It was in late 2016 that Xiaomi decided to pull out all of the stops and introduce its Mi MIX handset. The smartphone would be one of the first to offer a nearly bezel-less design, starting a trend that most manufacturers would soon adopt into their own lineups for 2017. Although it wasn"t widely available, the device garnered quite a bit of attention thanks to its design, innovations, and its experimental technologies. A year later, Xiaomi returns with a successor, the Mi MIX 2, which offers little tweaks here and there, an improved design, and updated internals.
When it comes to the packaging, it"s very clear that Xiaomi wants its customers to feel like the Mi MIX 2 is on another level. The moment you open the lid, you are greeted with a card that explains the drive and passion of the firm, which is printed in a luxurious gold foil. Inside the box, you get your standard array of accessories like a wall adapter, USB cable, and SIM removal tool. Since this handset does not have a dedicated headphone jack, the box also has an adapter that converts the USB Type C port to a 3.5mm jack. As a bit of an added touch, the phone also comes with a hard shell plastic case to protect the glossy exterior.
As soon as you unwrap the Mi MIX 2 from its plastic covering, you"re in awe of its beauty. While there are plenty of nice looking phones on the market, this one has a special charm to it. You know that from the sea of Samsungs and LGs, you"ll have something unique. The front packs a 5.99-inch IPS 1080p display and although three of the display"s sides are nearly bezel-less, the bottom has a small pronounced chin that houses the 5MP front-facing camera. The rear looks stunning with its ceramic black color, but it is also a magnet for fingerprints and smudges. The rear also has a fingerprint reader and a 12MP camera which looks a little elegant with its gold accent, along with an LED flash.
The chassis is made from aluminum and is color matched with the body to blend in quite nicely. The power and volume rocker are located on the right side, with the dual-SIM tray on the left side. The bottom has dual speaker grills, with one functioning as a bottom firing speaker, along with a USB Type C port. This phone is impressive when it comes to the feel and build quality. But, despite it being roughly the same width as the OnePlus 5T and LG V30, the handset feels different in hand, due to its angular edges. Mind you, it isn"t uncomfortable, but the phone just doesn"t nestle into the palm as easily as the 5T or V30.
Moving on from the physical features, the Mi MIX 2 is running Xiaomi"s MIUI OS that utilizes Android 7.1.1. With the limited amount of time spent with the unit, the OS seems to run quite smooth, and the settings menu is quite easy to navigate. Since this is an imported device, it does not have Google services. So before the phone can be truly evaluated, there is a little bit of work to be done with getting the global version of the OS onto the smartphone.
For now, enjoy the unboxing video and keep checking back for the detailed hands-on and review. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments down below.
I"d like to extend a big "Thank You" to the folks at GearBest who supplied the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2. If you would like to purchase the handset, you can head to the GearBest website, where it starts at $469.