Mi note 2 dual 3d mobile phone.

Mi Note 2 is the new flagship from Xiaomi, which is the most expensive device in the company's range (not counting the bezel-less Mi Mix). Even before the release, it was called the Galaxy Note 7 killer and good sales were predicted for the device. And given that the smartphone from Samsung has retired from the market, we can assume that the future of Mi Note is very bright, like other flagships of the company. Is it really? You will learn about this by reading the review of Xiaomi Mi Note 2

Price and main characteristics

The cost of Mi Note 2 declared by the manufacturer is $500 for the younger model, however, in fact, you won’t be able to buy a device cheaper than $550 even on Aliexpress. The characteristics of the flagship are as follows:

• display: 5.7”, OLED FULL HD 1920*1080 px, 386 ppi;
• processor: Snapdragon 821 + video accelerator Adreno 530;
• RAM: 4/6 GB;
• internal memory: 64/128 GB, flash drives are not provided;
• camera: main - 23 MP (Sony IMX-318), front - 8 MP;
• connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, GPS, LTE, 4G, infrared;
• battery: 4070 mAh.

The characteristics of the device are quite balanced, this is a strong top-level device, the performance of which will be enough for at least 2-3 years of trouble-free operation.

Equipment and appearance

The device is delivered in a simple white cardboard box, in the same box as all Xiaomi smartphones in the middle price segment. The delivery set is also quite poor, in addition to the phone itself, we get:

• USB-C cable;
• Charger;
• clear plastic bumper.

The package bundle, as for a premium segment device, leaves much to be desired. Why the Chinese did not bother to present a smartphone for $ 500 to the client in a more presentable way is not clear.

Design is a strong point of Mi Note 2. As for its size, the phone has very good ergonomics, it sits comfortably in the hand, but due to the use of glass on the back cover, it constantly strives to slip out.

The side faces of the case are made of brushed metal, in front there is a large display rounded on the sides with a minimum thickness of the side frames. The edges of the screen are practically invisible, which is why the device looks just killer.

Under the screen is a mechanical Home button with a built-in fingerprint sensor. The sensor works almost instantly. Touch buttons, on the sides of the central key, are backlit in the form of small dots.

Assembled Mi Note 2 is excellent, as befits a flagship. However, you have to pay for beauty, and the glossy glass of the case is literally covered with fingerprints in just 5 minutes of use. Of course, you can use a case, but this negates all the visual advantages of Mi Note.

Screen

It is in the display, which should be the main advantage of Mi Note 2, that the main pitfalls of this smartphone lie. On paper, the screen specs look great – 5.7”, OLED Full HD, 386 ppi, but in practice it is disappointing.

And the problem is not in resolution - Full HD is enough even for such a diagonal, but in the OLED matrix itself. Firstly, the screen is made using PenTile technology, which results in pixelation and poor picture sharpness. Secondly, color reproduction is unnatural, with a clear blockage in a green tint and color inversion. Thirdly - insufficient maximum brightness, the screen becomes very difficult to read in the sun.

Of course, after 2-3 days of using a smartphone, you get used to the jambs of the display and almost do not pay attention to them, but this is unacceptable for a $500 flagship. Especially considering that many mid-range devices from Xiaomi have a much better display.

Performance

It is pointless to talk a lot about the power of Mi Note 2. The 821 Snap delivers the highest performance available today and will be sufficient for any task within the next couple of years. In the benchmark, the device scores 140 thousand parrots, in GeekBench - 1806 points per core and 4241 in multi-core mode.

The RAM in the flagship stuffed 4 and 6 GB, depending on the model. However, all the raspberries here are somewhat spoiled by the shell from Xiaomi - MIUI, which is not optimized in the best way. For example, with 1.5 GB of free RAM, you can go into the browser and see that the tabs reload. In general, the device works very quickly, we will wait for optimization problems to be fixed in the near future.

Camera

The main camera in Mi Note 2 takes good pictures, but it is far from the leader in its price category. You can't fault the image detail in good lighting, but there are often problems with the wrong white balance and narrow aperture. Highlights and shadow dips, in principle, can be dealt with using the HDR mode.

In low light, the camera is noisy, and often the pictures are blurry due to the lack of optical stabilization.

The 8MP front camera has autofocus, selfies are quite decent. In general, the camera in Mi Note 2 is not bad and will be enough for most users, but you expect more from a flagship device.

speaker, sound quality

Xiaomi taught us good sound from the external speaker in all their smartphones, and the Mi Note 2 did not disappoint here. The sound quality of the speaker is quite suitable even for listening to music, it has a good volume margin, so that an incoming call can be heard without problems in transport or a noisy place.

The flagship does not have a dedicated audio chip, but due to Snap's 821 sound processing algorithms, there is no need to complain about the quality of music playback in headphones either.

Battery

The built-in battery capacity of Mi Note 2 is 4070 mAh, which, in addition to the economical OLED screen matrix, makes the smartphone very tenacious. The device lasts 2 days without any problems with five hours of screen time per day and LTE turned on. Here we give the flagship from Xiaomi a well-deserved 5+.

Communication and Internet

Mi Note 2 with global firmware, which has the 20th LTE frequency, perfectly holds 4G Internet from Iota, demonstrates good signal quality and works flawlessly with GPS. The quality of the speaker and microphone of the flagship is impeccable - the interlocutor can be heard even if he is in public transport.

The device has an NFC module, which allows contactless payments, and supports synchronization with peripheral devices using the USB Type-C standard, you can connect a hard drive, printer, keyboard and other accessories to it.

Xiaomi Mi Note 2 video review

Conclusion

We can say that Mi Note 2 turned out to be extremely extraordinary. The whole impression of the device is spoiled by a disgusting display, as for a flagship.

However, visually, the smartphone looks so chic that many will want to buy it purely for its appearance. As a result, we have a barrel of honey with a huge fly in the ointment, whether to turn a blind eye to it is up to you. Great alternatives -,.

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Xiaomi Mi Note 2 is a powerful, large and beautiful smartphone. This device was announced in October 2016. This flagship device houses a curved display and powerful hardware.

Appearance and ergonomics

The design of Xiaomi Mi Note 2 is dominated by symmetry. The display, which is curved on both sides, immediately catches the eye, which gives the impression of the absence of side frames. Below the screen is a physical Home button with a built-in fingerprint scanner, as well as two touch-sensitive navigation buttons. Above - a voice speaker, an LED notification indicator, a front camera and a light sensor. The back side has curves along the edges, similar to the front panel, and the back is made of tempered glass. There is an elegant metal frame around the entire perimeter of the case.

It houses the popular USB Type-C connector, and a 4070 mAh non-removable battery is hidden inside. At the same time, the device does not feel like a bulky “shovel” in the palm of your hand, although a very large screen is placed here. This is a very neat and comfortable device due to the effectively rounded side edges. This makes it possible to hold the gadget without problems with one hand. But the oleophobic glass coating could be better. Available colors: black and grey. Dimensions: height - 156.2 mm, thickness - 7.6 mm, width - 77.3 mm, weight - 166.

Display

Smartphone Mi Note 2 is equipped with a massive 5.7-inch screen with neat bends on the sides. A high-quality AMOLED matrix demonstrates a bright and juicy picture. At the same time, system settings make it possible to adjust the shades at your discretion, making the colors warmer or colder. The same applies to the contrast, which can be changed independently. Viewing angles are very good, but when tilted, blue begins to dominate. Thanks to the increased margin of maximum brightness, the device can be comfortably used even in sunny weather right on the street. As for the minimum brightness, the display is hardly suitable for a quiet night reading. The screen supports 10 touches at once, and double-clicking allows you to unlock it.

Hardware and performance

The Mi Note 2 hosts the Android 6.0 operating system, which is modified using the proprietary MIUI 8 interface. There are exclusive applications from the manufacturer itself, as well as a dual account mode. The powerful Snapdragon 821 processor from Qualcomm shows amazing results in terms of speed. This flagship chip is quad-core, and its maximum frequency reaches 2350 MHz. There is also a high-performance graphics accelerator Adreno 530.

The device comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It is impossible to expand the memory in any way, since there is no corresponding slot. The AnTuTu test confirms the excellent performance of the smartphone - more than 160,000 points. If you run even the most demanding toy, then there will be no subsidence of frames, and the picture will delight you with an abundance of effects and beautiful animation.

Communication and sound

Both speakers in Xiaomi Mi Note 2 are distinguished by increased volume. At the same time, the multimedia speaker boasts an extremely clear sound. Of course, there is a shortage of low frequencies, but this is more the cost of the portable segment. In good headphones, the sound will most likely not disappoint. All this is due to the presence of a dedicated DAC, as well as a special amplifier. The gadget supports 4G LTE, NFC and LTE-A.

Camera

The Xiaomi Mi Note 2 mobile device received a 22.56-megapixel Sony IMX318 main camera, which has a greatly increased size of each pixel. Worth noting is the 80-degree lens and aperture of 2.0, as well as the dual LED flash. In this case, focusing is carried out instantly, which saves time on creating a new picture. Against a dark background in the evening, the photo contains noise, and in some frames you can see overexposure. But with color reproduction everything is in order, and in the daytime the pictures are juicy and bright. The HDR mode, which has learned to automatically determine the need for its use, manifests itself quite confidently in everyday work. The smartphone also has an 8-megapixel front camera with built-in autofocus.

conclusions

For 22-25 thousand rubles, Mi Note 2 looks like a very intriguing smartphone with a large screen. He not only got a massive display, but also an advanced appearance with rounded edges. It is necessary to highlight the excellent performance, which is at the level of the best flagship devices.

Pros:

• Excellent performance in all tasks.
• Beautiful and modern design.
• Large display with crisp images.
• High level of autonomy.
• In many ways a good camera.

Minuses:

• There is no way to expand the memory.
• The case is quite easily soiled.
• High probability of accidental clicks.

Specifications Xiaomi Mi Note 2

General characteristics
Model	Xiaomi Mi Note 2
Date of announcement and start of sales	October 2016 / November 2016
Dimensions (LxWxH)	156.2 x 77.3 x 7.6 mm.
The weight	166
Available colors	black, silver
Operating system	Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) + MIUI 8
Connection
Number and type of SIM cards	two, Nano-SIM, dual stand-by
Communication standard in 2G networks	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2
Communication standard in 3G networks	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
Communication standard in 4G networks	LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 13(700), 17 (700), 18(800), 19(800), 20(800), 25(1900), 26(850), 28(700), 29(700), 30(2300), 38(2600), 39 (1900), 40(2300), 41(2500)
Compatibility with telecom operators	MTS, Beeline, Megafon, Tele2, Yota
Data transfer
WiFi	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth	4.2, A2DP, LE
GPS	yes, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
NFC	there is
infrared port	there is
Platform
CPU	octa-core Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 821 Quad-core (2×2.35 GHz Kryo & 2×1.6 GHz Kryo)
GPU	Adreno 530
Inner memory	64/128 GB
RAM	4/6 GB
Ports and Connectors
USB	Type-C 1.0 reversible connector
3.5mm jack	there is
Memory card slot	No
Display
Display type	AMOLED capacitive, 16M colors
Screen size	5.7 inches (~72.4% of device face)
Display protection	Oleophobic coating
Camera
Main camera	22.5 MP (f/2.0, 1/2.6″, 1 µm), EIS gyroscope, autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash
Functionality of the main camera	Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama
Video recording	[email protected], [email protected]
Front-camera	8 MP, f/2.0, autofocus
Sensors and Sensors
illumination	there is
Approximations	there is
Gyroscope	there is
Compass	there is
Hall	No
Accelerometer	there is
Barometer	there is
Fingerprint scanner	there is
Battery
Battery type and capacity	Li-Ion 4070 mAh
Battery mount	fixed
Equipment
Standard kit	Mi Note 2: 1 USB cable: 1 SIM eject tool: 1 User manual: 1 Warranty card: 1 Charger: 1

Prices

Video reviews

Xiaomi Mi Note 2- one of the representatives of the line of Chinese flagships with an unusual external design. The engineers chose an interesting combination of glass and metal to make the case. Currently, the smartphone is available in two colors - strict gray and classic black. Thanks to the screen curved at the edges, the illusion of a lack of frames is created. The thinnest borders are revealed upon closer examination. Rounded edges improve the ergonomics of this model, increasing ease of use (but in most cases it is impossible to fully control the gadget with one hand).

The display has a diagonal of 5.7 inches. High resolution of 1920 * 1080 pixels, together with the Adreno 530 graphics accelerator, create a high-quality, clear and rich picture with natural color reproduction and high contrast. The flagship supports all modern technologies. There is an NFC option that allows you to pay for goods using your smartphone. This model is equipped with a high-speed USB Type-C input, an infrared port. Mobile communication is carried out through the use of two nano-SIM cards.

Thanks to the powerful “stuffing”, the smartphone can easily cope with the most “heavy” mobile games and other applications. This is facilitated by a large amount of RAM and internal memory, which differs depending on the assembly (4 and 6 GB, 64 and 128 GB, respectively). There is no support for removable micro SD cards. The powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 (MSM 8996 Pro) quad-core processor with a core frequency of 2 - 2.35 GHz and 2 - 2.19 GHz ensures smooth operation of the smartphone, without slowdowns and lags. The non-removable 4000 mAh battery supports Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging technology, capable of supporting work throughout the day.

On the back is a 22.6 MP main camera that shoots 4K video and is equipped with an LED flash, combined with autofocus and electronic stabilization. Under it is a fingerprint scanner that reads data almost instantly. The relative disadvantage of this solution is that a finger accidentally gets on the lens instead of the sensor when trying to unlock it. The front camera of Xiaomi Mi Note 2, located on the top panel above the display, has a resolution of 8.8 MP and is also equipped with an auto focus system.

As soon as Samsung's position in the phablet segment was shaken, competitors were already ready to fill the vacated niche. Curved screen, Snapdragon 821 processor, capacious battery and 23 MP camera - looks attractive, so we got a copy and identified the strengths and weaknesses of Xiaomi Mi Note 2.

Video

Specifications

• Screen: 5.7", OLED, 386ppi, 1920 x 1080, curved, oleophobic coating;
• Operating system: Android 6.0.1 (MIUI 8.0.9);
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, 2 x Kryo, 2.19 GHz, 2 x Kryo, 2.35 GHz;
• GPU: Adreno 530
• RAM: 4GB (6GB) LPDDR4;
• Built-in memory: 64 GB (128 GB);
• Cameras: 23 MP (f / 2.0, phase detection autofocus, dual LED flash, 8x digital zoom), 8 MP (autofocus);
• Battery: 4000 mAh, non-removable;
• Dimensions: 156.2 x 77.3 x 7.6 mm;
• Weight: 166 g;
• SIM slots: 2 x nanoSIM;
• Communication: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz || UMTS 850/900/1900/2100 MHz || LTE: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, WiFi 802.11ac, 2.4GHz, 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, infrared, FM radio GPS, GLONASS, Beidou;
• Sensors: light, magnetometer, gyroscope, accelerometer, pressure, fingerprint scanner, pedometer, Hall sensor;
• Available colors: silver, black;

Equipment

The flat milky white box contains a smartphone, a SIM eject tool, documentation, a USB Type-C cable and a US-style charger (5V-2.5A, 9V-2A, 12V-1.5A) with fast charging support. Such an adapter can also be used in the post-Soviet space using a cheap adapter. The smartphone also comes with a transparent plastic case.

Appearance

The case of Xiaomi Mi Note 2 is a fashionable glass and metal sandwich this season. Curved panels sit on a sleek black and blue frame. Despite the oleophobic glass coating, fingerprints appear quickly, so you should pay attention to the light version of the smartphone. However, its design has another disadvantage - a black strip is visible framing the screen. Glass is slippery. On the other hand, the smooth contours of the case slightly hide the considerable size of the smartphone. Using Mi Note 2 with one hand, although it is inconvenient, you can adapt.

The company logo disappeared from the front panel of the smartphone, and this made the design better, more serious. Now nothing is visible above the screen, only a narrow speaker slot, an LED indicator and a front camera. At the bottom there are two touch-sensitive buttons with dot illumination and an oval mechanical key with a built-in fingerprint sensor. It works without exaggeration instantly and at different angles. Wet fingers are not recognized.

The reverse side of Mi Note 2 is even more minimalistic. Round camera on this empty curved surface seems out of place.

Finally, we list the technological holes located on the ends of the smartphone. At the bottom, behind a symmetrical perforation, a speaker and a microphone are hidden, between them is a USB Type-C connector. Immediately - neat stripes of antennas. The keys located on the right are well placed in height - you don't have to reach for them. Only the SIM-card tray is placed on the left, it does not hang in the slot and fits perfectly, like other elements of the case. At the top end of the smartphone are installed: 3.5 mm jack, noise reduction microphone and infrared port.

Display

One of the main features of the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 is the curved display in the style of Samsung products. If Koreans prefer AMOLED technology, then the object of our attention is a 5.7 ”OLED matrix with Full HD resolution. It exhibits excellent contrast and backlight uniformity, combined with the absence of flickering characteristic of many AMOLED displays. The margin of brightness is sufficient, but the screen does not behave in the best way in the sun, since it does not have a polarizing layer.

The relatively low pixel density for a flagship (386ppi) is visible only when using a smartphone with virtual reality glasses, but some color rendition defects can spoil the impression of the screen. When the gaze deviates already by 15 degrees from the perpendicular, the picture becomes much colder. Bright wallpapers mask this effect, but it is clearly visible against the white background of the system menus that abound in MIUI.

The sensor recognizes up to ten simultaneous clicks and responds to a double tap on the locked screen.

Iron

The filling of Mi Note 2 is flagship. Xiaomi has prepared two versions of the smartphone, differing in memory sizes of 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of ROM, like ours, and 6 GB of RAM, 128 built-in. The platform is both there and there - Snapdragon 821 with four cores and an Adreno 530 graphics accelerator.

Mi Note 2 met our expectations only partially. Snapdragon 821 is one of the most productive mobile platforms on the market, and there is no question of a lack of computing power. A rough idea of ​​​​the power on board is given by the AnTuTu rating, where Mi Note 2 takes the seventh position, only slightly inferior to the fifth and sixth points. But the Mi Note 2 processor is poorly optimized and fails under prolonged load. As a result of throttling, by the sixth run of the test, the smartphone dropped to 27th position in the ranking.

In gaming tests, Mi Note 2 showed a high FPS, but below the predicted level. In addition, the frame rate fluctuated noticeably.

In addition, in the Play Market, individual game projects are marked as incompatible with the device, which, of course, is not true, but indicates problems with the software, which will be discussed later.

Software

Xiaomi smartphones are equipped with a proprietary version of Android, to which the company owes much to its success. MIUI firmware development is divided into two streams - local and international. The first, intended for the domestic market and not having Russian localization, is largely test and updated weekly, while the second stream is translated into many languages, much more stable, but appears later, especially for devices sold outside the Middle Kingdom. As is often the case, the Chinese supplier took it upon himself to update the software before shipping the smartphone, so we have a Mi Note 2 with Russified MIUI 8.0.9 on board.

Faced with bugs, such as crashes in the system menu and backlight flickering when the brightness is manually reduced, in the very first minutes of operation, we suspected a trick. The installed firmware turned out to be not at all global (at the moment they are not released at all), but a handicraft localized old beta version. An attempt to update the software with the tools built into the firmware failed, so I had to resort to the service utilities installed on the personal computer and the FastBoot mode. A complex operation for an untrained user.

As a result of installing the current Chinese MIUI 8.7.1.5 Beta, the bugs disappeared along with the self-made translation and Google services. Optimization did not improve, and performance in complex synthetic tests even decreased. The current version of MIUI for Mi Note 2 is still very far from technically perfect. As for functionality, there are many.

MIUI is loved and appreciated for its theme support and built-in wallpaper catalog, notification indicator settings, one-hand control mode with a choice of interface reduction degree, an equalizer with ready-made presets for various types of headphones, a built-in tool for “cloning” applications and dozens of other little things.

Connection

The list of frequency bands supported by a smartphone depends on which market a particular device is supplied to. The global version of Mi Note 2 has the maximum set, intended for the Chinese market - more modest. In particular, it does not accept LTE in band 20. Usually, this is not noticeable to Russian users, but with a high load on the network of a mobile operator, it can adversely affect the speed of the Internet.

Both speakers are loud and do not irritate with playback defects. However, Mi Note 2 sounds no worse than other Chinese phablets, but no more. The Qualcomm amplifier is responsible for playing sound in the headphones. The solution is standard, suitable for high-impedance headphones and plays pretty well.

Built-in navigation - GPS, GLONASS, Beidou - starts very quickly and determines the coordinates accurately. A test 32 GB flash drive connected to the smartphone via USB OTG without any problems.

The review would not be complete without mentioning the infrared port for controlling household appliances. An application is built into the firmware that has commands for a variety of devices, from TVs to air conditioners.

Battery

The battery of the smartphone has a capacity of 4000 mAh. This was enough for the Xiaomi phablet to last 11 hours and 15 minutes in the editorial autonomy test - a very good result. Charging from a bundled adapter with QuickCharge 3.0 support to 50% capacity takes about 40 minutes, a full charge lasts two hours.

Battery Editorial Test Results:

Huawei P30 Pro HD+

Model with 5.7″ OLED screen and glass and metal body

At the end of last year, Xiaomi offered an updated version of its Mi Note line of smartphones - high-end solutions with a large diagonal. The Xiaomi Mi Note 2 model runs Android 6, is based on the fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 platform, is equipped with a 5.7″ Full HD OLED screen, has a configuration of RAM and flash memory of 4/64 GB or 6/128 GB, supports two Nano-SIM cards and fourth-generation networks, equipped with a USB Type-C port, a fingerprint sensor, and NFC. In addition, the device is interesting in the design of the case, made of glass and metal.

Initially, the novelty was presented only in the local Chinese market and had the appropriate firmware - only with Chinese and English, without Google services, but with proprietary Chinese programs. The publication of material on it was already waiting for its turn to be announced, but the released international version of the firmware confused plans. We decided to retest the device on new versions of the software, since a lot depends on it, and most domestic users, of course, are more interested in the international version. In addition, it may be useful to compare the international and Chinese versions in terms of speed. Further in the text, unless otherwise indicated, we are talking about the international firmware MIUI 8.2.3.0.

Note that now on sale there are devices with international firmware, which also differ in an extended set of supported LTE and CDMA frequency bands. Since the tested copy was originally Chinese, the characteristics below apply specifically to it.

Key Features of Xiaomi Mi Note 2

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, 4 Kryo cores, [email protected].19 GHz+ [email protected].34 GHz
• GPU Adreno 530, 652 MHz
• Operating system Android 6.0.1, MIUI 8
• 5.7″ OLED touchscreen, 1920×1080, 386 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 4/6 GB, internal memory 64/128 GB
• Support Nano-SIM (2 pcs.)
• No microSD support
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
• WCDMA/HSPA+ networks (850/900/1900/2100 MHz)
• LTE networks FDD Band 1/3/5/7, TD LTE Band 38-41, TD-SCDMA, CDMA1X/EVDO (BC0)
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz)
• Bluetooth 4.2, BLE
• GPS, Glonass, BDS
• Fingerprint scanner
• IR transmitter
• USB Type-C, USB OTG, USB 2.0 version
• Main camera 22.6 MP, Sony IMX318 1/2.6″ sensor, f/2.0, LED flash, electronic stabilization, autofocus, 4K video
• Front camera 8.3 MP, f/2.0, autofocus
• Proximity sensor, light sensor, magnetic field sensor, pressure sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, step counter
• The battery is non-removable, 4070 mAh, Quick Charge 3.0
• Dimensions 156×77×8 mm
• Weight 166 g

Contents of delivery

The smartphone comes in a large white cardboard box. Moreover, its walls are thick enough, so that damage during transportation is unlikely.

The design is unremarkable - an embossed company logo on the top side, a branded information sticker on the bottom.

Almost everything on it is in Chinese, but you can find out some characteristics, for example, the amount of RAM and flash memory.

The scope of delivery is also not of particular interest - a smartphone, a USB Type-C cable (USB version 2.0), an MDY-08-EH charger with a Chinese plug, a "instructions" leaflet in Chinese, a SIM card tray opener and a plate made of transparent plastic of a special shape, probably positioned as a cover for the back panel. To use the latter element with such an elegant smartphone, in our opinion, is strange. It clearly does not correspond to the high class of the device.

Appearance and usability

According to the case design, the device most of all resembles, perhaps, Mi5. So you can even say that the smartphone has a Xiaomi corporate identity, as far as it is possible today with such a wealth of products in the mobile segment. The main material can be safely considered glass. It is used here both on the front side and on the back. And between the monolithic glass plates there is a metal frame. The vertical side edges of the panels are beveled (this option is called "3D"), this time on both sides. It looks great in advertising photos and videos, but from a practical point of view it raises some questions. In addition, the company does not announce the use of special glasses, which raises even more concerns about the long-term preservation of the appearance of the device.

If the use of such a shape on the rear panel could be written as a plus in terms of the convenience of lifting the smartphone from the table, then the advantages of this design for the front panel, in our opinion, are at least debatable. There are several reasons for this. The first is that as a result of such a solution, the metal parts of the side ribs themselves become thin and less distant from the table - it becomes more difficult to lift the device.

The second feature of this model is that the combination of a beveled edge with the viewing angles of the used matrix leads to the fact that visually, on a uniform light field, color changes can be noticeable at the edges, which looks a bit strange. The third remark is already less significant - the difficulty of choosing a comfortable and beautiful cover. But here's what you'll most likely need to do. The fact is that the rear glass wall of the smartphone is so slippery that it easily slides off almost any material with a minimum slope. If you leave it on a pillow or put it on a bedside table littered with something, everything can end in a fall.

In the hand, the device feels like a monolithic piece of high-tech glass, sealed into a metal frame. The quality of workmanship and assembly is top notch. There are no gaps, all parts are installed evenly and perfectly matched to each other. This is consistent with the positioning of the device.

At the same time, in a hand, especially a large one, the device lies comfortably. There are no sharp edges here, all edges and corners are comfortably beveled. Given the large diagonal, in most scenarios, two hands will be required for operation, since due to the glass case there is a fear of dropping it and damaging it.

The frame metal has a matte finish. Several grooves are faintly visible on it, probably used to implement antennas for wireless modules. Note that the metal is very strong. For all the long time of using the device, no scratches or scuffs appeared on it.

The back panel of the smartphone is simple and strict. The lens of the main camera is installed in the center at the top. It is made in the form of an insert with a diameter of about thirteen millimeters. Its protective glass protrudes almost imperceptibly above the rear panel. And along the contour there is a metal insert, which is the first candidate for scuffs due to its small thickness. To the right of the lens is a dual LED flash that also doubles as a flashlight.

The front panel, as we have already said, is made of glass. In its upper part we see a speaker slot. To the left of it are hidden a multi-color LED indicator, as well as light and proximity sensors. On the right we see the front camera lens.

Under the screen in the center there is a mechanical “Home” button with a built-in fingerprint sensor. It is located flush with the glass, but due to the special shape it is easy to touch. To the left and right of it there are touch buttons with automatic dim backlighting in the form of white dots. At the same time, the settings for button actions are available to the user, including individual actions for a long press. The fingerprint sensor is now standard on most high-end products. So it is not surprising that there are no comments on his work in the model under consideration.

The height of the fields at the top and bottom of the screen is the same and is about fifteen millimeters. The side margins are difficult to assess due to the beveled edge, but they are very small - about three millimeters. The manufacturer's logo "moved" to the rear panel.

For Nano-SIM format SIM cards, a frame installed in the side edge is traditionally used. You can change cards without turning off the device. But the installation of a memory card is not supported.

The smartphone is equipped with three hardware buttons on the right edge. At the top is the combined volume rocker, and below it is the lock button. They are made of metal, have a convenient size and a clear move. There is, however, a small backlash, but you need to look for it specifically - in normal scenarios, it does not appear in any way.

The company installed a USB Type-C port in the smartphone for charging, connecting to a computer and OTG functions. Without a doubt, this is a very correct decision in terms of convenience and reliability.

To the left and right of the port, there are two symmetrically arranged groups of four holes. Behind one of them is the main speaker of the device, and behind the other is a microphone.

At the top end there is a standard 3.5 mm headset jack, an IR transmitter window for controlling household appliances and there is a second microphone hole used for noise reduction during a call.

In addition to the described black version, the manufacturer's website also mentions a version with a color design called "ice blue". She has all the elements of the case have the appropriate shade, only the screen stands out in the off state. But the black model is more interesting from the point of view of the integrity of the image.

The device looks really great and the experience of using it is very pleasant. Another thing is that the use of glass in such quantities is difficult to recognize as practical.

Screen

Xiaomi Mi Note 2 uses an OLED screen with a resolution of 1920 × 1080 and a diagonal of 5.7″. The touch layer supports up to ten simultaneous touches. The physical dimensions of the screen are approximately 127×72 mm. The dot density is 386 ppi. Individual pixels are not visible, so the company was right not to pursue excessively high resolution, which would have a negative impact on autonomy, cost and performance. The side frames, including due to the “3D glass”, seem very thin.

Visually, at the first acquaintance, an impression of cold tones is created, which somewhat reduces the pleasure of working with the device. There are several options in the system settings that can help remedy the situation. In addition to adjusting the brightness, including taking into account the readings of the light sensor, you can change the color tone and contrast, as well as enable a special reading mode. The latter can be activated both for individual applications and on a schedule. In addition, you can adjust the font size and turn on the screen with a double tap.

Alexey Kudryavtsev, editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections, conducted a detailed examination using measuring instruments. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the test sample. This test was conducted with the original Chinese version of MIUI 8.0.15.0.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are better than the screen of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the off screens (on the left is Nexus 7, on the right is Xiaomi Mi Note 2, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of Xiaomi Mi Note 2 is a bit darker (brightness in photos is 113 versus 115 for Nexus 7). The ghosting of reflected objects in the screen of Xiaomi Mi Note 2 is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. Due to the smaller number of borders (glass-air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of intense external illumination, but their repair in case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (better in efficiency than the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed more easily, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.

With manual brightness control and with a white field displayed in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 330 cd/m², the minimum was 19 cd/m². The maximum brightness is not high, but given the excellent anti-glare properties, even on a sunny day outdoors, the screen will most likely be able to make out something. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. In the presence of automatic brightness control by light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker slot). In automatic mode, when the ambient light conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. This function depends on the position of the brightness slider. If it is at 100%, then in complete darkness, the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 120 cd / m² (a bit too much), in an artificially lit office (about 550 lux) sets it to 220 cd / m² (normal), in a very bright environment (corresponds to outdoors on a clear day, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) the brightness rises to 330 cd / m² (to the maximum - it is necessary); if the adjustment is about 50%, then the values ​​​​are as follows: 19, 110 and 330 cd / m² (suitable values), the regulator at 0% - 19, 77 and 310 cd / m² (values, except for the first, are underestimated, which is logical). It turns out that the auto-brightness function works absolutely adequately and to some extent allows the user to customize their work to individual requirements.

At any level of brightness, there is no significant modulation, and as a result, there is no visible flicker. The figure below shows brightness (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis) for several brightness settings:

This screen uses an OLED matrix - an organic light-emitting diode matrix. A full-color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B), but green and red subpixels are half as many. This is confirmed by a fragment of a microphoto:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

On the fragment above, you can count 2 (1 whole and 4 quarters) green subpixels, 2 red (4 halves) and 4 blue, while repeating this fragment, you can lay out the entire screen without gaps and overlap. The manufacturer considers the screen resolution based on blue subpixels, on the other two it will be two times lower. As a result, there are some uneven contrasting borders and other artifacts. However, due to the high resolution, they have a minimal effect on image quality.

The screen has excellent viewing angles. True, the white color, when deviated even at small angles, acquires a visible blue-green tint, but the black color remains just black at any angle. It is so black that the contrast setting is not applicable in this case. For comparison, here are photos in which the same images are displayed on the screens of Xiaomi Mi Note 2 and Nexus 7, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to about 200 cd / m², and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K.

White field perpendicular to the screens:

The uniformity of the brightness and hue of the white box is good (with the exception of darkening and changing the hue towards the curled edges). Note that at minimum brightness, areas with a different hue are visible on the white field, and dynamic color mixing is explicitly used to display all the hues.

And a test picture:

The colors on the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 screen are oversaturated (note the tomatoes, bananas, napkin and face tint) and the color balance is slightly different. Note that in this case, the picture occupies the height (with this screen orientation) of the entire area available for displaying the image and goes to the curved edges of the screen, which leads to darkening and color distortion. Also, in the light, these areas almost always glare, which makes it even more difficult to view images displayed in full screen. Recall that the photo can not serve as a reliable source of information about color quality and is provided for illustrative purposes only. The photo above was taken for a profile Automatic contrast in the screen settings, there are three of them:

What happens when you select the two remaining profiles is shown below.

increased contrast:

Saturation and color contrast are markedly increased.

standard:

Saturation and color balance are normal, no increase in color contrast is observed.

Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen. White field:

The brightness at an angle for both screens has noticeably decreased (in order to avoid severe darkening, the shutter speed is increased compared to previous photos), but in the case of Xiaomi Mi Note 2, the drop in brightness is less pronounced. As a result, with formally the same brightness, the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 screen visually looks much brighter (compared to LCD screens), since you often have to look at the screen of a mobile device at least at a slight angle.

And a test picture:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens and the brightness of Xiaomi Mi Note 2 at an angle is noticeably higher. Switching the state of the elements of the matrix is ​​\u200b\u200balmost instantaneous, but there may be a step width of about 17 ms at the on front (which corresponds to a screen refresh rate of about 60 Hz). For example, the dependence of brightness on time looks like this when moving from black to white and vice versa:

In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to plumes trailing behind moving objects. However, dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high definition and even some “twitchy” movements.

The gamma curve constructed from 32 points with an equal interval according to the numerical value of the shade of gray did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows. The fit exponent is 2.11, slightly below the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve deviates little from the power dependence:

In this case, we did not find dynamic adjustment of brightness in accordance with the nature of the displayed image, which is very good.

Color gamut in the case of the default profile Automatic contrast noticeably wider than sRGB:

When choosing a profile standard coverage is compressed to sRGB borders:

In the case of a profile Automatic contrast the spectra of the components are very well separated:

In the case of a profile standard with the maximum correction, the color components are more mixed with each other:

Note that on screens with a wide color gamut without proper color correction, normal images optimized for sRGB devices look unnaturally saturated. Hence the recommendation - in most cases, watching movies, photos and everything natural is better when choosing a profile standard, sadly it's not selected by default.

This device has the ability to adjust the color balance by adjusting the hue warmer-colder (despite the slider of only three values), but in the correct profile standard the color balance switch is inactive. For this profile, the balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is slightly higher than the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the black body spectrum (ΔE) is below 10, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, the color temperature and ΔE change little from shade to shade - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance does not matter much there, and the measurement error of color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Let's summarize. The screen has a low maximum brightness, but it has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can somehow be used outdoors even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable value. It is acceptable to use the mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works adequately. The advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB and a good color balance (if you choose the right profile). At the same time, let's recall the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color (if nothing is reflected on the screen), good white field uniformity, noticeably smaller than that of LCDs, a drop in image brightness when viewed from an angle. In general, the screen quality is very high. Separately, we note that from the point of view of image quality, curved edges are only harmful, since this design find introduces very noticeable color tone distortions and reduces brightness at the edges of the picture, and also in ambient light conditions leads to inevitable glare at least along one long side of the screen .

Camera

The smartphone is equipped with a front camera with a sensor of 8.3 megapixels, autofocus, a lens with five elements, a maximum focal length of f / 2.0 and an angle of view of 76 °. There is a function familiar from other models for determining gender / age and automatically improving the portrait. During shooting, you can not only select the focus point by touching the screen, but also adjust the exposure. There is also a set of a couple dozen image processing filters. Additionally, there are functions of a timer, shutter release by loud sound, group selfie. In the camera settings there is a choice of format - 4:3 (5 Mp, 1944 × 2592) or 16:9 (2160 × 3840), quality selection, recording coordinates in the file metadata, overlaying the date and time on the image, setting the mirror mode, as well as other options, including changing the functions of the volume buttons to zoom in or release the shutter.

When shooting video with a regular program, the front camera does not have any settings and uses the MP4 format with the AVC codec [email protected], 1920×1080 resolution, about 20 Mbps bitrate and variable frames per second (which is less than fifteen). Interestingly, the sound is recorded with the AAC codec in stereo mode - from two microphones installed at different ends of the device.

The main camera is traditionally much more interesting. It uses a 1 / 2.6 ″ Sony IMX318 sensor with 1 micron pixels. The maximum resolution of the received photos in 4:3 format is 5488×4112, which corresponds to 22.6 megapixels. Also in the description of the camera, the company notes the presence of a lens with six elements, a maximum focal length of f / 2.0 and an angle of view of 80 °. In addition, there is a fast autofocus, dual LED flash, HDR, as well as electronic stabilization when shooting video.

Like the front camera, there are gender / age detection functions and filters, shooting with a timer or by a sound signal. When shooting, you can specify the location of the frame to focus on and adjust the exposure. In addition to improving the portrait, there are many other modes here, including a special night mode, panorama, tilt-shift, leveling, square, manual shooting. In the latter option, we can independently choose the white balance, focus distance, shutter speed and ISO.

There are a few more settings here too. In addition to those described for the front camera, you can adjust the exposure mode, contrast, saturation and sharpness. There is also support for scanning QR codes. But the implementation of the Camera2 API is missing in the current firmware version.

When shooting video, two microphones are also used here for a stereo effect. Of course, at a great distance from the sound source, it may not be very noticeable, but, nevertheless, this is a clear plus of the model. The recording format is AAC, 96 Kbps, 48 ​​kHz. The video stream parameters depending on the settings are shown in the table below. It also provides links to sample videos (up to 150 MB). The quality in sufficient light is very good. But, of course, handheld shooting has familiar features. In addition, it is desirable to disable autofocus, if possible. Also pleased with the sound recording.

Mode	Format	Examples
4K	AVC, [email protected], 3840×2160, ≈30 fps, 40 Mbps	day 1, day 2, day 3, evening, night
Full HD	AVC, [email protected], 1920×1080, ≈30 fps, 20 Mbps	day 1 , day 2 , day 3 , evening , night , TimeLapse
HD	AVC, [email protected], 1280×720, ≈30 fps, 14 Mbps	day 1 , day 2 , day 3 , evening , night , SlowMotion 1 , SlowMotion 2
SD	AVC, [email protected], 720×480, ≈25 fps, 2 Mbps	day 1, day 2, evening, night

In addition, there are two special shooting modes - slow motion and Time Lapse. In the first case, the 720p30 format is used, but in fact the number of frames increases by 10/3 times. That is, a minute recording is stretched to two hundred seconds. Time Laspe is used for interval shooting when you need to cover a large period of time in one video. At the same time, you still have the opportunity to choose the recording format up to 4K inclusive. For obvious reasons, there is no sound in any of these modes. In the video settings of the main camera, you can turn off autofocus, which in fact often interferes with mobile shooting, and also select the interval for the Time Lapse mode (from 0.06 seconds to 60 seconds). By the way, the flash can also come in handy for video shooting, providing illumination when there is a lack of lighting.

Note that the regular program "Camera" has several functions for basic editing not only photos, but also videos.

	The camera handles small details well.
	In low light, the quality drops slightly.
	The camera does a good job with macro photography.
	Good sharpness across the frame.
	Shooting indoors works well with the camera.
	The HDR mode works well.
	The text is clearly visible.
	The camera works well with artistic subjects.
	Even difficult shots are given to her relatively easily.
	In backlight, the camera does a good job.

The camera turned out to be good, and it can be called a flagship. However, she still makes small mistakes: at times you can find slight sharpening or weak noises in the shadows. But in general, the camera gives a very decent result. Good detailing on the field and on plans, as well as a believable color reproduction make it possible to use it for artistic and documentary shooting.

Telephone part and communications

This section almost completely repeats what we previously wrote about Xiaomi high-end solutions based on the Qualcomm platform.

There are no comments on the quality of signal reception from cellular operators. Let us once again pay attention to the fact that the Chinese version of the smartphone does not have support for the Band 20 used by some domestic companies in LTE / 4G.

The speed we tested with the Moscow MegaFon can be considered exemplary. Of course, it depends on the tower and its employment, but there were no problems during the testing. In 3G networks, work was checked with the MTS operator, where everything also went smoothly.

The smartphone, as you would expect from a top device, has a built-in dual-band wireless controller with support for the 802.11ac protocol. When using an appropriate router, you can count on information transfer rates of 200 Mbps and higher. Moreover, this can be obtained even through a couple of non-capital walls. So there will be no problems with watching online videos or software updates.

In the 2.4 GHz band, due to the lack of wide channel support and the occupancy of the air, we got speeds up to 50 Mbps, which is also not bad for this configuration with a single antenna.

Wi-Fi can also be used to quickly share files with Mi Drop technology, organize Internet access via cellular networks, as well as broadcast images from the smartphone screen to WiDi devices, such as Nvidia Shield TV. True, we failed to achieve Full HD resolution. Yes, the delays are noticeable. But for showing photos or watching videos, this option is fine.

There is also a Bluetooth 4.2 controller with support for BLE and all common services, including headsets, audio broadcasting, file sharing, remote control, and others. The smartphone also has an NFC module that supports Android Beam technology. Moreover, it is compatible with the Mifare Classic standard. The USB port, made in the Type-C standard, can be used not only to connect to a computer, but also to connect external devices via USB OTG. We only note that USB 2.0 is supported.

In the navigation scenario, everything is also fine. The smartphone supports three systems (GPS Glonass, Beidou), finds satellites quickly, reliably leads along the route even in dense urban areas. There is also a magnetic field sensor used for the compass, and a gyroscope, which is now also used in working with virtual reality glasses.

There are no comments on the implementation of the main task - phone calls - from the point of view of sound. Regular conversational speaker conveys the voice of the interlocutor well. He has a large volume margin, and even at the maximum level there is no distortion. So in most situations everything will be heard well. As for the microphone, it seemed a little deaf. At the same time, the presence of a second microphone on the upper end allows, in some cases, to improve audibility using noise reduction technologies.

The vibrating alert has an average level of power for a case of this size. It can also be used to respond to certain touch button and screen actions.

The smartphone has two slots for Nano-SIM cards and supports the Dual SIM Standby option familiar to devices with a single radio module. With standard firmware, you can install the necessary default cards for calls and the Internet. In addition, you can choose which card to call through right during dialing.

FM radio is not available on this model.

Software and multimedia

Traditionally, Xiaomi smartphones use MIUI firmware. At the time of testing for Mi Note 2, the manufacturer offered only the official Chinese version 8.0.15.0.MADCNDI. Its main features are the presence of English and Chinese languages ​​for the interface, pre-installed programs in Chinese and the absence of built-in Google services. Alternatively, the user can also use localized versions, which can be easily found on the web. However, their installation requires some experience and care. Or you can add Google apps and use the morelocale2 utility to partially fix the situation (no root access required). But relatively recently, the official international version of the firmware for this device appeared, which caused a delay in the release of this material. Simultaneously with the international version, an update to the Chinese version was also presented. The description below, unless otherwise indicated, refers specifically to the stable version 8.2.3.0 (MADMIDL) based on Android 6.0.1. We also note that in addition to them, the user can install the so-called developer versions.

It is unlikely that someone will use the Chinese version with the international one, even if it has a version number a couple of units newer. The reason for this is that the international firmware of the smartphone contains many languages, including Russian, as well as a full set of Google services, and at the same time there are no Chinese programs. Note that out of the total storage capacity in the device configuration under consideration, about 56 GB is available to the user here.

When turned on or after a reset, there is a standard choice of language and region (as we have already said, Russian and Russia are present in the list), connecting to the Internet, setting up Google and Mi accounts, entering fingerprints, choosing a theme and other familiar parameters. The firmware contains all Google services and programs traditional for smartphones with Android and MIUI. Some of them can be deleted in a regular way and free up some space in the device's memory.

The MIUI shell is one of the most interesting projects today and, including by enthusiasts, is available not only for Xiaomi products, but also for devices from other manufacturers.

It has several characteristic features that are loved by many users, but it is quite difficult to evaluate them unambiguously. In particular, there is no separate program menu, they are all located on desktops. This allows them to be grouped into folders. In fact, not all programs have explicit icons, for example, the video player is called automatically when the corresponding file is opened, and not as a separate program. In the bottom line, common to all screens, you can add up to five (for this smartphone model) quick access icons.

On desktops, you can also place widgets, choose a background, transition effect and other embellishments. But if you want to radically change the appearance of the shell, it is more convenient to use themes, the number of which is almost unlimited.

The number of additional programs is minimal. In fact, only the Facebook client and the utility for easy access to the MIUI forums can be considered such.

The rest of the programs will certainly be useful to all users, for example, a utility for scanning codes (as well as business cards and documents), a voice recorder, a compass (it also shows coordinates, pressure, altitude and can act as a level), weather, a calculator (including an engineering version and conversion of units of measurement ).

There are also several utility programs: an online firmware update utility, Mi Remote for working with infrared, Mi account for managing Mi accounts and linked devices.

Some programs have additional functions for interacting with Mi services - in the gallery you can set up backup of photos to the proprietary Mi Cloud cloud, the browser synchronizes history and bookmarks with your Mi account, notes (support background design, to-do/purchase lists, insert images) can be sent to a cloud for synchronization, a regular player "Music" is also tied to a Mi account.

The basic set of key device programs - "Phone", "Contacts", "Messages", "Calendar" - is also tightly connected with Mi services for synchronization and backup. The programs themselves are quite standard and do not cause problems when used.

At the same time, "Phone" and "Contacts" are implemented in one program, which is quite convenient. In the settings of the phone call program, you can manage the call and answer settings, including actions such as flash flashing, muting when the phone is turned over, and others. Contacts are written to Google or Mi accounts and may include many additional fields. The use of groups is provided, including automatically generated ones (for example, by company name).

"Messages" work with both SMS and MMS, and from the interesting point, we note the built-in function of setting the time for sending information to the recipient. The design and possibilities of working with the calendar are standard. There is support for multiple accounts, various options for reminders, both general and for each event separately.

It is worth noting that often programs have cross-references between themselves. For example, you can call a code scanner from the browser to read the link, and the file manager, from the additional features of which we note support for simply exchanging files through MiDrop technology, has a link to the garbage cleaning module of the Security multifunctional program.

It is this utility that provides many additional features compared to the basic version of Android in the device in question, not counting, of course, Mi services. One can argue about the convenience of combining such heterogeneous services in one program, but apparently they are too closely interconnected with each other.

There are six modules in total - memory cleaning, traffic control, blacklist, battery management, antivirus and application permission control.

Cleaning flash memory from garbage, unfortunately, has long been a popular operation for Android devices. RAM optimization is a more controversial undertaking, but some users use it. This module has a search for unnecessary, obsolete or duplicate files, autorun control, scheduling and other functions.

Traffic control solves three tasks: allowing access to the Internet for individual applications (separately for the cellular network and Wi-Fi), collecting traffic consumption statistics and managing mobile access according to the configured traffic limits.

The blacklist allows you to block incoming calls and SMS according to user-defined rules and modes. It is possible to manage three lists - white and black for subscribers (they work with both calls and SMS) and a list of keywords for blocking incoming SMS (useful for advertising). On the corresponding page, you can view blocked calls and messages.

The battery management module offers an analysis of the current settings and provides recommendations for improving autonomy, shows information about consumers in the lists of programs and device components, has power saving scheme settings, including settings for servicing applications in the background.

The anti-virus works with updated signature databases (multiple sources are supported), can scan applications before installation, and can be launched in manual mode to scan the device.

An important role in improving the security and privacy of a smartphone is played by the application permissions management module. It has handy lists that allow you to evaluate the current state of affairs both in terms of the rights granted to a particular application and in terms of permissions.

But this is not all the features of the "Security" program. "Second space" is useful if you need to transfer the device to another user or want to have different settings for work and home use. "Dual applications" can be used when it is required to ensure the operation of the same program with several accounts, but it does not have such a built-in option. "Application Protection" will help you set an additional password to run certain programs.

In the "Tools" group there is an interesting function for creating automation tasks - a combination of a condition and an action. Moreover, both time and battery level can act as conditions. And the list of actions presents the main mode switches - synchronization, Wi-Fi, flight mode and others. Two more features of this group are viewing the current speeds of receiving and transmitting data individually by application and diagnosing a network connection.

The settings menu in MIUI is very convenient, although due to the huge number of options, you can get confused in it. The most frequently used functions are placed on the main screen, and the rest is hidden in the "More ..." and "More ..." drop-down lists.

Given the size of the device, features such as screen reduction for one-handed operation and a dedicated on-screen assistant for quick access to user-defined functions can be useful.

The notification panel allows you to quickly access the system switches and has rich customization options. For example, it can show your current Internet speed, and there are three design options for the battery indicator.

For the lock screen, you can program a quick transition by swiping left or right to two selected applications. By the way, for its wallpaper there is a built-in automatic update via the Internet, which makes the device attractive and pleases with beautiful images. Exit from sleep by double tapping is also implemented here.

So the firmware of the model in question clearly deserves a positive assessment. In our opinion, it will not be easy to deal with all its capabilities even for a long time using a smartphone. On the other hand, addiction can also have a negative effect due to the difficulties of switching to software versions other than MIUI in solutions from other manufacturers.

Performance

In terms of its hardware platform, Xiaomi Mi Note 2 is similar to some of the previously reviewed devices from this manufacturer, as well as many others from the upper segment. The product is based on the 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC, Qualcomm's current top mobile platform, which is being replaced this year by the Snapdragon 835. This processor is configured with four Kryo cores divided into two clusters of two cores. In this case, the maximum frequency of the two older cores is 2.34 GHz. The Adreno 530 video accelerator is responsible for three-dimensional graphics, video decoding and displaying on the screen. The configuration of RAM and flash memory is 4/64 GB or 6/128 GB, depending on the model. There is no slot for installing a memory card in the device, but USB OTG is supported.

As we have said many times, modern high-end platforms provide more than decent performance for the vast majority of smartphone use cases. At the same time, formal indicators in benchmarks can differ significantly, but this does not affect the user's impressions of working with the device. But still, our readers are used to seeing tables with reports, and we will traditionally provide this information. Of particular interest may be a comparison of device performance on international and Chinese firmware. True, we note that the device itself was still in the “Chinese” version, and not the “international”, so the comparison turned out to be not very clean. Additionally, the results of several similar devices that have been in our laboratory recently have been added to the tables. Note also that synthetic tests on fast platforms can show a noticeable spread in results across multiple runs, so they should be considered more of a rough estimate of the overall performance of smartphones.

There is no difference between firmware versions on this device. The results of the smartphone are close to those of other devices on the same platform. The HiSilicon Kirin 955 platform lags behind, and Samsung's Exynos 8890 is faster in GeekBench and weaker in AnTuTu.

In the second table, we have collected benchmarks that evaluate the graphics performance of smartphones. Note that the selected devices have different screen resolutions, so the results in GFXBench at "native" resolution cannot be directly compared.

	Xiaomi Mi Note 2 (Global, Snapdragon 821)	Xiaomi Mi Note 2 (China, Snapdragon 821)	Xiaomi Mi5s Plus (Snapdragon 821)	Huawei P9 Plus (Kirin 955)	LG G6 (Snapdragon 821)	Meizu Pro 6 Plus (Exynos 8890)	Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge (Exynos 8890)
3DMark Ice Storm Unlmited (points, more is better)	30983	31926					22540
3D Mark Sling Shot (points, more is better)	2634	2919	2000	952	2409	1869	2130
GFXBench 4 Car Chase (fps, more is better)	17	20					7,9
GFXBench 4 Car Chase 1080p Offscreen (fps, more is better)	16	20					5,1
GFXBench 4 Manhattan 3.1 (fps, more is better)	26	31	28	11		13	24
GFXBench 4 Manhattan 3.1 1080p Offscreen (fps, more is better)	27	31	29	10		24	26
GFXBench 4 T-Rex (fps, more is better)	57	58	60	27		52	51
GFXBench 4 T-Rex 1080p Offscreen (fps, more is better)	77	84	81	26		71	84

Here we are once again convinced that Adreno 530 is the fastest solution for smartphones today. However, this advantage is virtual in a certain sense, since real projects, in particular games, are forced to focus on the average level of devices on the market and do not use the full potential of top products. Well, you can always increase the complexity (and improve the quality). On GFXBench synthetics, we see that in complex scenes, even the best chips may not overcome the 30 fps limit. By the way, the Chinese firmware for Xiaomi Ni Note 2 is consistently a little faster than the international one. But this, of course, will not be a reason to refuse Google services out of the box.

The article already turned out to be very voluminous, so we will skip the tests in browsers. But the results were obtained and they are quite consistent with previous tests, confirming that the smartphone considered in the article can reasonably be considered one of the fastest devices today.

In the last table, we present the results of assessing the speed of working with memory in the AndroBench program.

	Xiaomi Mi Note 2 (Global, Snapdragon 821)	Xiaomi Mi Note 2 (China, Snapdragon 821)	Xiaomi Mi5s Plus (Snapdragon 821)	Huawei P9 Plus (Kirin 955)	LG G6 (Snapdragon 821)	Meizu Pro 6 Plus (Exynos 8890)	Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge (Exynos 8890)
AndroBench, SeqRead (MB/s, more is better)	418	427	425	249	423	441
AndroBench, Seq Write (MB/s, more is better)	161	164	160	114	182	160
AndroBench, Rand Read (MB/s, more is better)	114	115	110	36	101	138
AndroBench, Rand Write (MB/s, more is better)	15	15	15	31	18	16

And here the results are similar to those of other models with Snapdragon 821. In terms of flash memory operations when the device is connected to a computer with a cable, the write speed in this scenario is about 24 MB / s, and reading - about 29 MB / s. Perhaps the manufacturer should have thought about implementing version 3.0 of the USB interface.

In general, everything here is as expected - high platform speed, excellent performance in graphic applications. The performance margin should obviously be enough for a long time.

thermal images

This test was conducted with the original Chinese version of MIUI 8.0.15.0. Below is a thermal image of the back surface taken after 10 minutes of running the GFXBenchmark battery test:

It can be seen that the heating is more localized in the upper right part of the device, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 35 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), which is relatively little.

Video playback

The issues of “omnivorousness” in video playback tasks (including support for various codecs, containers, and special features, such as subtitles) on modern mobile devices are in most cases solved by installing the “correct” media players and the necessary codecs. Of course, it's nice when a device out of the box is able to view files from your media library, but this feature should not be considered important for choosing a model. But there is another significant point that cannot be solved with additional programs - hardware decoding of certain video formats. And today we are seeing the growing popularity of such a codec for video as H.265. If for stationary installations it is associated with the 4K format and HDR technology, then for mobile installations it is of interest in terms of reducing the bitrate (that is, the amount of traffic and the required speed) while maintaining high picture quality or improving quality while maintaining the bitrate. So our methodology has been expanded and for smartphones we are now testing several new formats.

Traditionally, Xiaomi's Qualcomm platform has all the necessary hardware features for working with video, so the subtleties can only concern codec licensing issues.

Indeed, the device did not receive the ability to decode AC3 audio tracks, so if your files use them, you will need to install a third-party player.

Further testing of video playback performed Alexey Kudryavtsev. This test was conducted with the original Chinese version of MIUI 8.0.15.0.

Due to the lack of the necessary adapter, we could not check the hypothetical presence of the MHL interface, as well as Mobility DisplayPort, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Methodology for testing video signal playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output frames of video files with different parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps). In tests, we used the MX Player video player in Hardware mode. The test results are summarized in a table: Red marks indicate possible problems with the playback of the respective files.

According to the criteria for displaying frames, the quality of video playback on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can (but are not required) to be displayed with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and in most cases without frame drops. Except for files with 60 fps, in which case at least two frames per second are skipped (but usually more). The reason is an atypically low screen refresh rate of approximately 58 Hz. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, one to one in pixels, that is, in its original resolution. However, the test images show the consequences of reducing the number of green and red subpixels - the vertical and horizontal worlds through the pixel are displayed in the form of grids, not stripes. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235, however, in the shadows, about 5 shades merge with black, and in the highlights, a couple of the brightest ones merge with white. In this case, the pair of the first dark gray distinguishable shades have a reddish tint. As a result, dark movie scenes and dark images may be displayed with artifacts.

Battery life

The smartphone has a non-removable battery with a capacity of 4070 mAh. Considering this is not the biggest value, as well as a powerful platform and a large screen, it is difficult to predict battery life. However, Xiaomi often surprises with its software optimizations. Somewhat surprisingly, in the settings we did not find the option to select the processor clock control scheme. Probably, the company is so confident in its technologies that it is able to simultaneously show both high speed and good autonomy. In general, we can say that the solution does not stand out from the total mass of modern devices that can provide a day of work from a single charge for average usage scenarios. Still, this parameter is significantly affected by user activity. As a result, we have a "self-adjusting" system, when, with a low battery charge, you will no longer turn to social networks or games once again. In addition, MIUI has a built-in "Power Saving" mode, when the operating system will limit the activity of applications, including background ones, to reduce consumption. Moreover, you can set it to turn on automatically depending on the battery charge.

Battery life testing was conducted with default settings without the use of special technologies. The screen brightness level, as in other tests, was set at 100 cd/m². For the reading mode, the value obtained for the inverse mode (white letters on a black background) is given in brackets. Recall that for OLED screens, unlike IPS, consumption depends on the current image.

	Battery capacity	Reading mode	Video mode	3D game mode
Xiaomi Mi Note 2	4070 mAh	16:00 (20:20)	13:10	9:00
Xiaomi Mi5s Plus	3800 mAh	22:00	15:30	8:00
Huawei P9 Plus	3400 mAh	18:00	10:00	5:00
LG G6	3300 mAh	16:50	12:00	6:00
Meizu Pro 6 Plus	3400 mAh	17:30	12:30	4:20
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge	3600 mAh	24:00	14:35	6:30

White shading in a normal reading scenario significantly affects the consumption of an OLED screen. So in this test in the Moon+ Reader program, we only got sixteen hours. Using the inverse theme allows you to add more than four hours in this mode of operation. The video review scenario was conducted with the VLC Player for 720p video over Wi-Fi. Here we can count on a little over thirteen hours, which is quite good. The game scenario was tested in the walk mode of the Epic Citadel program. The smartphone worked in this case for nine hours, which can also be considered a good result for a device with these characteristics.

To charge the device, the package comes with an MDY-08-EH charger, like some other smartphones from this manufacturer. It supports Quick Charge technology. However, the versions are probably different: the smartphone can also support 3.0, but this charger can only support 2.0. However, from a practical point of view, there is no significant difference. In any case, Quick Charge and USB Type-C is a very useful and convenient combination. But, of course, it's a pity that there is no wireless charging here.

During charging, the smartphone's LED indicator changes color from red to green. The firmware provides notifications on the screen and LED when the battery level is critically low. To estimate the charge recovery time, we used a standard charger and Tronsmart with QC 2.0 and with a regular output of 2 A (real consumption with this smartphone is about 9 W). If we talk about the “from 0 to 100%” scenario, then the first two options showed two hours and ten minutes, and the third one showed two hours and forty minutes. Despite the formal proximity, the growth rate of the charge level at the very beginning is more interesting, since the last percentage of the batteries usually gain very slowly. So let's look at the following graph, where the horizontal axis shows the time from the start of charging, and the vertical axis shows the level of charge.

As you can see, Quick Charge technology really shows itself better at the initial stage of charging a smartphone, providing a significantly faster charge recovery than “normal” charging.

Conclusion

According to the results of testing, we can say that Xiaomi Mi Note 2 is a bright, but very unusual smartphone and it is not easy to evaluate it. The device boasts rich hardware, high speed, good autonomy, fast charging and a good camera. In addition, the model works with a very convenient MIUI operating system.

However, the case design is clearly ambiguous in terms of the practical use of a smartphone. Yes, there are good materials, comfortable shape and quality assembly. But the case is slippery, easily soiled and has a not very clear resistance to damage. Also of the shortcomings, we note the controversial screen. It is clear that with such characteristics it is difficult to unambiguously call the model a flagship.

In addition, it is worth remembering the cost. At the time of writing the article, the younger model Xiaomi Mi Note 2 cost about 30 thousand rubles in online stores. It is clear that the used hardware platform and such a case cannot be cheap, but competitors (in particular, Xiaomi Mi5S Plus and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge) look more interesting in some respects for a similar price. So here, as usual, the choice will depend on the priorities of a particular user.