomi's bang for the buck has always been hard to match but the Europe-bound Mi A1 units appear to have lost some of their price edge compared to the bargains you can find at online vendors. Fair enough, it's a new playground and new rules. If that means sensible after-market support - compared to very limied one - Xiaomi might actually have a case there. We guess we'll know soon. You don't really think the Mi A1 is an accidental arrival, do you?
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