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Xiaomi Mi A3 tested: Android One instead of MIUI

24.3.2020

Translation: machine translated

The special thing about the Xiaomi Mi A3 is its software. Instead of the MIUI user interface with pre-installed apps, you can expect the tidy interface of Android One.

I admit it: I don't like it when a smartphone manufacturer pre-installs too many apps. It may be well-intentioned, but as we all know, well-intentioned is the opposite of good. That's why I'm pleased that Xiaomi is also offering models without MIUI with the A series and am giving the Mi A3 a try, even though it's been available for a while and I've just looked at a model in the same price range with the Redmi Note 8 Pro.

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No superfluous apps and update guarantees

After switching on the Mi A3, I only log in with my Google account. I am not asked to set up a Mi account or decide to use Xiaomi services. These have not yet convinced me to use them instead of Google services on other Mi smartphones. Side effect: There are only five apps, one folder and the search bar on the home screen and, compared to other Xiaomi smartphones, only a few applications are visible in the app overview. However, all the important services are there and I can download the rest from the Play Store.

Another advantage of Android One: By participating in the programme, manufacturers commit to providing the smartphone in question with system updates for two years and security updates for three years.

The Xiaomi Mi A3 was released with Android 9 and was originally scheduled to receive the update to Android 10 in mid-February. However, the lockdown in China in recent weeks has delayed work on the update. The upgrade date is not yet known at the time of going to press.

The fingerprint sensor is hidden under the display

The AMOLED display of the Mi A3 has vibrant colours, strong contrasts and is bright enough for outdoor use. Exception: It cannot keep up with direct sunlight. The resolution of the 6.088-inch screen is low at 1560×720 pixels. However, the few pixels are not noticeable when looking at the touchscreen. You will only see the difference when you compare it with a smartphone with a higher resolution.

While the resolution of the display matches the price range, the fingerprint sensor under the display has so far only been found in expensive smartphones. With the Mi A3, however, it is also sufficient to place your finger on the glass to unlock the smartphone. This works reliably and quickly. Quite different from a year ago, for example with the Nokia 9.

The Snapdragon 665 under the bonnet is not a super-fast chipset. But together with the four gigabytes of RAM on my test device, it has enough computing power for everyday use. The performance is even sufficient for games such as PUBG Mobile - albeit not in the best resolution. The internal memory of the test device is 64 gigabytes and can be expanded with a microSD card. This also applies to the second version of the Mi A3, which has 128 gigabytes of storage space and six gigabytes of RAM.

The battery has a capacity of 4030 mAh and I got through a day with it very well. There were no worries that the battery would run out prematurely, but I still had to recharge it every day via the USB-C port. There is also a 3.5 mm connection for headphones. However, you have to do without the infrared port, which turns many other Xiaomi smartphones into a universal remote control, on the Mi A3 due to Android One.

The cameras like it bright

There are three cameras on the back of the Xiaomi Mi A3. These are the main camera with a resolution of 48 megapixels, an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera and a camera with just two megapixels, which only provides additional information for blurred backgrounds in portrait shots. By default, the camera software merges four pixels into one, which is why the photos have a resolution of 12 megapixels. You have to explicitly select the 48 megapixels in the camera app. The high resolution only applies to conventional photos. Portrait shots or night photos are not possible with 48 megapixels

On the smartphone itself, but also on the computer, I see no advantage to choosing the 48-megapixel resolution. With the same image section, the higher resolution does not offer better detail accuracy. The lack of HDR mode also results in poorer colour reproduction at 48 megapixels. This is why the sample photos here are all taken with 12 megapixels.

The main camera copes well with strong contrasts and delivers natural-looking colours. Nevertheless, the HDR mode still provides improvements in both areas. The level of detail is decent - at least as long as it is bright enough.

The night mode creates chic images, but has a low level of detail.

In the dark, the night mode provides nice effects, but on closer inspection, the shots in the dark have little detail.

While the wide-angle camera brings more subject matter into the picture, its 8 megapixels are a step backwards in terms of quality. This applies to colour reproduction, contrast and detail accuracy. Nominally, the standard shots only have 4 megapixels more resolution, but adding the 48 megapixels together seems to have a positive effect. Another side effect of the high original resolution: The Mi A3 offers you a 2x zoom without a telephoto lens. The resolution is high enough to zoom in.

Portrait mode creates a blurred background. This works pretty well on the arms and shoulders. The head causes problems for the software even without hair. The boundaries between the foreground and background are not always optimised.

Even without hair, the bokeh effect has problems on the head.

The front camera of the Mi A3 delivers selfies with a resolution of 32 megapixels. For colour reproduction, it's definitely worth enabling HDR mode and if you want to see more detail in the face, remember to disable the beautify and blur effects in the camera app. In my pictures, the default settings were active and ensure, for example, that my beard has little detail. Of course, you can also take selfies in the dark, but they look so bad that I'll spare you the look.

Conclusion: Average smartphone with outstanding software

The Xiaomi Mi A3 scores a lot of plus points with Android One and therefore competes with smartphones from Nokia and Motorola, which also rely on an (almost) unchanged Android. Google's Pixel devices also belong on the list, even if they are at the front of the line when it comes to updates.

The camera and hardware of the Mi A3 are not outstanding, but are sufficient for everyday use and the smartphone is also reasonably priced. The fingerprint sensor in the display is a nice bonus in this price range.

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Jan Johannsen

Senior Editor

Jan.Johannsen@galaxus.de

When I was but a young student, I'd sit in my friend's living room with all my classmates and play on his SuperNES. Since then I've had the opportunity to test out all the newest technology for you. I've done reviews at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, and have now arrived at Galaxus.de.

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