Xiaomi Mi3- The worlds most powerful smartphone

jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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Noticed a Thread hasn't been done on this yet.

Xiaomi are a large Chinese smartphone designer that make and release their own phones. They have been compared to Apple in the past but they are actually quite the opposite of Apple as they work on creating the best products and selling them at cost price to the benefit of the end user. The key difference between Apple and Xiaomi is that Apple do not care what the users want, they imagine what the users want. Xiaomi are different as they update their OS every week, maintain a huge fan base where feedback is valued and changes made by users. Xiaomi sell software services to make up for the lack of profit on hardware.

Xiaomi is not profit orientated.(well it is ofc) it is user orientated and this has led to to Xiaomi being more popular than Apple and shipping over 15m devices this year. The company is now valued at $10b. Early this year Hugo Barra (Google Executive) joined Xiaomi and has plans to take the company global and help others understand the Xiaomi brand. You may have heard about Xiaomi before through MiUi Operating system. The worlds most advanced and connected operating system with amazing apps such as MiCloud (Similar to iCloud but better) and the smart camera app. A while back Xiaomi announced their Red Rice phone which has the roughly the same specs as the iPhone 5C yet sells for only £85 compared to the £480 iPhone 5C.

And recently Xiaomi announced the Mi3. It is without a doubt the worlds most powerful smartphone. It uses the most powerful version of the Snapdragon 800. The 8974AB is the model used which means it's even more powerful than the Samsung Galaxy S4 that uses a less powerful model of the 800. The TD-SCDMA version is the worlds first phone to come with the brand new Nvidia Tegra 4 processor with it's 72 GPU cores. The SP800 runs at 2.3GHz and the Tegra 4 runs at 1.8Ghz. Both phones score over 36,000 in Antutu.

http://www.gizchina.com/wp-content/uploads/images/antutu.jpg

The phone has a 5" IPS 1080p screen with OGS and Gorilla Glass. The screen works with gloves and wet fingers. The phone has 2GB LDDR3 RAM and 16GB onboard storage with up to 120Mbps write speed. There is also a 64GB version as well. Xiaomi have opted for a 13Mp camera designed by Sony with Dual LED flash designed by Phillips. The camera has an Aperture of F2.2, and a 28mm wide angle lens. The front facing camera is 2MP. The phone also has a large 3050mAh battery and exceptional build quality and design. Other features include MiUi Sound V2 with Cirrus Logic and Dirac HD stereo sound. There is also Wi-Fi, GPS, other sensors, NFC, Bluetooth etc... The phone runs the worlds most advanced operating system which is Android with MiUi V5 with loads of exciting new features.

And how much does it cost? Only £200 local price for the 16GB version and £250 local price for the 64GB version. Compare this to Apple who charge £540 for their inferior spec'd iPhone 5s and that's just the 16GB version. The 64GB version is a massive £700. That's a £450 premium for a worse phone.

Xiaomi are looking to grow even more and their plans for global expansion are very apparent now. What are your thoughts?

Video- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=O89M3CYd8RU#t=2562
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Comments

  • blueisthecolourblueisthecolour Posts: 20,122
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    Did you join DS and send 3,500+ posts just so that one day you could spam us with a Chinese mobile phone marketing? :)
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    Did you join DS and send 3,500+ posts just so that one day you could spam us with a Chinese mobile phone marketing? :)

    Yes. :D

    Although it's hardly spam when i'm being 100% factual.
    Like i said, this isn't knock off brand. These guys make phones better than Samsung themselves. Not available to buy in the UK yet. But i can see Xiaomi expanding out in the next few years. They're definitely a company to watch.
  • Zack06Zack06 Posts: 28,304
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    I'm not so keen on this Mi3. With Xiaomi, it seems like all the ingredients are there for them to hit the big time, but there's something missing.

    I think the design is very "Lumia" and I'm not a fan of MIUI either. It's the same type of Android overlay that Amazon uses on their Kindle Fire, i.e. very locked down and uncustomisable.

    I think they are a company to watch definitely, but for the time being I wouldn't buy one of their devices. I think the real test will be when they decide to break into the US and European markets. Until then, I think they are yet to reach their potential.
  • Philip WalesPhilip Wales Posts: 6,373
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    ^^ Not sure I'd trust the Chinese to hold my data securely....lol And yes they probably do sell well in China, but for how long once all the other makers start getting a foot hold in there. Top Gear did a article on cars in China, and while the cars in China sold millions, they wouldn't get any where near that world wide.. no yet anyway.

    China is like Japan was 60 years ago, copying other peoples ideas and making them cheaper not necessarily better, but today Japan leads the way for the most part in innovation.
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    Zack06 wrote: »
    I'm not so keen on this Mi3. With Xiaomi, it seems like all the ingredients are there for them to hit the big time, but there's something missing.

    I think the design is very "Lumia" and I'm not a fan of MIUI either. It's the same type of Android overlay that Amazon uses on their Kindle Fire, i.e. very locked down and uncustomisable.

    I think they are a company to watch definitely, but for the time being I wouldn't buy one of their devices. I think the real test will be when they decide to break into the US and European markets. Until then, I think they are yet to reach their potential.

    I think the Mi3 is an excellent phone. And don't forget they also have the Mi2s and the Hongmi phone out which are excellent value for money.

    I agree with you about the fact MiUi is quite locked down but it's clear to see what Xiaomi are trying to do by replacing all Google apps with their own content and services. However, it is customisable and you can always put a stock Android ROM on the phone if you want to. That is the beauty of the fact Xiaomi still use Android. So at the end of the day you still get a choice.
  • Philip WalesPhilip Wales Posts: 6,373
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    ^^^ Are you pushing for some sort of European distributer rights...;)
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    ^^^ Are you pushing for some sort of European distributer rights...;)

    I may get a bit excited when people talk about Chinese Phones.... :D

    I used to write articles for a Chinese phone site a while back. Still do guest articles from time to time.

    I agree what you're saying about China beginning to catch up. But disagree what you say about the government, every government does it. Not just China. And i also disagree what you say about Xiaomi declining in China. I don't think Apple can hurt them at all.
  • enapaceenapace Posts: 4,303
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    Jabba would you go for the snapdragon 800 or the Tegra 4?
  • Philip WalesPhilip Wales Posts: 6,373
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    Not so much the government, but private companies. Pretty sure most Governments aren't interested in most peoples bank accounts etc, but individual companies...not so sure.
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    enapace wrote: »
    Jabba would you go for the snapdragon 800 or the Tegra 4?

    Snapdragon 800. The Tegra 4 version won't work here i believe.

    I wouldn't buy it if it came over. I prefer dual sim phones myself tbh. Now if Xiaomi were to make a dual sim phone... :eek:

    @Phillip- I know what you're saying. But you're no more safe using an USA designed phone over a Chinese designed phone. Besides MiUi comes built in with a whole lot of security features + encrypted IM services.
  • konebyvaxkonebyvax Posts: 9,120
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    The screen works with gloves and wet fingers.


    Aye, but does it work with wet gloves? :D Joking aside, I would be interested if it ever launched officially here.
  • clonmultclonmult Posts: 3,366
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    ^^ Not sure I'd trust the Chinese to hold my data securely....lol And yes they probably do sell well in China, but for how long once all the other makers start getting a foot hold in there. Top Gear did a article on cars in China, and while the cars in China sold millions, they wouldn't get any where near that world wide.. no yet anyway.

    China is like Japan was 60 years ago, copying other peoples ideas and making them cheaper not necessarily better, but today Japan leads the way for the most part in innovation.

    Its a chinese built and designed phone running Android. Not that different to the chinese built iPhones .... no reason to trust either more or less than the other.
  • clonmultclonmult Posts: 3,366
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    jabbamk1 wrote: »
    Snapdragon 800. The Tegra 4 version won't work here i believe.

    I wouldn't buy it if it came over. I prefer dual sim phones myself tbh. Now if Xiaomi were to make a dual sim phone... :eek:

    @Phillip- I know what you're saying. But you're no more safe using an USA designed phone over a Chinese designed phone. Besides MiUi comes built in with a whole lot of security features + encrypted IM services.

    I saw the keynote for this phone. Very nicely presented. "People said we couldn't do snapdragon or tegra 4. So what are we doing? both". Awesome.
  • konebyvaxkonebyvax Posts: 9,120
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    Always makes me laugh when people get paranoid about Chinese mobiles. Have you people not heard about what the US does to our texts/conversations in the UK?
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    konebyvax wrote: »
    Always makes me laugh when people get paranoid about Chinese mobiles. Have you people not heard about what the US does to our texts/conversations in the UK?

    *Awaits obvious tin foil hat comment*

    I agree. The keynotes are great. Much better than what Apple do. You can really see the interaction they have with the crowd and how they get excellent speakers up on stage. For example the CEO of Nvidia was there and said how much he loved Xiaomi phones and why thats why the first phone with Tegra 4 was Xiaomi Mi3.

    Price announcement got a great reaction- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=O89M3CYd8RU#t=2721
    Here is Hugo Barra's speech- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=O89M3CYd8RU#t=534
  • clonmultclonmult Posts: 3,366
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    konebyvax wrote: »
    Always makes me laugh when people get paranoid about Chinese mobiles. Have you people not heard about what the US does to our texts/conversations in the UK?

    I don't see a problem with that; its nice having the government handling our backups for us ....

    Damn, lost that picture. Do you call your local MP to request a restore?
  • TheBigMTheBigM Posts: 13,125
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    This phone might have amazing hardware specs but how is the user experience.

    It's actually quite difficult to a) do great design yourself, and b) have an army of third-party developers creating high quality apps which also have great design.

    In this respect, in terms of experience does this phone offer a better experience as it is still just running Android apps. Ignoring hardware, what makes it better than a Nexus device? (IMO, most mobiles are already plenty fast enough, like most PCs, it's an issue of cost more than anything).
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 11,133
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    Ah the rise of the Chinese .
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    TheBigM wrote: »
    This phone might have amazing hardware specs but how is the user experience.

    It's actually quite difficult to a) do great design yourself, and b) have an army of third-party developers creating high quality apps which also have great design.

    In this respect, in terms of experience does this phone offer a better experience as it is still just running Android apps. Ignoring hardware, what makes it better than a Nexus device? (IMO, most mobiles are already plenty fast enough, like most PCs, it's an issue of cost more than anything).

    MiUi has one of the best user experiences out there. it's been said to be as easy to use as an iPhone and comes with a whole array of features.

    The one i love the most is MiCloud. This is a service very similar to iCloud. It backs up all of your phone storage to the cloud and allows you to restore your profile to any device. You can also make set folders or albums on your MiCloud that you can share with anyone. It's an excellent way to share photos with friends without needing to ever press the send button.

    Also, MiUi is highly customisable with thousands of themes to download. The OS allows you to tweak all aspects of the OS including the notification bar, icons, fonts, sounds, lockscreen etc..

    All stock android apps have been revamped and redesigned to offer more functionality and a much better user experience. New apps have been added in such as the File Manager that also integrates an FTP server so you can access your SD card from your computer’s browser and transfer files easily. The music player is one of the best out there by far.

    I could go on and talk about MiChat, the security features, the find my phone feature, notification toggles etc...

    Also Xiaomi have a great presence on social media that allows them to take feedback all the time. Xiaomi update their MiUi every week with brand new features.

    See the promo video here- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXM7QmgM7yc
    List of features- http://en.miui.com/features.php
    In depth review- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDNpGc2GPe4
  • Philip WalesPhilip Wales Posts: 6,373
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    My point about Chinese companies is this, your pretty safe with Google, Amazon, Apple etc, they have accountability and as such should your data fall into the wrong hands they will sort it.

    What about China, they copy well no brands of cars etc, and when the maker complains to the Chinese Government, they basically say tough, well wait till you want to sell your cars abroad.

    They copy phones, but because they hold a Chinese Patent, it's ok, stuff the rest of the world.

    This is what I don't like about some Chinese business practices.
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    My point about Chinese companies is this, your pretty safe with Google, Amazon, Apple etc, they have accountability and as such should your data fall into the wrong hands they will sort it.

    What about China, they copy well no brands of cars etc, and when the maker complains to the Chinese Government, they basically say tough, well wait till you want to sell your cars abroad.

    They copy phones, but because they hold a Chinese Patent, it's ok, stuff the rest of the world.

    This is what I don't like about some Chinese business practices.

    STEREOTYPES! STEREOTYPES EVERYWHERE!

    China don't copy everything. Yes they do copy a lot. But it's a non issue really. And you're wrong saying Chinese companies have no accountability. You've clearly never read up on this stuff.
  • Philip WalesPhilip Wales Posts: 6,373
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    ^^ Lets face it they copy, everything thats worth copying!, I can't think of something they don't copy. Thats not the point though, I'm more concerned about their attitudes to business paractices and the lack of accoutability.
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    ^^ Lets face it they copy, everything thats worth copying!, I can't think of something they don't copy. Thats not the point though, I'm more concerned about their attitudes to business paractices and the lack of accoutability.

    What lack of accountability? In the past 5 years China has changed a lot.
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    Here is a full teardown of Mi3 for those interested. Use the arrow keys at the bottom to move onto the next picture.

    This is the Nvidia Tegra 4 version so has a spreadtrum TD-SCDMA modem. So this one won't work in the UK. Need the Qualcomm 800 version which will have a WCDMA modem.

    https://plus.google.com/photos/108531052526575991056/albums/5924793043115190081/5924793054117944866?pid=5924793054117944866&oid=108531052526575991056
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