For those of you searching for an alternative to the pure stock android experience which Google’s Pixel lineup offers, Xiaomi’s Mi A3 might be a good bet. The company has just launched the handset in Pakistan. So whether you don’t favor the Pixel, or your budget simply won’t stretch to their latest release, the new mid-range smartphone from Xiaomi might be the answer.
The Mi A3 is an upgrade on the last year’s Xiaomi Mi A2 – another budget smartphone from Xiaomi. With the upgrade came a few major improvements, and a couple of downgrades here and there. Its predecessor sported a metal back, which this model ditched in favor of a glass back panel – with a trendy glossy gradient finish.
The front side of Xiaomi Mi A3 is also cleaner, more minimal, featuring a water-drop notch and thin bezels. The display, however, fails to impress. The 6.01-inch display, which albeit is SuperAMOLED, only offers 720p screen resolution. This screen is a downgrade from last year’s FHD+ IPS display, so the display isn’t as crispy or sharp.
Mi A3 by Xiaomi offers an in-display fingerprint sensor which tends to lag, so it can be a bit of a letdown. It is powered by Android Pie and you get support for Android One and its security updates as well. Unlike the MIUI, the Android One isn’t bloated.
As for the internals, The A3 is rocking a Snapdragon 665 processor, paired with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of native storage. The smartphone draws power from a 4030 mAh battery which supports up to 18 W fast charging. Thanks to the SoC and low screen resolution, the phone can last you a day of heavy usage. But the charger you get out of the box is only 10W, so you might have to purchase an 18W charger separately.
Mi's A3 outstrips its competition – at least within the similar price bracket, in terms of the camera setup. You’re looking at a 48 MP primary sensor along with an 8 MP wide-angle and a 2 MP depth lens. The front-facing camera features a 32 MP lens at f/2.0.
The 4GB + 64GB A3 variant is now available at just rupees 36,999/- only, both online and at Mi Exclusive stores nationwide across Pakistan. the handset is available in three colours namely KIND OF GRAY, NOT JUST BLUE and MORE THAN WHITE.