Xiaomi with the MIX model line has traditionally always brought something unusual, which often outperforms the competition. It comes on the market after a break of several years Xiaomi MIX 4, which brings a unique display without a cutout or shot with the front camera hidden under the display.
Most of you are definitely interested in the quality of photos taken with the front camera. However, in the review we will also look at other features of the smartphone, test its performance, charging speed and share our experience after daily use.
Where did we buy Xiaomi MIX 4?
If you watch our site regularly, you must have noticed that we ordered the Xiaomi MIX 4 smarfon a few days after the performance from our international partner TradingShenzhen, which traditionally offers the first opportunity to order Chinese versions of smartphones that will not enter our market. You can read more about the order and delivery itself in our article.
Xiaomi Mi MIX 4 Chinese version (with B20 LTE)
In short, the MIX series
The Xiaomi brand first came on the market with the MIX series in 2016, when we were introduced to the first model of the series with a large display with almost no frames. It was this series that began the era of shrinking the frames around the display. Only the lower frame, in which the selfie camera was located, was distinctive.
The Mi MIX 2 model continued in a similar spirit a year later, which already had slightly more compact dimensions, but retained the design. This model also received an improved version in the form of Mi MIX 2s.
In 2018, Xiaomi introduced us to the first completely frameless smartphone, which had an interesting retractable construction. When it was extended, the front camera appeared. The following year, however, a new model from this series did not come. After the experimental Mi MIX Alpha, which did not go on sale, we have a novelty only now, in 2021, when the MIX 4 comes to the market with a front camera under the display.
Technical specifications
Xiaomi MIX 4 | |
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Display |
6.67 "CUP 3D AMOLED |
2400 x 1080 resolution |
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refresh rate 120 Hz |
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sampling frequency 480 Hz |
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contrast 5: 000 |
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processor |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ / frequency up to 3.0 GHz |
Memories |
LPDDR5 6400Mbps + UFS 3.1 storage |
Main cameras |
108 MPx main camera: 1 / 1.33 ″ HMX sensor / OIS |
13 MPx ultra-wide angle camera with 120 ° viewing angle |
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8 MPx periscope camera / 5x optical zoom / 50x digital zoom / OIS |
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Front camera |
20 MPx camera under the display (CUP) |
Connectivity |
UWB / NFC / IR Blaster / Bluetooth 5.2 |
Wi-Fi |
802.11 a / b / g / n / ac / 6e |
Battery and charging |
4 mAh / 500 W cable charging / 120 W wireless charging |
Size and weight |
162.65 x 75.35 x 8.02mm / 225g |
Audio |
Harman Kardon stereo speakers |
Memory variants |
8 GB + 128 GB / 8 GB + 256 GB / 12 GB + 256 GB / 12 GB + 512 GB |
Premium packaging
As it is a premium model, the packaging of the smartphone is in the same spirit. We received the Xiaomi MIX 4 in a black flat box measuring 16.2 x 22 x 5.2 cm with gold inscriptions and the Xiaomi logo.
After opening the box, a black cardboard sheet with an inscription in Chinese is waiting for us, which in translation means "The world is not perfect, but someone is always looking for perfection". The smartphone itself is already placed under it in a hard reinforcement.
Under the smartphone we find three more boxes, each of which is marked according to what is in it. One houses a classic, transparent case with a reduction from USB-C to a 3.5mm audio jack, the other a charging adapter and the third a USB charging cable.
Layout of elements and quality of processing
As usual, the latest model from the MIX series also offers a ceramic body. We had our test piece available in gray, which is beautiful. For us, we can say that in this color version, it is one of the most beautiful smartphones that Xiaomi has ever made.
Its weight is 225 g, which makes it one of the heavier smartphones. The large camera module in the back, which protrudes significantly from the body of the smartphone, also contributes to this. The design is similar to the module from Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra shortened by a secondary display.
The smartphone is very comfortable to hold in the hand, which is also helped by the rounded edges of the back cover. However, the ceramic part slides slightly, so we carried the smartphone all the time in the bundled case. This also protects the rear module of the camera from scratches that can occur, for example, when moving the smartphone on a table.
As for the layout of the individual elements, this is not non-standard. The left side of the smartphone is completely empty, while the right side is equipped with buttons for volume control and also a button for turning the smartphone on or off.
The bottom edge hides the charging USB-C connector, the slot for 2 SIM cards and the main speaker. The second Harman Kardon speaker can be found in the upper part, along with sensors and a microphone. The speakers play cleanly, similar to the Mi 11 and Ultra models, but they lack bass slightly.
The display is the pride of a smartphone
The most interesting element, which is also the biggest attraction of this smartphone is its display. It is a 6.67 ″ AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 px, a pixel density of 400 ppi and support for P3 color gamut, in which a fingerprint reader is integrated.
The display has a refresh rate of 120 Hz, a sampling frequency of 480 Hz, a contrast ratio of 5 000: 00 and is slightly rounded at the sides. It is protected by the latest layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protective glass.
However, the display is unique thanks to its attribute CUP, from the English camera under panel. Simply put, it is a kind of secondary round display that is integrated into the primary panel. Below this circular part is a selfie camera, so we finally have no cutout or shot that would disturb us. The beautiful infinity display with very thin frames is gorgeous.
Said round panel is a small semi-transparent display, which is composed of different pixels that have the ability to reorganize. Their movement allows you to change the flow of light through the panel to the lens, which is located below it.
If you look at the switched on display, in the part where the camera is located under the panel, there is absolutely no difference compared to the rest of the display. However, the overall impression is slightly spoiled by the foil glued to the display, which has a cutout for the selfie camera. You can see this cutout a bit even when the display is on, but if we removed the foil from the display, you would not know where the selfie camera is.
However, the selfie camera can be seen when the smartphone is turned off or the background is black. Especially if you take a close look with your smartphone namiyou stand against the light, the camera under the panel will be noticed by an attentive eye. At first glance, however, it is really invisible, and if you are among those who are bothered by the cut-out or cut-out, you will be delighted.
Thanks to the high refresh rate, the display is extremely smooth, has beautiful colors and ranks among the top. There is also a popular always-on display with a wide range of customization options.
Powerful hardware is missing
The performance is ensured by the improved flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ 5G processor, thanks to which the Chinese version, which we are testing, is also fully usable with us. It has full support for the LTE B20 band, which is used in Slovakia. The tested memory version has 12 GB of LPDDR5 and 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
Since it is currently top hardware, it is not very important to break down the performance. It is one of the most powerful smartphones in the world, so the system is extremely smooth without any jams or hesitations. You can play anything on it and thanks to the quality display it will be an experience.
We also subjected the Xiaomi MIX 4 to the well-known test in the AnTuTu application, where it received a score of 797, which ranks it on top of all smartphones from Xiaomi. The ranking is currently dominated by Nubia Red Magic 019 Pro with 6 points. MIX 837 really breathes on the back of the world's top smartphone.
Selfie camera under the display
How does the camera under the display take pictures? Does the lens have enough light when covered by the display? Those are great questions to trysime answer with a real test. The selfie camera has 20 MPx, and since it is located below the display, the software helps it to get better results and more beautiful colors. Xiaomi invested up to 77 million dollars in this technology and they worked on the development for 5 years.
We took the following selfie photo during the sunny afternoon. As you can see, the quality is not among the top, it is rather an average output. The photo has enough sharpness and detail for a selfie shot, but it is not very natural in color. The yellow color predominates, as if we had applied one of the filters.
The camera under the display thus has its tax in the form of lower quality selfie photos. However, we can see that the photos go through software post-processing, as when we first view the photo, we can observe a short flash, during which additional adjustments are applied.
For comparison, we add a photo taken using the portrait mode with a blurred background, the so-called bokeh effect.
Main cameras
We have three main cameras available:
- 108 MPx - HMX sensor with size 1 / 1.33 ″, optical image stabilization, aperture f / 1.95
- 13 MPx ultra-wide - angle of view 120 °, aperture f / 2.2
- 8 MPx periscope - 5x optical zoom, 50x digital zoom, optical stabilization
The main sensor is nothing new, but it is a well-known 108 MPx camera, which can be found in the Xiaomi Mi 11, for example. Photos taken with this sensor are at a very good level, which we were able to see during the Mi 11 test. and natural colors that are not unnecessarily oversaturated.
A slight ailment that plagues about all Xiaomi smartphones is the occasional highlighting of shadows, which causes over-contrasted shadows merging into black. In these places, the details absolutely disappear.
When comparing the main camera and wide angle, you can see warmer color rendering in wide angle. But here we have one interesting thing. Xiaomi used an ultra-wide-angle free-form lens that eliminates unnatural image rounding.
The algorithm that used to correct the distortion always had to crop a part of the photo, which this time is solved thanks to the free-form lens, which has a freely shaped lens surface, is more flexible and can more accurately calculate the aberration of the field of view.
The photos are really more wide-angle and also sharper. Smart Fusion ensures better sharpness. When shooting with a wide-angle camera, the main camera also takes pictures, and the mentioned function then combines the individual pictures, which creates a sharper final photo.
The periscope lens offers a 5x optical zoom, which is excellent. Although Xiaomi introduces a 50x zoom in the presentations of the new smartphone, it is only a digital zoom, in which the image quality decreases significantly and the output is not very usable.
Night photography and video
The smartphone can detect when it needs to use night mode. However, it is also possible to control it manually and you can switch off the automatic switching on of the night mode completely in the settings. The night photos of the city are very nice, although they are not always quite sharp.
Compared to photos without night mode, we see more detail and also more light in dark places. The camera application also effectively suppresses the strong glow of night lighting, so the resulting photos are very interesting.
As for video, we have a maximum resolution of 8K, but only at 24 fps. For 4K video, we have a choice of 30 or 60 fps. There are also various video effects, shooting short VLOGs and slow motion video, so-called slow motion at a maximum resolution of 1080p and 480 fps.
Ultra fast 120 W charging
Xiaomi MIX 4 received up to 120 W cable charging, which promises to fully charge the battery in 21 minutes. In the settings, however, you can turn on the so-called boost, which speeds up charging and shortens the charging time to just 15 minutes. With this option, there is also a note informing about a possible increased heating of the smartphone.
Of course, we tested charging in both modes. We let the smartphone charge with the remaining capacity of 19%. In normal charging mode it took almost 27 minutes, in boost mode only less than 15 minutes.
This is what the charging process looked like in accelerated, boost mode:
- from 20 to 50% - 3 minutes 54 seconds
- 75% - 7 minutes 55 seconds
- 90% - 11 minutes 5 seconds
- 100% - 14 minutes 44 seconds
For comparison, we present standard, but also fast charging:
- from 20 to 50% - 6 minutes 15 seconds
- 75% - 15 minutes 25 seconds
- 90% - 21 minutes 10 seconds
- 100% - 26 minutes 36 seconds
Endurance, of course, depends on use. We charged the smartphone every day during testing, so we would rather rely on standard, one-day endurance. However, with such a fast charge, it is not a problem to charge the smartphone at least slightly at any time.
Accelerated video charging - from 19% to 100% in 14 minutes:
MIUI user interface
Xiaomi MIX 4 comes with Android 11 and the well-known MIUI extension, this time in the latest version 12.5.7, which is the latest version of MIUI 12.5 Enhanced Edition. Since we tested the Chinese version, the system only contained Chinese and English.
However, TradingShenzhen pre-installed some Google services for us, so we could easily install more apps through the Google Play store. ROM from the community is even available now Miuios.cz with a full range of languages and full integration with Google services, but we're still waiting for the bootloader to unlock.
The environment is reworked to the last detail, offering many animations and customization options. You can choose from classic control using the navigation buttons, but also gesture control and the popular dark mode. During our testing, we did not notice any problems associated with the MIUI extension. All applications ran stably.
Xiaomi MIX 4: Final evaluation
Xiaomi MIX 4 is a truly innovative smartphone with a beautiful design and display, which is not disturbed by any cut-out or space on the front camera. It is hidden under the display.
The tax for the camera under the display is poorer photo quality, but the manufacturer itself stated that the smartphone with this solution is intended more for those who use the selfie camera only sporadically.
It will also please the top performance, thanks to which the MIX 4 ranks among the top smartphones in the world. It also has ultra-fast charging, so you can charge this smartphone from 20 to 100% in less than 20 minutes.
The Xiaomi brand thus did not owe anything to the reputation of the MIX series. After a break of several years, we have another smartphone here, which brings interesting innovations. We can recommend the smartphone to all technology enthusiasts who love progress and want the best that Xiaomi currently offers. We really liked MIX 4 and it stays with us as a "daily driver".
Could they test charging from 0 to 100%?
Why would you want to charge your smartphone like this? For a flashlight, this is the worst thing it can be to charge from a completely empty capacity.
I find the lack of a macro lens a bit ridiculous
... on the contrary, the advantage is that I have a telephoto lens !! most macro lenses installed in mobile phones are unusable and even if they have at least 5 megapixels, people will use them once a Hungarian year
so I think the Mi Mix 4's lens mounting is fine