Xiaomi unveiled a new member to its budget themed “A” series smartphone with a rather surprising package that’s obviously destined to please many – at least from the spec sheet. Entering the lineup is the all new Xiaomi Mi A3 that comes loaded with some features most of us find interesting as well as minor flaws that helped keep prices within reach for average Kenyans. Interestingly, the new “A” series device costs just a fraction of similar spec devices we consider flagships, in Kenya for example, we expect prices not to surpass the KS. 25,000 mark. And as most of us in the tech-world can confidently advise; for that price, it’s worth your consideration.
For those who’ve had a Xiaomi A series handset can attest to just how the manufacturer is keen on keeping prices low while cutting as low corners as possible, but as we all have come to appreciate, not everything is to notch and this might concern some of you – especially the so called power users. Currently, there are two devices preceding the new Xiaomi Mi A3 smartphone within the “A” series lineup, basically covering the entry level base for the manufacturer.
Xiaomi Mi A3 has cut some corners to keep prices low
Cutting corners isn’t always a bad thing, especially if it results in reduced prices. There are some obvious omissions on this device and its upon consumers to decide whether it deserves a second chance or a pass basing on what they are really looking for. Unlike the highly regarded Xiaomi smartphones that come equipped with Xiaomi’s MIUI android skin, the Xiaomi Mi A3 opts for Google’s “Android One” instead. Depending on how you look at it, it could either please or disappoint but one thing is for sure – since its stock android underneath, you’d get two years of OS updates – something that’s not guaranteed on other android based devices.
Xiaomi Mi A3 Design
Instead of the almost extinct large bezel design, Xiaomi is going for notch instead. Shaped like a tiny teardrop, the notch at the top of the phone is used to house a selfie camera. While at the bottom, you’ll get a medium-sized bezel and rounded display corners. Both the front and back are made of Gorilla Glass 5 which sits uniform across except for the triple camera setup on the back. Underneath the display is an optical fingerprint reader. Xiaomi Mi A3 comes in three colors; White, Gray, and Blue. According to Xiaomi, here’s a “nano-level holographic pattern” on the blue and white models.
The Mi A3 is powered by Snapdragon 665 SoC that unveiled back in April and uses eight of Qualcomm’s custom “Kryo 260” cores (based on the Cortex-A73 design) at 2GHz, along with Adreno 610 GPU, all built on a 11nm manufacturing process. You’ll get 4GB of RAM, a 4030mAh battery, a USB-C port and comes equipped with both an IR blaster, and a MicroSD slot. There are two options when it comes to internal storage; 64GB or 128GB. The rear triple camera setup uses a 48MP sensor for the main shooter, an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 2MP depth camera. The selfie camera is 32MP.
Display Panel
Remember when I talked about cutting corners? Well the screen resolution is definitely the main culprit at 1560×720 on 6.1inches, though we loved the fact it’s OLED meaning blacks are really black and for the price, it comes down to personal preference.
