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Xiaomi Mi Max 3 the latest phone from Xiaomi is launched on 19 July 2018. It is the successor to the previously successful device from Xiaomi, the Mi Max 2. While they both are from the Max series, the Max 3 following the new design and has a considerable amount of improvement over the Max 2. It comes with a new completely new design though seen on Redmi Note 5 Pro, more powerful processor, better camera, improved software, and more beefier battery. Xiaomi has pumped up the competition with the release of the Mi Max 3. Being a mid-tier device, it comes with every possible feature to rival the more premium smartphones.
Let's take a look at the review of Mi Max 3 and comparison with Mi Max 2.
Inside the Box
MI Max 3 packaging looks different from its predecessor. While the Mi Max 2 had a flashy box with the image of the device at the top, the Mi Max 3 package does not. Instead, the box of the Max 3 comes with a golden color Max 3 logo on the bottom left and Mi brand logo on the top right as seen in the images. As seen in the image, the key specification about the device can be found on the back of the package. On each side, there is Max 3 branding in golden color.
While the box looks small it is surely made out of high-quality material to provide premium unboxing experience to its users. Talking about the stuff inside, the contents look similar to that which can be found in the package of Max 2. Removing the transparent film and opening up the package you will find the following stuff
- Mi Max 3
- Power Adapter
- USB Cable
- SIM Ejector
- User Manual
- Warranty Card
Similar to many other mid-tier devices the Mi Max 3 does not come without any earphones in the box. Other things which seem to be missing are the extra screen protector and back cover. However, Xiaomi never included a back cover with its device so we cannot blame anyone here. Looking at the image it can be seen that the package is not big or bulky. Looking at the past unboxing, I can surely say that the unboxing of Mi Max 3 is surely above average.
Design and Build
Mi Max 2 at the time of launch looked sober. There was nothing interesting about the design. It had big bezels around the display, a completely plain back which made it simple. However, later with the introduction of the new 18:9 panels and dual camera setups, Xiaomi moved towards a new design. The new design language can be seen on the last couple of smartphone from Xiaomi like Remi 5, Redmi Note 5 Pro etc. Mi Max 3 is also using the new design. It will be available in 3 color variants- Gold, Matte Black and Deep Blue.
Well, the front of the device looks refined, however, the rear panel mimics the back panel of the iPhone X. It is not actually a direct copy, but the new vertical camera placement looks much like that on the iPhone X. With that being said, the device has a unibody metal device which means you do not have the access to the battery or the internals. Mi Max 3 feels rock solid in hand, however, it is not possible to use it entirely with a single hand. While the device is not too thick, it surely weights higher. Getting into the numbers, it has a thickness of 8 mm while the weight of the device is 221 grams.
Holding the device in hand you will the 18:9 aspect ratio display on the front with small top and bottom bezels. The front of the device also comprises a front camera, proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, and an earpiece. Moving on toward the right you have the volume keys and the power/lock key. While on the left of the device one will find the Hybrid SIM tray and nothing else. There is nothing on the top while at the bottom you have a Type C charging port, speaker, 3.5 mm audio jack and a mic.
Moving further to the rear panel, you will find the new dual camera arrangement along with a LED flash and the fingerprint scanner. Also, there is the "MI" branding on the rear of the device. Overall, the look improved significantly over the Mi Max 2. The new and improved Mi Max 3 provides more screen to body ratio hence providing a larger display in a somewhat similar form factor. Yeah, the device is not for users who want to use their device with a single hand. So if you are OKAY to use a gigantic device for your entertainment and pleasure, then Mi Max 3 is the device for you.
Display
When the Max 2 was launched, it came with a huge 6.4 inches display which changed the game of the tablets. Tablets users were attracted to the device because of the gigantic display and powerful hardware. Now, with the launch of Max 3, Xiaomi is coming with one of the biggest display on a smartphone. Mi Max 3 sports a 6.9 inches display with the modern 18:9 aspect ratio. Which means that the new ~ 7-inch screen does not take much space and fit in the same form factor of a 6.5 inches standard 16:9 panel. This gigantic display comes with the resolution of 1080 x 2160 (Full HD+). Xiaomi is using the Corning Gorilla Glass for the display protection which provides resistance against dust and scratches.
With that being said, the display looks totally amazing. It is crisp and sharp and the colors are nicely saturated enhancing the visual experience of the user. Though it might not rival the modern AMOLED panels in terms of colors, but it is indeed one of the best LCD panels. Being an IPS LCD panel it provides solid viewing angles. Since the display has the aspect ratio of 18:9, you get a huge viewing space which can show to much more information than ever before. This also helps while using the Multi-Window feature which allows running 2 apps simultaneously on the display, a feature released with Android Nougat. Sunlight visibility is great and using the phone under direct sunlight is easy. Talking about the bezels, they are thin and significantly improved over the big bezels on the Max 2. Summing it up, Mi Max 3 has one of the best and gigantic displays in the mid-range segment.
Performance and Memory
Well, the performance on the Max 2 was good enough to handle even the heaviest tasks with ease. With Mi Max 3, Xiaomi moved a step further. They are now using a new chip which provides even better performance and at the same time consumes less battery. Changing the hardware is one of the most significant change when moving from one generation of a device to another. This is done in order to adapt the modern trends.
Mi Max 3 comes with 64-Bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor which is a considerable improvement over the Snapdragon 625. It is a 64-Bit Octa-core chip which is clocked at 1.8 GHz. Talking about the GPU, we have Adreno 509 LPDDR4 which is clocked to reach a max frequency of 1.3 GHz.
Mi Max 3 is more than capable of handling heavy apps and games like Asphalt 8, Modern Combat 5, etc. The games run smoother and there are no frame drops while playing games even in the highest settings. Snapdragon 636 is based on a 14-nanometer architecture which is much more power efficient as compared to previous generations. While it can handle heavy usage, it is pretty obvious that you can easily use all the basic apps like Whatsapp, FaceBook, Google Chrome, Snapchat etc which any issues at all. With that being said, Mi Max 3 is one of the best devices for gaming when in the mid-tier segment.
For storage and memory, Mi Max 3 comes in 2 different variants so you can buy whichever suits your needs. The two different configuration includes
- 4 GB / 64 GB
- 6 GB / 128 GB
While all the models have no issues with multitasking and stuff, I will recommend you to go for the 4 GB / 64 GB model for better storage and RAM. However, If you are willing to spend more money you can opt for the highest configuration model. You can buy whichever model you want, Max 3 will never disappoint you.
Software
Mi Max 3 also show improvements in the software department when you compare it to its predecessors. While the MAX 2 runs on the previous generation Android Nougat with MIUI 8.5 build on top which was the latest software update of Android at that time. The Mi Max 3 runs on the latest Android Oreo software with the Mi’s signature custom ROM MIUI 10.
Android updates are important in order to keep the device updates with latest features and app support. However, smartphones other than flagships rarely gets any chance of the software update. But Xiaomi is known to provide software support even to its cheapest smartphones though slow but without any bugs. These type of gestures from the brand increases the trust value of the customers.
Comparing the new MIUI 10 on the Mi Max 3 with the old MIUI 8.5, you will notice there are no significant changes in the design of the UI. However, most of the changes reside in the optimization of the software. MIUI 10 comes with core optimizations which enhances the battery life and overall performance of the device from opening apps to playing high-end games. While the software is heavy (similar to the previous generation MIUIs), it does not slows down the device at all. Moreover, it opens the apps much faster now. Navigation through the UI feels smoother than ever. MIUI also comes with thousands of themes so you can choose the look that suits you well.
With Android Oreo, the stock Android features like Picture in Picture, running two application at the same time, new animations etc are present in the system. Overall, the new MIUI 10 in Mi Max 3 is a huge improvement over the previous version of the MIUI.
Camera
Just like other Xiaomi phones like MI A1, Redmi Note Pro etc, Mi Max 3 also comes with a dual camera setup. Unlike its predecessor which houses only single primary camera, the latter will come with two cameras on the rear and one camera on the front. The rear setup includes a 12 Megapixel Camera which is a CMOS sensor along with a 5 Megapixel depth sensor. The image quality on the Max 2 was just average but this time Mi changed the game.
The camera app is mostly similar to that on the other MI models and includes features like live filters, panorama, HDR, manual mode etc.
The new sensor is more than capable of capturing some amazing looking images. Talking about the clarity, the images will include a high level of details and nicely saturated colors. While the images on the Max 2 looked washed out, Images on the MAX 3 does not. The dynamic range is on point and using the HDR mode enhances the dark and light areas. While taking close up shots, the focus locks quickly and the shutter speed is also fast. Capturing images in dark areas leads to the reduction in quality. Although, the images still preserve a high level of details and sharpness which make them usable. Bokeh images turn out to be amazing with amazing edge detection and depth effect. The rear camera is also capable of recording 4K videos at 30 fps.
Mi Max 2 comes with an 8 Megapixel selfie camera which captures some amazing looking images. Images contain a high amount of details are the colors seems true to life. There is also a beauty mode for capturing selfies. The beauty mode smoothens the skin and makes it appear clearer. However, you can turn off the beauty mode anytime to if you are not a fan. Also, the front sensor is capable of capturing Portrait images using only the software algorithms and no second sensor. The portrait shots look great however, you can notice a minor hit or miss in the edge detection. But overall it is better than the sensor on Mi Max 2.
Comparing the camera setup of the Max 3 directly with the Max 2, I can surely say that it is a significant improvement over the previous single average sensor. This means you can buy Mi Max 3 if you are looking for a device in the mid-tier segment with an amazing camera without any second thought.
Battery
Another upgrade which can be seen over the Mi Max 2 is the new beefier battery. Mi Max 3 comes with a heavy 5500 mAh battery which is 200 mAh more as compared to that on the Max 2. Yeah, the difference does not look any huge on papers but in real life, there is indeed a good amount of difference. Mi Max 3 comes with a new processor and upgraded software. Both have these have the advantage of latest battery optimization algorithms. This means they will consume less battery at the same time providing solid and smooth performance.
Max 2 is a great device when it comes to battery life. It is able to get through 2 days straight with the need of recharging. All of this was possible with the 5300 mAh battery. Also, it supports Quick charge which can charge from 0% to 60% is just an hour. However, the latest Mi Max 3 packs even a bigger battery which means a solid upgrade over battery life. It can easily handle moderate to heavy usage and can easily last for 2 days or a little more. This means you can easily get 10 hours of screen on time with the device mixing the moderate and heavy usage. For better knowledge, moderate to heavy usage cycle includes watching youtube, listening music, gaming sessions, heavy usage of social media spp, plenty of phone calls and texting.
While the battery is huge, Mi Max 3 is also providing a quick charge solution for faster charging. The charging solution will be able to charge the device from 0 to 60 within an hour. Also, the device seems to be using a reversible Type-C charging port this time. Overall the battery life is solid on the Mi Max 3 and it is an improvement over the Max 2.
Connectivity and Features
Well, the cellular features of the Mi Max 3 are similar to that of the Max 2. Similar to almost every Android device, it supports Dual SIM with Dual Standby functionality. The device still seems to have a Hybrid SIM slot. This means you can either use the SIM tray to insert 2 x SIMs or you can use 1 x MicroSD card and 1 x SIM. The Hybrid SIM tray only supports Nano SIMs. Just like Max 2, the latter also comes with a support to LTE fast data services so you have access to the fastest data speed at your fingertips. Except for this other cellular features include FDD-LTE, GSM, and WCDMA. Also, the device comes with a basic connectivity service like Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Hotspot, Bluetooth v4.2, A-GPS, GLONASS, and BDS. Mi Max 3 also comes with all the important sensors like
- Accelerometer
- Gyroscope
- Proximity
- Compass
- Ambient light sensor
Following the other Mi device, Max 3 also comes with an Infrared sensor which can be used to control an electronic device like AC, Television etc. However, it lacks NFC. Max 3 also comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner which is fast and easy to find. It is located at the easiest to reach a position on the back. The sensor is also reliable and unlocks the device within a blink. It is not a huge improvement over its predecessor but, It is gonna be faster. Also, Mi Max 3 might also have face unlock like OnePlus 6 which uses the front camera to detect the face of the user and unlock the device.
The speaker on the device is also going to be an upgrade over the predecessor. They will sound much better when compared to the Max 2. Mi Max 3 is also retaining the headphone jack which seems to be missing on many modern smartphones. This means you will be able to enjoy music with amazing clarity either through the use of earphones or through the external speakers. It seems like Mi Max 3 retains almost every feature that its predecessor have with further improvements.
Why should you buy Mi Max 3?
Mi Max 3 is a mid-tier device with superb build quality. Yeah, it is indeed a huge phone but still, it is slim and lightweight. The all-metal unibody makes the device more durable and overall it has a complete design improvement over the Max 2. The new one sports a better display panel, a new design however similar to Redmi Note 5 pro, Dual cameras, battery processor, more battery juice to consume, Type-C charging port and much more.
While Max 2 had an old traditional design, Mi Max 3 looks much more modern in every sense. It will be a great option for the people who want a device that can perform everything not necessarily in a perfect way but in a good enough way. Yes, Mi Max 3 is capable of performing everything almost good enough. It can play heavy games, it provides rich viewing experience, you can capture amazing images with the dual cameras, battery life is just phenomenal, the software was it has many great features too.
Mi Max 3 is one of the best all-rounders in the mid-tier segment and it is a considerable upgrade over the Mi Max 2. Make sure to check it out before buying your next smartphone.
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