Xiaomi has been teasing the Xiaomi Mi Max (referred to as ‘Xiaomi Max’ in leaks) announcement for a long time now. The company has released several teaser images, and the company’s CEO has even shown off the device itself in a real life image not long ago. We knew that this device will be huge, Xiaomi has basically confirmed that its display will be bigger than 6 inches, and that it will offer a great battery life. That being said, the company has just introduced this smartphone in China along with MIUI 8, so let’s see what’s new, shall we.
As far as Xiaomi Mi Max goes, the rumors were more or less spot on. The device sports a 6.44-inch fullHD (1920 x 1080) display, and comes with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM, depending on the variant you opt to purchase. The 3GB RAM variant will be available bundled with either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, while the 4GB RAM model will ship with 128GB of native storage. Xiaomi has actually opted to use two processors here, the 3GB RAM + 32GB internal storage variant is fueled by the Snapdragon 650, while the other two variants ship with the Snapdragon 652 SoC. As you can see, this is a mid-range handset (mainly due to its SoC), though it offers plenty of RAM in pretty much every variant. The 16-megapixel camera (PDAF) is placed on the back of the Xiaomi Mi Max, and a 5-megapixel snapper (85-degree wide-angle lens) can be found up front. This device also comes with two SIM card slots, and offer 4G LTE connectivity. The 4,850mAh battery is also included in this package, and it is not removable. The device measures 173.1 x 88.3 x 7.5mm, while it weighs 203 grams.
Now, in addition to the Mi Max, Xiaomi has also released MIUI 8 which is based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The company has decided to redesign their OS to an extent, the MIUI 8 is more colorful, but also more ‘flat’ in a way, it offers a completely new set of colors. The company has also decided to redesign fonts in MIUI 8, and you can now choose between 12 categories for wallpapers on your lock screen. These wallpapers will shift on their own, and the images are provided by over 50 media partners according to the company. The MIUI 8 has been redesigned as well, and you can now doodle on your images, you can add stickers and can even perform some light video editing with effects and sound, not to mention various filters are at your disposal as well.
Interesting enough, Xiaomi has decided to include software for math problem solutions in MIUI 8, which might come in handy to some of you. The ‘MIUI 8 Scanner’ is also a new feature in this version of Xiaomi’s software, and it basically allows you to scan QR codes and buy stuff online, though do keep in mind this is a Chinese variant of MIUI 8 we’re talking about here, so we don’t know if this will be supported internationally, it quite probably won’t be. The calculator app has been improved, and so is the company’s ‘Notes’ app. You can now prevent certain apps to start up if you want, and can basically link apps to start one after the other in order to control power consumption better. The power saving mode is new and improved in MIUI 8, and it lets you totally freeze an app or activity if needed.
The most affordable Mi Max variant is priced at 1,499 Yuan ($230) in China, while the other 3GB RAM model costs 1,699 Yuan ($261). The most powerful model (4GB of RAM + 128GB of internal storage) will set you back 1,999 Yuan ($307). The phablet comes in White, Gray and Gold color variants and will be available soon. Now, as far as MIUI 8 is concerned, beta registrations start on May 16th, beta testing kicks off on June 1st, and the Developer ROM will be released on June 17th. The Xiaomi Mi 2, Mi 2s, Mi 3, Mi 4, Mi 4C, Mi 4S, Mi 5 and Mi Max are supported, as well as all Redmi and Mi Note devices. Once again, keep in mind this is the Chinese version of MIUI 8, the company has said that the global variant will be announced really soon, so stay tuned for that.
