What are the best small-screen Xiaomi phones?

As we’ve mentioned in our most recent articles, Xiaomi is a relatively new brand in the phone industry. However, it has managed to position itself worldwide in an extraordinary way as one of the brands with the best quality-price ratio.

Xiaomi has been just a little over 10 years in the industry, but during this time it has gained a good share of the market. All this is thanks to their development of mobiles with very good features and extremely attractive prices. This has allowed many users to abandon brands like Samsung and Apple and become “Mi Fans”.

Over the years, Xiaomi has been refining different aspects of their phones, such as their design, cameras, the chipsets they use, and, of course, their screens. And it’s right on the screens where the trend has dictated for many years that they should be bigger. However, there are users who don’t feel comfortable with large format displays and prefer phones with a more compact size.

If you’re looking for the best Xiaomi phones with small screens, we tell you what to take into consideration before buying one.

How to choose one of the best Xiaomi phones with a small screen?

There are many aspects to consider before choosing a smartphone, but if you’re specifically looking for one of the best Xiaomi mobiles with a small screen, it’s important for you to know that it’s currently very complicated to find smartphones with screens that are below 6 inches.

However, you can find some Xiaomi models with screens of 6.28 inches. Combined with a slim and virtually borderless design, it gives the feeling that we’re facing a compact and lightweight phone that can be used quietly with one hand.

Consider the following aspects when choosing a Xiaomi mobile with a small screen:

Screen size and aspect ratio

The first thing you should do is select the screen size. We insist on the fact that it can’t be less than 6 inches, as we’re talking about the current trend in phones. However, you’ll see that some of the best small-screen Xiaomi phones have sizes that range between 6.28, 6.3, and 6.4 inches.

It’s important to mention that the screen size is measured diagonally (from the top left corner to the bottom right corner or vice versa). Another aspect that influences whether the mobile feels comfortable and compact is the aspect ratio of the display (the ratio between its width and height).

On that note, the screens of most Xiaomi phones currently have aspect ratios of 20:9. This means they’re not that wide, so it’s relatively easy to use the keyboard and reach the majority of the display when using it with one hand.

Display technology

There are two technologies for smartphone displays: OLED and IPS LCD. Both can include technologies that improve image quality and viewing experience and can have high resolutions.

OLED technology is the best for smartphones because thanks to its design it doesn’t need a LED panel to backlight it, which translates into slimmer mobile designs. Other advantages include spectacular image quality since it displays very sharp images, vivid colors and a practically infinite level of contrast.

Meanwhile, IPS LCDs do require an LED panel to backlight them, so smartphones that integrate them are slightly thicker. On the other hand, they have the advantage of offering accurate colors and excellent viewing angles, although their contrast level is lower than that of an OLED display.

Technologies that complement the displays

HDR

Before choosing a Xiaomi smartphone with a small screen, you should verify that it has some of the following technologies that enhance the viewing experience: HDR, HDR10, or HDR10+.

The fact that the best small-screen Xiaomi mobiles have these certifications allows them to play content created with these formats. They enrich the image allowing it to show more colors, more details, and better contrasts, resulting in a much richer and complete viewing experience.

You can also verify that the phone you choose has Dolby Vision certification to ensure that the image quality is superior.

Image refresh rate

This is one of the trendy specifications that has attracted the attention of users in recent years. The standard image refresh rate is 60 Hz, but currently, you can find some of the best small-screen Xiaomi phones with higher refresh rates, which can reach 120 Hz.

The benefit of this technology can be seen in selected content and some games, but especially when browsing the mobile interface. It becomes a much more fluid experience, either when scrolling between different screens, in social networks or in a web browser.

Tactile sampling frequency

The touch sampling rate is the ability of a phone to detect touches or inputs on a display for one second. For example, the screen of a phone with a touch sampling rate of 240 Hz will scan 240 times per second if there’s contact with the screen.

The higher the touch sampling rate, the more the user will feel an instantaneous response, especially when typing quickly on a virtual keyboard or when playing games on the phone. Therefore, the higher this number, the better the mobile screen experience for users.

Resolution

Currently, most upper mid-range or high-end phones, regardless of their screen size, offer Full HD+ resolution, which is higher than Full HD.

Displays with Full HD resolution have 1,080 x 1,920 pixels. Those referred to as Full HD+ generally maintain the 1,080-pixel width, but exceed 1,920 pixels in height. Depending on the size of the display, they can go up to 2,400 pixels.

Verify this fact before choosing the best small-screen Xiaomi phone for you.

Other specifications to keep in mind in order to have a good experience

Processor

It’s the heart of the phone and, of course, it’s also responsible for controlling the screen and its technologies. Thus, the better the chipset of the smartphone, the better it’ll be able to support screens with better resolution and more technological capabilities, such as HDR, refresh rate, and touch sampling frequency, among others.

Currently, all processors are 8-core and most offer stable performance. Although the level of fluidity and complexity of the applications that can run smoothly varies depending on the range to which the phone belongs.

There are two mobile chipset manufacturers that dominate the market, Qualcomm and MediaTek. The first has four main series: Snapdragon 600, 700, and 8. The 600 series processors are for low and mid-range phones; the 700 series is for upper mid-range smartphones and the 8 series is for high-end and premium phones.

Meanwhile, MediaTek divides its processors into two large families; the Helio series, which in turn is divided into three and is focused on the low and medium ranges, and the Dimensity series, aimed at the high end.

When choosing one of the best small-screen Xiaomi phones, check that the processor suits your needs and routine.

RAM memory

The RAM is the processor's complement for everything that has to do with performance and fluidity. Both components work as a team to make the user experience as smooth as possible within their capabilities.

Of course, RAM memory has a direct impact on the multitasking capabilities of the mobile. A device with more RAM memory will be able to have more applications open at the same time because when the apps are executed, they’re stored in this memory.

Today's phones can have two generations of RAM: LPDDR 4, which offers about 4,200 Mbps of data transfer speed, or LPDDR5, which is the most recent and reaches 6,400 Mbps.

Xiaomi mobiles with at least 8 GB of RAM usually have a smooth and well-balanced performance.

ROM memory

Better known as internal memory, ROM memory is the data storage capacity of a phone. Whether it’s used to store applications, photos, or documents, it’s one of the most important aspects for a user.

In reality, the amount of ROM memory that a smartphone has doesn’t directly influence the experience provided by its screen. However, users looking for a good display tend to look for higher capacities due to the constant consumption of content. The more storage space the phone has, the more content can be stored locally.

Most Xiaomi phones have at least 128 GB of ROM memory. This capacity is practically the standard in the mid-range and more accessible versions of the high-end.

Battery

This is an important section when talking about the best small-screen Xiaomi mobiles since the display is one of the elements of a smartphone that consumes more battery. It’s important to keep in mind that even though we’re talking about smartphones with smaller screens, these are no longer as small as they were before and exceed 6 inches in diagonal.

The most recent small-screen Xiaomi mobiles have batteries whose capacity ranges between 4,500 and 5,000 mAh. These provide excellent battery life for users who aren’t so demanding in the way they use their mobile.

However, you should know that if the Xiaomi mobile display you select has the technologies mentioned above, such as a high refresh rate and HDR, it will consume more power than a display that doesn’t have them.

Fortunately, in the mobile settings, you can choose the different display modes, either to modulate the intensity of the colors, in some cases the resolution or even set the refresh rate to get better performance in the battery section.

Where to buy the best small-screen Xiaomi mobiles?

AliExpress

AliExpress is one of the online stores that has gained a lot of popularity in recent years, becoming an excellent option to buy, among other things, mobiles, gadgets, and accessories.

In AliExpress, you can find a good catalog of Xiaomi mobiles with small screens. Not only that but this online store has the advantage of having an official Xiaomi store within its platform, which increases security and trust when buying.

One of the things we like most about AliExpress is that it includes a buyer protection guarantee for a period of up to 75 days after the purchase has been made. This guarantee can be applied if the order has an issue and allows the user to request a refund.

Physical and online Mi Stores

Of course, another excellent option is the physical Mi stores. These are a good alternative for those people who aren’t convinced about which model to purchase or want to see the various phones in person to receive advice from the brand's experts, who can provide recommendations based on the user's needs.

This network of stores is also online, whose main advantage is that they have the entire catalog of the brand, in addition to complementary accessories such as headphones, watches, and smart bands. Besides, it’s the place where the brand carries out promotions and creates packages with its various gadgets.

Amazon

Amazon is one of the most popular stores among buyers thanks to its excellent customer service and fast delivery times. The world's largest online store has an extensive range of phones, including many Xiaomi models.

One of Amazon's biggest advantages is its Prime membership. It allows members to receive their orders one day after placing them and have access to its music and video streaming services.

They also excel in excellent customer service, an efficient shipment tracking system, and easy returns system.