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Introduction
Remember when people made fun of the original Samsung Galaxy Note and its "humungous" 5.3-inch display? Oh, how the times have changed. Still, have we really come to a point where a 6.9-inch diagonal behemoth is able to avoid the "tablet" category and stretch the already confusing phablet category even further?
Well, we definitely don't want to be on the wrong side of history here. Plus, we're all for a positive body image. So, power to Xiaomi and the Mi Max 3! Obviously, the company has decided it's got a wide enough user base for such a device. And truth be told, they've achieved a pretty sleek and compact design thanks to the impossibly slim bezels and the trendy 18:9 tall aspect ratio.
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 specs
- Body: Metal unibody, glass front; 176.2x87.4x8mm, 221g.
- Display: 6.9" IPS LCD, 2,160x1,080px resolution, 18:9 aspect ratio, 350ppi.
- Rear camera: Primary 12MP, 1.4µm pixel size, f/1.9 aperture, dual pixel PDAF, gyro-EIS; Secondary 5MP depth sensor. 2160p/30fps, 720p/120fps slow motion.
- Front camera: 8MP, 1.12µm pixel size, f/2.0 aperture; 1080p/30fps video recording.
- OS: Android 8.1 Oreo; MIUI 9.5 custom overlay.
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 636: octa-core CPU (8x1.8 GHz Kryo 260), Adreno 509 GPU.
- Memory: 4GB/6GB of RAM; 64GB/128GB storage; hybrid microSD slot.
- Battery: 5,500mAh Li-Po (sealed); QuickCharge 3.0 fast charging.
- Connectivity:Dual-SIM (Nano-SIM); LTE; Dual VoLTE; USB-C; Dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; GPS, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS; Bluetooth 5.0, IR blaster, FM radio.
- Misc: Rear-mounted fingerprint reader; single down-firing speaker; 3.5mm jack.
Combine the beastly display with some budget internals and a price tag to match and you basically have the Mi Max 3's calling card. That being said, simply looking at the Mi Max 3 in the same way as a budget big-screen TV isn't really fair or productive in any way.
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 official photos
If you are going to commit to lugging the hefty Mi Max 3 around, that Snapdragon 636 better deliver a well-rounded, modern Android experience. And coupled with a 5,500 mAh battery, we expect nothing short of a marathon in doing so, from the chip, as well.
So, join us on the following pages, as we peel away the layers of the Mi Max 3 to see just how well Xiaomi managed to fill the hefty figure, at hand, with substance.
Unboxing
As expected, the Mi Max 3 ships in an impressively sized box. That's kind of a necessity. Other than that, however, there is nothing really special about the packaging - it is the standard Xiaomi affair. That is - thick cardboard and a two-piece design.
As far as the included accessories go, you get a USB cable and a wall charger - both in matching white. No bonus plastic case, which the Chinese OEM does often throw in the box. Do, however, check with your seller of choice on that point, since a case might be present on some markets.
Case nitpicking aside, we were delighted to see the included wall charger is a Quick Charge 3 unit. So, you won't have to buy a fast charger separately.
Special thanks to HonorBuy for providing the review unit.
Design and 360-degree spin
Running the risk of re-stating the obvious yet again, the Mi Max 3 is big. Like, really big. It is the definition of a two-handed device, if we ever saw one. Even so, it's not nearly as big as it could, or rather would have been a few years ago.
For instance, let's take a fairly standard tablet from a few years back - the Nexus 7. As the name suggests - it has a 7-inch, 16:9 panel and about two fingers worth of bezel on every side of the screen, totaling a footprint of 198.5 x 120 x 10.5 mm and a weight of 340 grams. Mind you, that's with a smaller battery pack than on the Mi Max 3.
The point we are driving at here is that the screen size on the Mi Max 3 has been made possible by the advancements in modern smartphone design. The 18:9 aspect ratio doesn't make for a skinny look at this display diagonal, but it is still narrow enough to at least fit in an average hand. The slim side bezels help in this regard, as well.
Moving past the size of the Mi Max 3, the overall design language is pretty standard, even if a bit dated and has Xiaomi written all over it. A nicely rounded metal unibody holds all the internals and makes for a smooth and uniform look and feel, only disturbed by the antenna lines.
On the back - an iPhone X-like vertical dual-camera module and a fingerprint reader in the usual shape, size, and location. On the front, the top and bottom chins aren't as impressively thin as those on the sides of the panel. Still, they don't feel large at all, and the top one provides ample room for the selfie camera and sensor array, as well as a notification LED, without resorting to notches.
Some might call the Mi Max 3 look retro, but we would rather refer to it as a tried and true classic.
Materials and controls
This no-frills approach to design has spilled over to the bill of materials and control scheme of the Mi Max 3, as well. We already mentioned the tried and true nature of the metal unibody.
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 back side
The only other construction piece, here, is the front glass, which, unfortunately, Xiaomi isn't formally referring to as Gorilla Glass. Hopefully, that's just a PR omission, rather than a reason to search for a screen protector, immediately after the purchase.
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 front side
On to the topic of controls then - another standard affair. On-screen controls or gestures, as per your preference naturally handle the in-OS navigation. The only physical buttons on the Mi Max 3 are a power button and a volume rocker.
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 right side
Both are huddled up on the right side of the phone and frankly look tiny. That's just an optical illusion brought about by the overall size of the phone. In reality, the buttons are standard size. Still, Xiaomi could have spread the pair out a bit better to utilize all that bezel space. Perhaps, flip the volume rocker to the other side.
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 left side
Currently, it only houses the SIM card tray. It is a hybrid affair, so, a pair of nano-SIM cards can be inserted at the same time. Or, you can swap one out for a microSD. We wish Xiaomi had gone for a triple-slot tray since we can't imagine the engineering department was too pressured by size constraints on this particular device.
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 bottom
The bottom of the Mi Mix 3 houses a Type-C USB port. Although, only capable of USB 2.0 speeds. Also, a single speaker and the other grill is for the primary microphone.
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 in the hand
On the top of the phone, we find the corresponding noise-canceling microphone and right next to it - a good old 3.5mm audio jack. In keeping with some of its more pleasant traditions, Xiaomi also threw in an IR blaster here. That's a kind of a unicorn on today's smartphone scene.
Massive 6.9-inch LCD
The Mi Max 3 really does stretch the definition of what can technically be considered a handset. Even with its extremely loose definition, the "phablet" category just barely seems to accommodate the massive 6.9-inch panel.
Whether or not you consider the Mi Max 3 a tablet or a phone, if you are looking into it, you have already subscribed to the particular footprint. If that isn't the case, we advise you to go and check it out in person first.
But size is far from the only thing the Mi Max 3 display has going for it. For one, we appreciate that Xiaomi didn't cheap out and went for FullHD+ resolution. Frankly, anything less would have looked blurry at this size.
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | ||
| 0.564 | 776 | 1376 | |
| 0.418 | 610 | 1459 | |
| 0 | 559 | ∞ | |
| 0.548 | 555 | 1013 | |
| 0.401 | 519 | 1294 | |
| 0.355 | 508 | 1431 | |
| 0.311 | 507 | 1629 | |
| 0.339 | 496 | 1462 | |
| 0.27 | 482 | 1785 | |
| 0.257 | 476 | 1852 | |
| 0 | 458 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 455 | ∞ | |
| 0.278 | 453 | 1629 | |
| 0.46 | 424 | 922 | |
| 0 | 376 | ∞ | |
The panel gets decently bright, which, as you can imagine, is a harder feat, as size goes up. It keeps light bleed at 0% in check fairly well, making for respectable, if not chart-topping contrast levels. The only real omission we came across is the lack of a max auto mode.
Sunlight contrast ratio
- Apple iPhone X
5.013 - OnePlus 5T
4.789 - Samsung Galaxy S8
4.768 - Samsung Galaxy S8+
4.658 - Samsung Galaxy S9
4.63 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
4.615 - Samsung Galaxy S9+
4.537 - Samsung Galaxy Note9
4.531 - 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 - OnePlus 6
4.321 - HTC One A9
4.274 - Oppo R15 Pro
4.251 - Samsung Galaxy Note7
4.247 - Samsung Galaxy A3
4.241 - Nokia 8
4.239 - Google Pixel 2 XL (pre-update)
4.234 - 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 - Huawei Mate 10 Pro (normal)
4.096 - Samsung Galaxy Note5
4.09 - Huawei P20 Pro
4.087 - Xiaomi Mi 8
4.086 - Meizu 15
4.082 - Nokia 6 (2018)
4.052 - Google Pixel 2 (pre-update)
4.023 - LG V30
4.022 - Huawei Nexus 6P
4.019 - vivo NEX S
4.012 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro
3.998 - OnePlus X
3.983 - Vivo Xplay5 Elite
3.983 - LG G7 ThinQ (outdoor)
3.978 - Oppo R7s
3.964 - Apple iPhone 7
3.964 - Apple iPhone 8 (True Tone)
3.957 - Huawei P9 Plus
3.956 - Oppo Find X
3.954 - 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 - Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
3.901 - Samsung Galaxy C7
3.896 - Samsung Galaxy A5
3.895 - Samsung Galaxy J7 outdoor
3.879 - Samsung Galaxy J2 outdoor
3.873 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
3.865 - Samsung Galaxy A8
3.859 - Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)
3.842 - Samsung Galaxy A6+ (2018)
3.834 - 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 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
3.798 - LG V20 Max auto
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 - Nokia 8 Sirocco
3.745 - Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact
3.729 - Apple iPhone 8 Plus (True Tone)
3.725 - Oppo F1 Plus
3.709 - Vivo X5Pro
3.706 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
3.688 - Huawei P20
3.683 - Apple iPhone SE
3.681 - Huawei Mate 9
3.68 - Samsung Galaxy A7
3.679 - Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact
3.675 - Meizu PRO 6
3.659 - BlackBerry Priv
3.645 - Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra
3.597 - Apple iPhone 7 Plus
3.588 - Sony Xperia XZ2
3.58 - 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 - Nokia 7 plus
3.479 - nubia Z11
3.466 - Huawei P10 Plus
3.456 - HTC U Ultra
3.453 - Motorola Moto G6
3.448 - Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
3.445 - Samsung Galaxy J7
3.422 - Motorola Moto G6 Play
3.419 - Meizu MX5
3.416 - LG V20
3.402 - Samsung Galaxy A6 (2018)
3.397 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera
3.393 - LG G7 ThinQ
3.39 - Huawei P10
3.379 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
3.378 - Oppo R9s
3.352 - Honor 8 Pro
3.341 - Oppo F7
3.333 - Oppo R7
3.32 - Lenovo P2
3.316 - Archos Diamond Omega
3.305 - Honor 9
3.289 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
3.276 - Nokia 5
3.261 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
3.244 - Xiaomi Mi 5
3.24 - 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 - BlackBerry KEY2
3.212 - Huawei Mate 9 Pro
3.206 - Huawei P9
3.195 - Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
3.19 - ZTE Nubia Z17
3.159 - Oppo R11s
3.153 - Lenovo Vibe Shot
3.113 - HTC U11 Life
3.108 - Motorola Moto X Force
3.105 - LG Nexus 5X
3.092 - HTC U11
3.089 - Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite
3.087 - HTC U12+
3.085 - Xiaomi Redmi S2 (Y2)
3.077 - Huawei Mate S
3.073 - Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
3.065 - Xiaomi Mi Max 3
3.061 - Xiaomi Pocophone F1
3.059 - Apple iPhone 6 Plus
3.023 - Asus Zenfone 4 ZE554KL
3.019 - Sony Xperia XA1
3.012 - Motorola Moto X4
3.012 - Sony Xperia L1
2.994 - Sony Xperia X
2.989 - LG Q6
2.987 - Huawei P10 Lite
2.974 - Samsung Galaxy Note
2.97 - Huawei P20 Lite
2.952 - Xiaomi Redmi 5
2.951 - Huawei Mate 8
2.949 - Sony Xperia XA2
2.938 - Oppo Realme 1
2.932 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
2.92 - Xiaomi Redmi 3S
2.913 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
2.913 - Sony Xperia XA Ultra
2.906 - LG G5
2.905 - Huawei Honor View 10
2.896 - Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime
2.893 - Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus
2.884 - Sony Xperia XZ Premium (sRGB)
2.877 - Sony Xperia XZ Premium
2.877 - Sony Xperia Z5
2.876 - Nokia 3
2.871 - Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
2.867 - Microsoft Lumia 550
2.851 - Nokia 3.1
2.837 - Lenovo Moto M
2.813 - Xiaomi Redmi 3 Pro
2.803 - Sony Xperia Z5 compact
2.784 - Honor 10 (Vivid)
2.757 - Nokia 2
2.752 - Meizu MX6
2.751 - LG V10
2.744 - Huawei Mate 10 (normal)
2.742 - Motorola Moto G5S Plus
2.737 - Xiaomi Redmi 3
2.735 - Huawei Honor 7X
2.734 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
2.714 - Meizu M5
2.71 - Xiaomi Mi A2
2.696 - Sony Xperia M5
2.69 - Xiaomi Mi A1
2.689 - Huawei P9 Lite
2.679 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
2.679 - vivo V7+
2.671 - Vivo V3Max
2.659 - Xiaomi Mi Mix
2.658 - Huawei Mate 10 Lite
2.654 - Oppo F5
2.653 - 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
2.582 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus (max auto)
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 - Huawei P Smart
2.563 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
2.561 - HTC U11+
2.556 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A (Y1)
2.556 - 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 - BlackBerry Motion
2.494 - 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 - Vivo V7
2.404 - 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 - Razer Phone
2.328 - HTC One E9+
2.305 - Alcatel One Touch Hero
2.272 - Sony Xperia L2
2.266 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
2.254 - Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
2.253 - HTC U11+ (EU)
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 - Sony Xperia L
1.351 - Xiaomi Redmi 2
1.311 - HTC Desire C
1.3 - Nokia X
1.291 - Meizu MX
1.221 - Sony Xperia E
1.215
Even so, the Mi Max 3 is quite usable outdoors.
But color accuracy has to be the most impressively unexpected bit about the Mi Max 3. In its default "Adaptive contrast" mode, it managed to score a decently low average deltaE of 4.6 and a maximum of 9.2, in the white. A general blue hue was present all throughout the UI - pretty standard nowadays, even for some flagship phones.
Increased contrast mode does remove some of the cold blue tint, bringing the average deltaE down to 4.4 and a maximum of 9. Pretty good, but we can probably do better, with some fiddling with the manual white point controls, Xiaomi so graciously provides.
Luckily, before we started messing with those, we gave the "Standard contrast" mode a try and it left us truly amazed. An average deltaE of 1 and a maximum of 2.1. Those are values even most flagships struggle with. Especially out of the box. Xiaomi deserves plenty of praise in the color accuracy category.
Battery life
One of the potential perks of a massive footprint is an equally massive battery pack. The "potential" bit is important to note here, though, since space alone is no guarantee. We applaud Xiaomi for going as high as 5,500 mAh in the Mi Max 3.
But, a huge battery can still be wasted away by powerful or sub-optimal hardware, as well as software. MIUI has a pretty solid track record in this respect leaving few points of concern when it comes to pure Android battery optimization.
As for the hardware bit, the Snapdragon 636 might not be the fastest chipset around, not by a long shot, but it is a modern one, based on an efficient 14nm process. The Kryo 260 Gold and Kryo 260 Silver cores also feature quite a few improvements over their vanilla Cortex-A73 and Cortex-A53 counterparts.
Putting all this together, we get a real endurance beast of a phone, with a total rating of 115 hours in our proprietary test. That definitely cracks the all-time top 10 in our endurance chart, but we still felt like this particular hardware setup should be capable of a bit more.
Call us greedy, but the Mi Max 2 managed a better overall endurance from a smaller 5,300 mAh battery. Then again, it does also have a smaller display and an older, less powerful Snapdragon 625 chipset. Our best guess for where the variance stems from, however, is the different LTE modem. Both phones manage a consistent 3G talk time of around 30 hours, which, in itself, indicates that the newer X12 LTE modem is drawing a bit more juice from the larger battery pack. That extra strain, naturally carries over to standby, as well, which came in at around 380 hours, on the Mi Max 3. Our initial expectation were a bit higher.
Enough with the complaining. At the end of the day, the Mi Max 3 is a true marathon runner in smartphone terms. It definitely won't let you down.
Our endurance rating denotes how long a single battery charge will last you if you use the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 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.
Loudspeaker
The Mi Max 3 has a single bottom-firing speaker at its disposal. Or, at least, that's what all the official specs see, to quote. Interestingly enough, the phone does also utilize its earpiece as a second channel, during playback. It's not nearly as loud or clear, but still manages to improve the experience a bit, mainly because the main speaker is not firing in the same direction. If it was forward-facing, as well, the lack of balance between the pair would definitely be annoying.
| Speakerphone test | Voice, dB | Ringing |
Overall score | |
| 67.1 | 66.2 | 68.1 | Average | |
| 68.6 | 69.9 | 77.8 | Good | |
| 66.3 | 71.5 | 84.9 | Very Good | |
| 67.8 | 71.0 | 84.5 | Very Good | |
| 68.5 | 71.6 | 83.6 | Very Good | |
| 68.2 | 70.2 | 86.1 | Very Good | |
| 68.4 | 71.6 | 84.8 | Very Good | |
| 78.4 | 71.7 | 79.2 | Excellent | |
| 70.5 | 74.1 | 85.2 | Excellent | |
| 82.2 | 76.1 | 86.8 | Excellent |
Anyway, we'll leave it up to you to decide whether to brag to your friends that your Mi Max 3 is stereo or not. In terms of loudness, the phone managed a "Very Good" score, making it perfectly decent for casual use. The same can be said about the loudspeaker quality - decent, but not impressive.
Audio quality
The Xiaomi Mi Max 3 had faultless output with an active external amplifier. Nicely high loudness and perfectly clear - the phablet ticked the boxes with ease.
Better yet, degradation with headphones was minimal to non-existent - even the stereo quality was barely affected. Certainly one of the better performers out there, this one.
| Test | Frequency response | Noise level | Dynamic range | THD | IMD + Noise | Stereo crosstalk |
| +0.02, -0.06 | -93.7 | 93.8 | 0.0014 | 0.0069 | -94.0 | |
| +0.06, -0.02 | -93.8 | 93.7 | 0.0014 | 0.041 | -79.3 | |
| +0.02, -0.06 | -91.6 | 91.6 | 0.0018 | 0.014 | -95.3 | |
| +0.08, -0.12 | -92.6 | 92.6 | 0.0028 | 0.120 | -69.0 | |
| +0.06, -0.02 | -96.0 | 96.0 | 3.266 | 0.980 | -95.9 | |
| +0.30, -0.32 | -95.4 | 95.3 | 0.016 | 0.473 | -56.4 | |
| +0.07, -0.03 | -89.7 | 89.9 | 0.0060 | 0.201 | -91.7 | |
| +0.22, -0.21 | -91.6 | 91.0 | 0.016 | 0.305 | -56.2 | |
| +0.01, -0.10 | -92.5 | 92.7 | 0.0019 | 0.0077 | -91.2 | |
| +0.50, -0.20 | -91.4 | 91.8 | 0.0079 | 0.402 | -51.5 | |
| +0.17, -0.03 | -92.0 | 92.1 | 0.0023 | 0.092 | -52.8 | |
| +0.02, -0.31 | -38.8 | 81.7 | 0.0013 | 4.690 | -95.9 | |
| +0.25, -0.23 | -93.3 | 90.4 | 0.0045 | 0.227 | -53.9 |
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 frequency response
You can learn more about the tested parameters and the whole testing process here.
MIUI 9.5, on top of Android 8.1
Even though it's based on a very recent Android 8.0 Oreo core, the Mi Max 3 still runs MIUI 9.5. Xiaomi's software team seems to be hard at work on MIUI 10, at the moment as they aim to release it to a wider assortment of its devices. If history is anything to go by, a large chunk of users, even those on older devices, should, eventually, reap the benefits of the new version of one of the most popular Android skins. It's just that these things take time.
We can't really be too cross with Xiaomi for not delivering the latest and greatest UI, at launch. That being said, we do realize the importance of the MIUI version, since that comprises the main chunk of the actual user UX. Xiaomi does a very good job of creating a platform of its own, hiding away the Android core.
As per usual with Xiaomi devices, we will mention the existence of at least a couple of official software branches and quite a few custom seller modifications of the OS. Our review unit is current on an official Chinese ROM, which means Google Play services do have to be downloaded separately. Xiaomi has a handy app for that on its store.
When you are getting the phone, you do need to pay attention to the particular ROM you are running, however, if you are keen on getting frequent updates. Some branches, especially seller custom MIUI builds often get left behind. Luckily, Xiaomi provides bootloader unlocks and there are easy tools out there to flash over to a proper official ROM (if and when one is available, of course).
Anyway, MIUI users or will feel right at home here. MIUI is traditionally big on feature conservation and continuation. One fairly recent significant addition to the mix is the gesture navigation. Although, it is still an optional thing.
Display settings • Full screen • Gestures
There's an entire Full screen display menu where you get options for gesture navigation. You can replace the navigation bar with a set of swipe actions - swipe up from the bottom for Home, swipe up and hold for the task switcher, and swipe in from either edge to go back. And if you think that last bit would interfere with apps that use the swipe in gesture to access a drawer menu, it doesn't - just swipe in a little higher and you'll get the drawer.
Xiaomi is no stranger to advanced biometric authentication. However, the full-featured hardware scanning tech is still limited to the flagship Mi 8. The Mi Max 3 gets a simpler, although still pretty effective, camera-based facial recognition system. It works well enough in good light. Naturally, accuracy and speed deteriorate with low light.
Facial recognition and fingerprint reader
The Mi Max 3's face recognition isn't as secure as fingerprint recognition, so it's a good thing then that the phone has that too. The sensor is on the back, enrollment is quick, and unlocking is nearly instantaneous.
Once you unlock the phone, you are greeted by a familiar home screen, which is where all your apps live. MIUI adopts a home-screen only approach to Android, opting out of the app drawer. The quick toggles and notification area have remained unchanged in MIUI for quite some time, unlike Google's own which get a redesign for every version. Recent apps look very much like the iOS app switcher. Apps are aligned next to each other, and you flick them up to close them. The split-screen toggle resides here as well.
Home screen • Folder UI • Notification shade • Recent apps • Split-screen
A swipe to the right reveals the App vault pane (also called Guide) with shortcuts to frequently used apps, and a peek at Mi Notes and upcoming calendar events. According to MIUI forums, this page can only be disabled on the Chinese version of the ROM. Since ours is the Chinese version, a bunch of the default cards is rather... foreign to us. Translations aren't great overall in this part of MIUI, but we are happy to report that this is an isolated occurrence.
Home screen settings • App vault • App vault settings • Add new shortcut to App vault
The Security app is a hub that offers you options to 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 and allows you to define the battery behavior of selected apps and applies restrictions only to the apps you choose. It's all pretty in-depth, yet quite convenient. We particularly appreciate the shortcuts to the app, positioned within the settings menu.
Security app • Cleaner • Battery management • Managing a single app • Battery Saver
Some other advanced features, include second space, as well as dual apps, depending on whether you need a whole other environment or just a second instance of an app. App lock is pretty self-explanatory. There is also an MIUI lab menu for testing certain features that are not necessarily ready for prime time just yet.
Second space • Dual apps • App lock • MIUI lab
MIUI like to keep things pretty well organized and simple on the surface, which we can appreciate. If you do feel like digging a bit deeper into the accessibility options and a few other secluded corners of the settings menu, there are quite a few other features to explore.
Additional features
Gestures and the Game booster are pretty self-explanatory and universally applicable. Then there is also Mi AI. It seems to be something of a requirement to at least dip your toes into the AI realm in 2018. Unfortunately, we really can't comment on how well Xiaomi's solution currently works and what it is capable of since it is only limited to Mandarin.
Mi AI
MIUI also offers proprietary Gallery, Music, and Video player. If you are running on a Chinese ROM, then the Music and Video app will also allow access to local (paid) streaming services. A ton of handy apps come pre-loaded too - voice/screen recorders, barcode/document scanner, compass/level, file manager, notes.
Gallery • Image editor • Music player • Video player
In the case of the Mi Max 3, in particular, there is an FM radio app and the excellent Mi Remote app, with its extensive code database.
Mi Remote • FM Radio
Synthetic benchmarks
The Mi Max 3 might be standing, proudly wearing the "Mi" logo (Well, not literally, anymore), but, on the inside, it is actually a Redmi on steroids. The internals appear to be mostly borrowed from the Redmi Note 5, in particular.
That means a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 chipset with an octa-core CPU at 1.8 GHz, coupled with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM. Our review unit is the basic tier. While not really a criticism in any way, this choice of internals does necessitate a proper expectation adjustment. As in, we can't really expect flagship performance out of the Mi Max 3, regardless of its massive size.
Picking out competitors to pit the Mi Max 3 against is no easy task. If we take into account the size aspect of things. It really is in a size category of its own. However, on a pure specs basis, there are a few main chipset alternatives and phones to explore, at a similar price point. Huawei has the Kirin 659, found in a plethora of devices and even the Kirin 970 might be within reach, thanks to falling prices.
The Snapdragon 630 and 660 are definitely worth throwing in the mix, as a point of comparison. The same goes for the new Snapdragon 710 and the older flagship 835.
Kicking things off, we have GeekBench and its pure-CPU loads. And, can we just say, that's a nice and consistent set of results if we ever saw one.
GeekBench 4.1 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Motorola Moto Z2 Force
1915 - Huawei Honor View 10
1902 - Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
1890 - Xiaomi Mi Max 3
1331 - Nokia 6.1 Plus
1331 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera
1329 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
1327 - Huawei P20 Lite
938 - Huawei Mate 10 Lite
913 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
882 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
824
The single-core chart shows the Snapdragon 363, inside the Mi Max 3 fall perfectly in-line with other, similarly equipped devices, like the Nokia 6.1 Plus and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5. Lagging slightly behind - Huawei's older 659 and a couple of Qualcomm packages, also showing their age. On top - the Snapdragon 835, pretty much matched by the exciting new Snapdragon 710.
GeekBench 4.1 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Huawei Honor View 10
6738 - Motorola Moto Z2 Force
6629 - Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
5908 - Nokia 6.1 Plus
4929 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera
4918 - Xiaomi Mi Max 3
4907 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
4696 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
4160 - Huawei P20 Lite
3756 - Huawei Mate 10 Lite
3603 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
2445
The multi-threaded synthetic runs seem to paint an almost identical picture, with only the Snapdragon 835 flexing a bit more muscle over the Snapdragon 710.
Moving on to more compound loads and AnTuTu, it's pretty much the same story. We just love it when silicon actually performs as it is intended by market segmentation.
AnTuTu 7
Higher is better
- Huawei Honor View 10
212708 - Motorola Moto Z2 Force
209779 - Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
170218 - Xiaomi Mi Max 3
119229 - Nokia 6.1 Plus
115571 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera
115195 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
107737 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
90263 - Huawei P20 Lite
87431
Basemark OS 2.0 appears to be having a bit more difficulty placing certain devices on a scale. Then again, it is an older benchmark. Plus, the overall conclusion, regarding the Snapdragon 636, inside the Mi Max 3 is pretty much the same - a solid 2018 mid-ranger.
Basemark OS 2.0
Higher is better
- Motorola Moto Z2 Force
3609 - Huawei Honor View 10
3164 - Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
2658 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
2030 - Xiaomi Mi Max 3
2013 - Nokia 6.1 Plus
1951 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera
1925 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
1525 - Huawei P20 Lite
1455 - Huawei Mate 10 Lite
1408 - Xiaomi Mi Max
1362 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
1107
Graphics on the Snapdragon 636 and consequently, the Mi Max 3 are handled by an Adreno 509 GPU. It is designed to fluently handle FullHD+ resolutions, meaning it should feel right at home driving the massive 6.9-inch, 1080 x 2160 pixel panel.
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Huawei Honor View 10
65 - Motorola Moto Z2 Force
61 - Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
33 - Xiaomi Mi Max 3
16 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera
16 - Nokia 6.1 Plus
16 - Xiaomi Mi Max
15 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
14 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
9.9 - Huawei P20 Lite
8.7 - Huawei Mate 10 Lite
8.1
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Huawei Honor View 10
55 - Motorola Moto Z2 Force
40 - Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
30 - Xiaomi Mi Max
15 - Xiaomi Mi Max 3
15 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera
15 - Nokia 6.1 Plus
15 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
13 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
9.9 - Huawei P20 Lite
8.1 - Huawei Mate 10 Lite
7.9
Numbers seem to back this up as well. In the grand scale of things, ARM has been advancing so rapidly in performance lately, especially in the top end, that you can easily expect around half of the raw GPU power on a modern midranger, compared to a flagship.
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Motorola Moto Z2 Force
42 - Huawei Honor View 10
38 - Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
23 - Xiaomi Mi Max 3
10 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera
10 - Nokia 6.1 Plus
10 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
9.8 - Xiaomi Mi Max
9.4 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
6.4 - Huawei P20 Lite
5.1 - Huawei Mate 10 Lite
4.8
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Huawei Honor View 10
35 - Motorola Moto Z2 Force
22 - Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
22 - Xiaomi Mi Max 3
9.8 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera
9.7 - Nokia 6.1 Plus
9.6 - Xiaomi Mi Max
9.4 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
9.3 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
6.4 - Huawei P20 Lite
4.9 - Huawei Mate 10 Lite
4.6
The sheer variance in numbers is definitely smaller when it comes to CPU operations. That being said, however, you have to keep in mind the enormous amount of optimization work that goes into today's mobile games. Unless you plan on hitting the Mi Max 3 with heavy moba or battle royal titles, expecting to get a massive advantage out of the big display, you should be fine. Casual games run smooth and with no issues.
GFX 3.1 Car scene (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Motorola Moto Z2 Force
25 - Huawei Honor View 10
22 - Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
13 - Xiaomi Mi Max 3
6.3 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera
6.3 - Nokia 6.1 Plus
6.3 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
5.6 - Xiaomi Mi Max
5.5 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
3.5 - Huawei P20 Lite
3.1 - Huawei Mate 10 Lite
2.9
GFX 3.1 Car scene (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Huawei Honor View 10
20 - Motorola Moto Z2 Force
15 - Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
12 - Xiaomi Mi Max 3
6 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera
6 - Nokia 6.1 Plus
5.9 - Xiaomi Mi Max
5.4 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
5.2 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
3.5 - Huawei P20 Lite
2.8 - Huawei Mate 10 Lite
2.7
Unlike the fresh and modern CPU setup, the Adreno 509 isn't exactly new and has started showing its age. A point perfectly illustrated by BaseMark X and the odd fact that the original Mi Max, from 2016, has more graphics oomph to offer from its Adreno 510.
Basemark X
Higher is better
- Motorola Moto Z2 Force
38615 - Huawei Honor View 10
33499 - Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
27560 - Xiaomi Mi Max
15487 - Xiaomi Mi Max 3
14950 - Nokia 6.1 Plus
14903 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
14897 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera
14799 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
14357 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
10482 - Huawei P20 Lite
9090 - Huawei Mate 10 Lite
8721
So, if you plan on getting the Mi Max 3 as a budget alternative to a Nintendo Switch, the GPU might not be able to keep up with your demands. In that case, a budget of around EUR 300 can definitely be better spent.
If that is not the case, it's kind of hard to beat the sheer size of the Mi Max 3's massive panel and the real estate it provides for general productivity tasks.
Familiar 12MP setup
Remember when we said the Mi Max 3 borrows most of its internals form Redmi siblings? Well, it's true and it extends to the camera, as well. In this particular case, the main 12MP, plus 5MP module is lifted from the Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera. An important distinction to make, since it's the updated, brighter aperture module, compared to something like the Redmi Note 5 Pro.
To quote some numbers, the main snapper has a 12MP resolution, f/1.9 aperture, and 1.4µm pixel size. It is backed up by a simple 5MP unit, simply intended for depth sensing. In terms of advanced features, you do get dual pixel PDAF, which we found to be really snappy and accurate. Also, a gyro-based EIS system. Last and probably least, the flash actually consists of two separate LEDs. However, both are the exact same size and color, for some reason.
Let's take a step back first and look at the camera UI. The camera has the modes arranged side by side for you to change by swiping left and right. Sadly, swiping up/down doesn't switch between front and rear camera - there's a button for that. There are toggles for flash mode, HDR, and a set of filters and a hamburger shortcut to the settings.
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 camera UI
Interestingly enough, there is no AI toggle on the main interface, as seen on other recent Xiaomi devices. There is still AI detection in the options menu. However, it doesn't seem to be exactly the same thing. We can't really say for sure, since the AI detection mode is currently entirely in Chinese and what it does isn't quite obvious.
A manual mode is at your disposal too, and in here you can adjust white balance (presets and light temperature), pick a shutter speed (1/1000s to 16s) and ISO (100-1600). You can also set your own focus (in 1-100 'units' between close-up and infinity).
Image quality
For all intents and purposes, the Mi Max 3 captures stills and videos about as well as the Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since the latter does a really great job, for a budget offer.
Still image quality on the Mi Max 3 is very good. There is plenty of detail and good dynamic range. Edge to edge sharpness is good. Noise suppression artifacts are scarce. Colors are a bit dull and muted.
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 camera samples
The HDR algorithm is pretty well balanced and doesn't over-process things. Still, it manages to help out and save some of the detail in shadows and highlights when the need arises.
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 HDR: OFF • ON • OFF • ON • OFF • ON
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 HDR: OFF • ON • OFF • ON • OFF • ON
We were happy to see that an Auto option was present in the HDR menu. However, it often failed to judge the scene properly and spring into action. Frankly, seeing how Xiaomi's HDR algorithm is pretty mild, we would just leave HDR on all the time.
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 HDR: OFF • Auto • ON
Low-light photos are reasonably good.
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 low-light photos
If you leave the automatic HHT mode enabled - it enhances the low-light shots- you will get much less noise in the images, but most of the samples won't benefit from much more detail or higher contrast. Still, we prefer less noise, and we suggest keeping this option on.
Here you can see how the Mi Max 3 compares to other devices in our extensive pixel-peeking database.
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 vs Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera vs Mi A2 in our Photo compare tool
Portrait mode works reasonably well on the Mi Max 3. Frankly, we expected some better edge detection for the bokeh effect. Even though there is a dedicated secondary camera, that should be doing most of the work, it appears Xiaomi is still relying mostly on software, than anything else. To be fair, shooting people yields noticeably better results. Flowers, on the other hands, don't make for great subjects.
Portrait mode: Off • On • Off • On • Off • On
We are happy to report that the slight zoom-in bug in Portrait photos, observed on other recent Xiaomi phones appears to be gone on the Mi Max 3. A clear sign that Xiaomi is listening to its users, if we ever saw one.
There is a simulated bokeh effect on the selfie camera as well. Naturally, it only works with people, through face detection. The results are definitely usable, especially for social network posts, but nothing spectacular. Things like stray hairs and glasses easily confuse the algorithm.
Selfie Portrait mode: Off • On • Off • On • Off • On
Since we are already on the topic of selfies, we might as well take a look at the 8MP shooter, on the front of the Mi Max 3. It is nothing too special, rocking a Samsung S5K4H7 sensor and f/2.0 aperture.
Mi Max 3 selfies
The selfie cam is fixed focus, so you do have to be careful, how far you hold it from your face. Still, it's not that hard to get the positioning tight.
Camera Beauty mode
Xiaomi has a very in-depth Beauty mode if you are into that sort of thing. It features a basic intensity selector, as well as an advanced menu, where you can adjust Slenderness, Big eyes, Tone and Smoothness independently.
Results are about what you would expect. No matter how hard we tried, we couldn't really force the Mi Max 3 to go overboard with any effect.
Selfie beauty mode: Off • Medium • Maximum
4K video capture, out of the box
If you remember our previous escapades with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera, then you already know the workaround, we had to use to get it to capture 4K video. The reason was that, even though the Snapdragon 636 is powerful enough to handle UHD recording, the option was simply missing from the Mi camera app.
We still think this was mostly done as an artificial market segmentation measure. Well, luckily, this has been remedied in the Mi Max 3 and 4K@30fps is now an option within the default camera app.
Using it produces videos in a standard AVC, plus AAC configuration, within an MP4 container. The video bitrate stands solid at 42 Mb/s. Audio is stereo, at 48 kHz.
Resolved detail in videos is decent - definitely above average. Colors look good, not too saturated. Dynamic range isn't all that great, but we've definitely seen worse. There is a bit more noise than we would like to see.
Bumping the resolution down to 1080p takes its toll on detail. The rest of the video characteristics remain mostly unchanged. Interestingly enough, colors appear to be a bit more saturated in FullHD, compared to 4K mode. The reds are especially noticeable. The slight noise issue is still present, as well.
Just like many other recent Xiaomi devices, including the Redmi Note 5 line, we keep referencing throughout this review, the Mi Max 3 has a gyro-based
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 1080p video sample with EIS system. There is a toggle for it in the camera settings menu. The option doesn't get disabled at 4K resolution, however, EIS clearly only kicks in at 1080p. Using it as 4K yields no difference.
Resorting back to familiar workarounds, however, we simply downloaded the Open Camera app from the Play Store and lo and behold - EIS at 4K, working as smooth as butter. Many Xiaomi devices seem to benefit from this approach, one way or another.
You can also download the 4K@30fps (10s, 52MB) and 1080p@30fps (10s, 26MB) video samples taken straight off the Xiaomi Mi Max 3.
Finally, you can use our Video Compare Tool to see how the Mi Max 3 compares to other devices when it comes to video capture.
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 vs Redmi Note 5 vs Mi A2 in our 4K Video compare tool
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 vs Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera vs Mi A2 in our 1080p Video compare tool
The Competition
As we mentioned earlier, picking out proper competitors for the Mi Max 3 is a rather tough task. Mainly, since there's practically nothing out on the mainstream market that can come close to the 6.9-inch panel and the pure real estate it offers.
As far as performance and value go, the Snapdragon 636-based internals of the Mi Max 3 do represent quite decent value, at a price point of EUR 260, or so. Our first, go to, is, understandably, the Redmi Note 5 family. To be more specific - the Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera, since that one features the updated camera, with a brighter f/1.9 aperture. The rest of the internals are pretty much identical to the Mi Max 3. Of course, a 5.99 inches, you will be giving up quite a bit of screen. But, that's just something you'll have to deal with, given the Mi Max 3's unique position in this regard.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera • Xiaomi Mi 8 SE • Xiaomi Mi Max 2
For a notable performance and all-around experience boost, may we suggest the Mi 8 SE, complete with an excellent, even if smaller, 5.88-inch, Super AMOLED display, and the new Snapdragon 710 chipset. On the flip side, if you really need as much screen as you can get and are willing to forgo certain modern treats, the Mi Max 2 might be right up your alley. You might even save a few bucks in the process.
Looking past team Xiaomi, Huawei and Honor seem to be hitting the big-display, budget segment pretty hard. Frankly, not surprising, seeing how the pair is pretty much playing on all fronts and filling every niche in 2018. The Honor Play springs instantly to mind. A spacious 6.3-inch display and a flagship Kirin 970 chipset make up, what Huawei is positioning as a great mobile gaming platform, on a budget.
Huawei Honor Play • Huawei Honor View 10
For a more official, work setting, there are the Honor View 10, Mate 10 Lite and the P20 Lite, all positioned under the EUR 300 mark, on most markets. Choosing between the trio is mostly going to depend on personal preference and you opinion and the value you put in things like a more powerful chipset, bigger screen, a home button, zoom functionality and a notch, to name a few. If we had to choose, for us, the Honor View 10 stands out as the best value deal, with its notch-free, 5.99-inch display, excellent camera setup and flagship Kirin 970 chipset.
Lenovo Z5 • Motorola Moto G6 Plus • Nokia 6.1 Plus (Nokia X6)
Some other notable competitors to the Mi Max 3 include the Lenovo Z5, with its quite large 6.2-inch display and pretty similar internals. Then there is the Motorola Moto G6 Plus and the Nokia 6.1 Plus. Both, also, quite similar to the Xiaomi phablet.
Truth be told, however, if the screen real estate is your main draw towards the Mi Max 3, you might be better off exploring LTE tablet options. It all depends on your intended use case. Finding something quite as compact will be a challenge, though.
The Verdict
Playing a particular angle in any product, especially tech is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you could limit your goals to a particular niche requirement alone and cruse though everything else, cutting corners as you please. Chances are that with a unique enough offering, you can still make the bottom line work.
Then there is another, a perhaps even bigger danger of overreaching and trying to crank every aspect of your device to 11, while also offering a unique feature, or two. This increases price, expectations and in many ways the chance of failure (we're looking at you Razer Phone).
Pros
- Solid build quality.
- Huge 6.9-inch, 18:9, FullHD+ display; Surprisingly color accurate.
- Great battery life, although it could potentially be better; Quick Charge 3 support.
- Dual SIM LTE standby
- Great audio output quality and fairly loud stereo speaker setup
- Flexible and feature-rich MIUI 9.1; Based on a current Android Oreo core.
- Solid, mid-range performance. It is powerful enough for most everyday tasks.
- Good all-round camera experience with plenty of shooting modes.
- Fast and accurate fingerprint reader, IR blaster, FM radio
Cons
- No official mention of Gorilla Glass.
- Still no MIUI 10 update; Mi AI assistant and a few other features are still only available in Chinese.
- AI scene detection seems to be missing from camera UI.
- EIS does not work at 4K resolution with the Mi camera app.
- Limited camera Manual controls (only ISO and white balance).
- Decent edge detection on Portrait mode, but we expected more from the dual camera setup.
Xiaomi seems to have hit a nice middle ground with the Mi Max 3. The unique feature is obvious and executed masterfully. All the while, the rest of the device offers a solid experience, a good middle-ground in practically every respect, building and borrowing from the success of the Redmi line of devices. This is a great way to keep costs down, as well.
To put it in simple terms, after spending some time with the Mi Max 3, we can vouch that it won't disappoint in any way as a daily driver for most average users out there. As for the unique offer of a huge display, it is one of those things you either instantly love or hate. If you're up to the task of handling the beastly Xiaomi, it's one to easily recommend.
Special thanks to HonorBuy for providing the review unit.
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