These are the latest Xiaomi mobiles: Which ones are worth it?

As we’ve mentioned in other blog entries, Xiaomi is a Chinese technology brand that came to change the industry with an aggressive and disruptive strategy created by its founder, Lei Jun. The goal is clear: to offer phones designed to compete with the most important brands in terms of specifications and performance, but at substantially lower prices so that most users can have access to this type of device.

In 2013, just three years after its founding, the brand introduced the Xiaomi Mi 2S model and thereby fulfilled that main objective for the first time: sales of that handset in China surpassed those of Samsung and Apple with the Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5, respectively.

How to choose the best among the latest Xiaomi mobiles?

As expected, the latest Xiaomi phones have very good specifications and, for the most part, state-of-the-art components. Regardless of the range in which you’re looking for your next smartphone, it’s important to pay attention to specifications such as the display, processor, RAM, camera, ROM (storage), battery, and, of course, fast charging technology.

In this article, we’ll mention the characteristics you should take into account in each of these components when choosing one of the latest Xiaomi mobiles. The brand currently has two main series: Xiaomi (formerly Mi) and Redmi. However, it’s worth mentioning that in 2018 Xiaomi created the POCO branch with a philosophy similar to the main brand’s.

Display

For the development of its mobile screens, Xiaomi uses two types of panels: IPS LCD (liquid crystal display) and AMOLED. Even though both screens offer good image quality and resolution, excellent color display, and high refresh rates, there are specific features for each of them.

We should start by saying that IPS LCD panels are found in more affordable smartphones, such as low-end and even some mid-range ones. This type of screen stands out for offering good viewing angles and, even though most smartphones have Full HD+ resolution, you can also find them with HD+ resolution, which offers less detail.

It’s worth mentioning that being more affordable doesn’t prevent these phones from having technologies that improve image quality and the viewing experience. Currently, IPS LCD panels support HDR and their image refresh rate can be higher than standard by offering 90 Hz or even 120 Hz rates.

OLED screens (AMOLED, Super AMOLED) have better technology. Their physical characteristics, allow the design of thinner smartphones since they don’t need an LED panel to backlight them. These screens are exclusive to mid and high-end ranges and, of course, there are different specifications, resolutions, and certifications. The most complete and those that offer the best image quality are exclusive to the most expensive phones.

Generally, the latest Xiaomi mobiles using these panels feature Full HD+ resolution and display at least one billion colors. Some feature HDR10+ certification and DCI-P3 color gamut, as well as even reaching 120 Hz in image refresh rate.

If you are looking for a smartphone to watch content on streaming platforms or to play games, it’s best to choose a smartphone with an OLED screen or one of its derivatives.

On the other hand, for more regular and undemanding users who don’t wish to make a large investment, the best course of action may be to choose a mobile with an IPS LCD screen.

Processor

The heart of performance in a smartphone is the processor. The latest Xiaomi mobiles have adopted the most recent generations of chipsets manufactured by renowned companies such as Qualcomm and MediaTek, both leaders in the smartphone market.

The latest Xiaomi phones already include processors compatible with 5G networks. Even if this connectivity technology isn’t active in your country or coverage is limited, you should know that using a smartphone with this type of chip has many advantages. They have more technology, not only in the connectivity section but also in performance and efficient battery power consumption.

At Qualcomm, mobile chipsets are called Snapdragon. Those of the 400 series correspond to the low-end (now almost obsolete), those of the 600 series to the lower-middle range, those of the 700 family to the upper-middle-range, and those of the 800 or 8 series (8 Gen 1, 8+ Gen 1) to the high-end.

MediaTek, on the other hand, has a different nomenclature. The Helio series chipsets are used in mid-range and low-end phones, and the Dimensity chipsets are used in mid-high and high-end phones.

RAM memory

The right arm of the processor in terms of performance is RAM (Random Access Memory). A mobile that has a good balance of RAM and processor shows a smooth and lag-free performance and a good multitasking capability that allows having several applications open at the same time and going from one to another smoothly.

Generally, Xiaomi's latest low-end phones have 4 GB of RAM, while mid-range phones may have 6 GB or 8 GB. High-end phones range from 8 GB to 12 GB, providing extremely smooth performance and can handle more complex camera systems, higher resolution displays, 8K resolution video recording, and games with very demanding graphics.

ROM memory

Commonly known as internal memory or storage, ROM memory is the space that the phone has to store data, applications, photos, and videos. The greater the ROM, the greater the storage capacity of a smartphone.

Depending on their range, the latest Xiaomi mobiles can have a minimum of 128 GB and a maximum of 512 GB of storage. Generally, the most equipped versions include 256 GB to maintain a healthy cost-benefit ratio.

You can decide how much storage you need depending on how you use your phone, how many applications you usually download, how many photos and videos you take, and in what resolution you take them.

However, it’s worth mentioning that there are many cloud storage services that are very affordable. In fact, Google offers 15 GB in its Google Photos application to back up multimedia content just by having an email address from its Gmail service.

Many of the latest Xiaomi phones, especially the high-end ones, have the latest generation of ROM, UFS 3.1 (Unit Flash Storage). Among its advantages is a higher speed for reading and writing data.

Camera

In the photographic section, the latest Xiaomi phones have sensors and lenses of better quality and resolution that, along with the latest generation processors, allow them to capture sharp, detailed images and videos with good light and color balance.

Of course, the results vary between different categories of smartphones, and the higher the range of the phone the better the results will be. This is related to the capability of the chipset, as the more advanced ones contain better image signal processors (ISP) and artificial intelligence to detect scenes and make automatic and accurate adjustments.

The latest Xiaomi phones may have 108 or 200-megapixel sensors, but you don't have to worry about the storage capacity, because they have a technology called pixel binning. This results in the pixels of the sensor being grouped to create larger pixels and thus capture more light, details, textures, and colors close to reality.

With this technology, the 200-megapixel sensors group 16 pixels into one and the final photo file is 12.5 megapixels but with higher quality.

One of the latest Xiaomi mobiles that have attracted the most attention in terms of photography is the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, which marked the beginning of the collaboration between the Chinese brand and the German manufacturer of photographic optics Leica.

Battery

Thanks to the growth in the size of smartphones (mainly due to the trend and the need for a larger screen), the size and capacity of batteries have also expanded. However, brands have had to work on optimizing the rest of the components to offer autonomy that meets the routine of users, who every day spend more hours on their smartphones and perform more activities with them.

The latest Xiaomi phones come with a long battery life and high capacity. It could be said that the industry standard is in batteries with 5,000 mAh, which should be more than enough for a regular user to reach the end of their day without any problem. However, within the brand, we can also find batteries with capacities of 4,500 mAh, mainly in models that have slimmer designs and slimmer bodies.

Of course, it’s important to note that components such as OLED-type displays and their derivatives, and chipsets with 7 nm, 6 nm, or 4 nm technology offer more efficient battery power consumption compared to panels with IPS LCD technology and 12 nm processors, respectively.

Fast charging

The answer to the limitation of battery capacity in smartphones was the development of fast charging. It immediately became a race between various brands to see which one offered the greatest charging power.

Currently, the latest high-end Xiaomi mobiles can offer charging speeds that exceed the 100 Watts mark, while devices in the mid-range can be equipped with fast charging technology that reaches 67 Watts. With these speeds, mobiles with battery capacities between 4,500 and 5,000 mAh can go from 1% to 100% in 35 minutes or less.

Security

Due to the large amount of information that we currently store on our smartphones, brands have taken it upon themselves to improve their security. One of the most important innovations came a few years ago with the development of fingerprint sensors. The first versions of this innovative characteristic were introduced in 2013 and were only dedicated to a few high-end phones.

Fortunately, this technology not only became popular and reached all ranges of phones, but it has also improved in terms of accuracy, speed of response, and location. There are currently three types of fingerprint sensors: those mounted on the frame or on the rear casing of the smartphone and those embedded in the display, which can be ultrasonic or optical.

The latest Xiaomi phones have side sensors and sensors under the screen (optical) that are very convenient for most users. These even allow you to block access to some applications so that they can only be opened also through this sensor, even when the phone is unlocked.

Generally, under-display fingerprint sensors can be found in the latest high-end Xiaomi phones.

Where can I buy the best high-end Xiaomi mobiles?

AliExpress

One of the best options to buy the latest Xiaomi mobiles is the online store AliExpress. This site has gained popularity and relevance worldwide due to a large number of models available and their competitive prices.

One of the main advantages of buying the latest Xiaomi mobiles on AliExpress is this the brand has an official space within this online store, which provides much more security and reassurance to users.

Another one of the site’s advantages is that you can make purchases practically anywhere in the world and the store will ship them to you without any problem. You’ll be able to know the approximate delivery date, as well as the shipping service that will be used before you make your purchase by viewing the details of the product you’re interested in.

To provide more security to its customers, AliExpress offers a buyer protection guarantee that extends up to 75 days, through which the users can request a refund if there is a problem with their order.