The Xiaomi Mi4 will replace the Mi3 as the company's flagship device in the market. The device will be launched by the end of the year, but we got a chance to play around with the device for a while. Here's a hands on with the Xiaomi Mi4.
Display
The Mi4 sports a 5 inch 1080p display, which is quite bright. It is important to note though that the screen isn't the brightest, much like the Xiaomi Mi3.
Build
At 5 inches, the device seems smaller than the Mi3, but bigger than the Samsung Galaxy Alpha. The Mi4 though has a very sturdy built and is quite sleek. The back cover is very glossy and reflective.
Performance
While a proper verdict on the performance will come only after a review, the Mi4 runs on a 2.5 GHz Snapdragon 801 CPU and Android 4.4.4 KitKat layered with the MiUI 6 interface. The performance seemed pretty smooth on first impressions.
Metal
While the Xiaomi Mi3 had a metallic finish to the back, the Mi4 has a metal rim around the side, which gives it a much more premium feel.
Rear Camera
The 13 MP rear camera on the Mi4 can shoot videos in 4k. It looked good on first impression, which is not surprising considering that the Mi3 has a pretty amazing camera.
Front Camera
With an 8 MP front camera, the Mi4 could easily be called a selfie smartphone. The front camera though isn't the hero of the device, even though it seemed quite good.
MiUI 6
The MiUI 6 interface, which is still in beta mode, seemed quite fluid on the Mi4. The interface didn't show any lag in the short time we used the device. The UI does have similarities with iOS, but it still has a personality of its own. There are also some elements, like the music widget, which are missing in the beta version, but they would be available in the final build.
Curve
There's a slight curve on the Mi4's back, which makes the device more comfortable to hold. The device has more or less a bar design though.
Thickness
At 8.9 mm, the Mi4 isn't very thick. The device could have been a little thinner, but the 3000 mAh battery inside makes it this way. The thickness is quite acceptable, considering that the device is not very heavy.