Xiaomi Mi A3, analysis with characteristics, price and opinion

The Xiaomi Mi A2 was one of the models most recommended by users and professionals. The truth is that it was very easy to recommend it, since almost no device offered the same features at such a good price. However, since then the market has changed a lot. Now we have very capable models, with prices that can perfectly compete with the device of the Chinese manufacturer. So we were all waiting to see if the Xiaomi Mi A3 would hit the table again . But the day of the presentation of the mobile arrived and we all got a little "cold". Some of the characteristics of the Mi A3 did not convince us. However, others were interesting. Such as its triple camera, its renewed technical set or a large capacity battery. Also the fact of being the only Xiaomi terminal with an Android One operating system instead of MIUI.

So we needed to check if the Xiaomi Mi A3 is a worthy successor to the Mi A2 . And for this I have been testing it for a few weeks and I am going to tell you what I think.

Data sheet Xiaomi Mi A3

What about the screen of the Xiaomi Mi A3?

If you are interested in the Xiaomi Mi A3 and have searched for information online, it is very likely that you have read the reviews of the screen that the terminal includes. Let's see, Xiaomi this year has decided to switch to AMOLED technology instead of using an LCD panel . A successful move, without a doubt, because that way you get deeper blacks, higher contrast and possibly lower energy consumption.

To place the camera for selfies, the Chinese manufacturer has chosen a drop-shaped design. It looks quite good and is the most "fashionable" design, so this is not the reason for criticism. Which? The resolution of the screen. In an unsuccessful movement they have placed a resolution of 1,560 x 720 pixels on a screen of just over 6 inches. So it is not difficult, if you look a little, to find pixelated details.

Having exposed the problem, I must say that in my opinion, it is not a reason to discard this terminal . We will not see pixelated details in videos, games or photographs (unless we pick up a magnifying glass and go looking for them). Rather, we can see them on the edges of the icons or maybe in some texts. But, even with this content, we will have to pay attention a lot. If I'm honest, I have spent more than 15 days with my mobile and the only thing I have missed more resolution is because on YouTube it could not go beyond 720p.

What I can criticize about the screen is its brightness. On hot summer days I have had trouble seeing the content when it was in full light . I have been investigating and it seems that this is not due to the maximum brightness of the Xiaomi Mi A3 panel, but to the operating system. And is that Android One limits the peak brightness of the screens to 350 nits , which makes its use more uncomfortable in direct light.

Design updated to 2019

In terms of design, the Xiaomi Mi A3 follows the current trend. To the already mentioned drop-shaped notch we must add the glass back . It has a glossy finish, which changes slightly in color with the incidence of light and curves to the sides for easy grip. The triple camera is located in the upper left corner in a vertical position and protrudes very little from the case. We have three colors available: pure white, blue and gray . Our test unit had the latter, perhaps the least conspicuous.

The edges are metallic and the terminal feels solid in hand. In the right frame we have the power and volume buttons, while the left one has the SIM card tray. Xiaomi has decided to keep the 3.5mm jack for headphones, a wise decision, and has put it at the top. And at the bottom we have the USB Type C connector.

And where is the fingerprint reader ? Well, following the fashion once again, under the screen . It is not the fastest or most accurate fingerprint reader on the market, but it generally works well. In addition, Xiaomi has introduced a visual aid to locate where we have to put our finger. Tapping twice on the screen or picking up the mobile will automatically illuminate the area to put the finger. A very useful detail.

Finally, we have some frames surrounding the screen that, although they are not excessive, are perfectly visible . Xiaomi could have cut them a bit more to differentiate themselves from other models of similar or even lower price. But it is clear that this year the screen was not a priority for the manufacturer.

Slight improvement in performance

The Xiaomi Mi A3 hides a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor under the hood . It is a chip manufactured in 11 nm with eight Kyro 260 cores operating at a maximum speed of 2 GHz and an Adreno 610 GPU.

This processor is accompanied by 4 GB of RAM and 64 or 128 GB of internal storage , depending on the version. This storage capacity can be expanded by microSD card up to 256 GB .

The performance of this technical set is good, although the improvement compared to last year is very little . As for real performance, the mobile performs very well. It has no problems running demanding games and we have only noticed a slight tug when we have many multitasking apps open. This has happened on very specific occasions, not always. In general, the experience is fluid, both in apps and in the system.

In the image that you have just above you can see the result of the AnTuTu and Geekbench tests . Its predecessor achieved, according to our tests, 132,202 points in the AnTuTu test and 1,648 / 4,740 points in Geekbench.

Regarding connectivity, the Xiaomi Mi A3 includes dual 4G SIM, dual-band 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0 and infrared control . The latter we will have to use through the My Remote Controller application which, curiously, is not installed by default. What we do not have, one more year, is an NFC chip. So you can forget about mobile payments.

Triple camera with very interesting results

Technical set and application

We come to the photographic section, one of the key points even on cheap mobiles. The Xiaomi Mi A3 has a triple sensor system on its back. This combines a 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 sensor with f / 1.79 aperture , an 8-megapixel wide-angle with f / 2.2 aperture, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor for portrait mode.

Its video recording capabilities allow you to record in resolution up to 4K at 30 fps, as well as 1080p up to 120 fps . Of course, we have neither optical nor digital stabilizer, something logical in this category.

As for the front camera , the Xiaomi Mi A3 has a 32-megapixel sensor with f / 2.0 aperture . This camera uses 4-in-1 Super Pixel technology to achieve 1.6 μm pixels.

The Camera application is the usual one that we find in Xiaomi terminals. That is to say, on the right side (with the terminal horizontal) we have the shutter-release button, the button to change from rear to front camera and direct access to the library. Then we have a small carousel to access the most common modes directly, including Portrait mode and Night mode.

On the other hand we have access to flash, HDR, the AI ​​system, filters and an icon with three stripes that allows us to access more options. Among them we have the option to activate the 48 MP , access to Google Lens or the possibility of activating a timer, among other things.

It is not installed by default, but it is worth noting that the Xiaomi Mi A3 is compatible with Google's GCam. So, if the Xiaomi application does not convince you, you will always have the alternative of the search giant.

Main camera image quality

The truth is that the Mi A3 achieves very good results , perhaps one of the best in its price range. But of course, it is not a high-end camera. Outdoors or in very good light it works really well. Of course, I liked the result more with HDR activated (99% of the time). If we activate it, we enhance the colors and brightness without damaging the photo. So I would recommend you always wear it activated.

Left: Normal, Center: with AI, Right: with AI and HDR

Something similar happens with the Artificial Intelligence system . Although it can sometimes oversaturate, the truth is that it is quite well adjusted and improves the dynamic range of the camera . It is capable of recognizing up to 27 different scenes, improving the result in difficult situations, such as backlighting or high contrast images.

When the light is worse, for example indoors, the Xiaomi Mi A3 manages to save the furniture. Although the loss of sharpness is obvious, it maintains realistic colors and good detail .

To the left Normal mode and to the right Night mode

At nightfall we will also get very interesting photos. Of course, the level of detail drops considerably and we may have some noise, but the results are more than decent for a mobile of its price .

In addition, we have the Night mode available . This manages to capture much more light than normal mode, although losing some detail and resolution. However, it can be a great ally for certain types of photos.

As for Portrait mode, the depth sensor does a good job. We have a natural and quite accurate blur . Although there have been occasions when the cut has failed, these have been the minimum. In addition, we have the option to modify the blur level to our liking.

We also have the option of shooting with the wide-angle sensor . It is a much simpler sensor than the personal one, so the loss of quality in the images is notable . However, in daytime photography or in good light we can obtain a different point of view with good results.

One detail to keep in mind is that the Xiaomi Mi A3 offers the possibility of shooting with 2x zoom. And you will say, but if it does not have a telephoto lens! Indeed, it is a 2x digital zoom , something that we must take into account.

Front camera image quality

As you have seen when talking about the technical section, the Xiaomi Mi A3 has a very interesting front sensor. They are no less than 32 megapixels with f / 2.0 aperture , so it should give us good results.

And the truth is that, in general, it is. The front camera allows you to take pictures with great detail and a good dynamic range . However, it is fair to point out that in bright conditions I have had some photos with the sky completely burned out. Something that, to be honest, happens on many mobiles.

I was surprised by the performance of the front camera when shooting in low light or directly at night. Get enough detail and even a more than decent Portrait mode .

I also liked the possibility of taking the selfie with the palm of the hand , in the style of Samsung terminals. On the other hand, I was not convinced by the beauty mode , since, in my opinion, it adds too much effect and remains somewhat artificial.

Photo gallery made with the Xiaomi Mi A3

Good autonomy and Android One

We could say that the Xiaomi Mi A3 has two strengths. One is the photographic section, of a high level for the price of the terminal. And the other is its autonomy, thanks to the 4,030 mAh battery that the device includes.

During the test days, the mobile managed to get to the end of the day without problems even when I have gone out to do photo sessions and have been away from home all day. If we use it less it could last almost two full days without problems .

As for charging, the Xiaomi Mi A3 supports Quick Charge 3.0 technology and 18 W fast charging . However, it does come with a 10W charger. With the included charger it takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes to go from 0 to 100%.

There is not much to comment on the operating system. It is Android One, so we will have “clean” Android. Well, almost clean, because Xiaomi has taken the opportunity to include the apps Mi Community, Xiaomi Store, Amazon and AliExpress .

But hey, we will "turn a blind eye", if only because the incorporation of Android One guarantees us two years of system updates and three of security updates .

Conclusions and price

The Xiaomi Mi A3 may not be the great “bargain” that its predecessor seemed. It may not be the reference mobile in the mid-range that we would all recommend without thinking for a minute. But there is no doubt that the Mi A3 is a very good mobile .

Like almost any device, it has its strengths and weaknesses . The screen and the absence of NFC are its biggest flaws, while the camera and autonomy its virtues.

As for the price, the Xiaomi Mi A3 is sold with 64 GB of storage for 250 euros and with 128 GB for 280 euros . Both have 4 GB of RAM and are available in three colors.

The problem is that the Mi A3 has the enemy at home . For example, the Pocophone F1 is currently at an irresistible price. It is true that it has a more "old-fashioned" design , but its technical set is much superior. We also have the Redmi Note 7, which being much cheaper offers very good benefits. And finally, there is the Xiaomi Mi 9T which, for 330 euros, is a much better mobile. Hence, the Xiaomi Mi A3 is not as indisputable a terminal as its predecessor.