Xiaomi Mi A3 vs Mi A2: What’s Different?

Xiaomi has finally announced the next iteration of its Stock Android-powered smartphone family — the Mi A3. Some people weren’t delighted with its predecessor, the Mi A2, because it lacks some of the key components and including its underwhelming battery capacity. Will the Mi A3 be a huge upgrade to the series? Find out below.

Here are their detailed specs:

Specification	Xiaomi Mi A3	Xiaomi Mi A2
Display	6.088-inch HD+ Super AMOLED display @1560 x 720px, 286ppi	5.99-inch FHD+ LTPS display @ 2160 x 1080px, 403ppi
Glass type	Corning Gorilla Glass 5	Corning Gorilla Glass 5
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 2.0GHz octa-core	Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 2.2GHz Octa-core processor
GPU	Adreno 610	Adreno 512
RAM	4GB LPDDR4X RAM	4GB LPDDR4X RAM
Storage	64GB, 128GB UFS 2,1 storage	64GB storage
SIM	Dual SIM	Dual SIM
MicroSD	expandable via SIM 2 slot	-
Rear Camera	48MP F1.79 (main) + 8MP F2.2 (ultrawide) + 2MP F2.4 (depth) triple rear cameras	12MP F1.75 + 20MP F1.75 dual rear cameras with LED flash
Front Camera	32MP F2.0 front camera	20MP F1.8 front camera
LTE	4G LTE	4G LTE
WiFi	WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.0
GPS	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
Port	USB 2.0 Type-C	USB 2.0 Type-C
3.5mm audio port	Yes	-
Biometrics	- Fingerprint Scanner (in-display) - Face Unlock	- Fingerprint scanner - Face unlock
OS	Android 9 Pie w/ Android One Program	Android 9 Pie w/ Android One Program
Battery	4,030mAh battery w/ 18W Quick Charge 3.0	3,010mAh non-removable battery w/ Qualcomm Quickcharge 3.0
Colors	White, Grey, Blue	Gold, Blue, Black

So what’s different between the two Android One powered Xiaomi smartphones?

Xiaomi Mi A3

• Slightly larger screen size
• Smaller chip architecture
• Better performing GPU
• Higher storage option
• Expandable storage via SIM 2
• Higher main camera resolution
• Higher front camera resolution
• In-display fingerprint scanner
• Larger battery capacity
• Existing 3.5mm audio port

Xiaomi Mi A2

• Higher screen resolution
• Faster CPU performance (based on clock speed)

Looking at the advantages above, you’ll see that Xiaomi did a great job with the Mi A3 in terms of improvements. However, I can’t say the same when it comes to screen resolution.

The Mi A3 may have larger screen size and a Super AMOLED display, but, it only has a 720p screen resolution which is a downgrade from Mi A2’s 1080p display. If you’re fond of watching videos, you’ll immediately know what I’m talking about as a person who already got used to Full HD resolutions.

For performance, the Mi A3 comes with a Snapdragon 665 chipset which is newer than the Snapdragon 660 of the Mi A2. Both chips have the same Kryo 260 Cortex-A73 and Cortex-A53 processors; however, SD 660 provides a faster clock speed than the SD 665.

The Snapdragon 665 has an 11nm architecture size while the Snapdragon 660 has 14nm, which means that the SD 665 is more optimized and more power-efficient than the SD 660. The GPU of the former is more powerful, which means that we should expect that a person’s gaming experience is better than the latter.

It’s also worth noting that the Mi A3 now has a 128GB storage option with expandable storage, which is still important to a lot of people.

Camera-wise, the Mi A3 has a 48MP primary rear camera which is powered by an unspecified Sony sensor. Aside from that, it also has dedicated depth-of-field and ultra-wide lenses, which is pretty neat. In our previous review, the Mi A2 showed its camera prowess thanks to its optimized camera software. We’ve yet to know how the successor fares, but based on Xiaomi’s pattern, it should have better camera quality.

For features, the Mi A3 revives the 3.5mm audio port which is an excellent addition to any smartphones. The physical fingerprint scanner is also gone as it is replaced by the under-display sensor that can be found in some Xiaomi smartphones nowadays.

For battery performance, it’s great that Xiaomi addressed the low battery capacity issue that many people have with the Mi A2. It now has a significantly larger capacity, which should be the standard for mid-range smartphones nowadays.

Here are the prices of each smartphone:

• Xiaomi Mi A3 4GB + 64GB – EUR 249 (~PHP 14,270)
• Xiaomi Mi A3 4GB + 128GB – EUR 279 (~PHP 15,989)
• Xiaomi Mi A2 4GB + 64GB – PHP 8,810 (official Xiaomi store’s price as of writing)

If you’re a Mi A2 user planning to upgrade to the Mi A3, I’d say that this is worth getting if you want to keep that stock android experience. The only beef that you’ll have here is that it only has an HD+ display with little improvements to CPU performance which are both a deal-breaker for me. If you’re a gamer; however, I’d recommend that you get this device.

What do you guys think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.