Xiaomi Smartphone Buyer’s Guide 2018

Xiaomi is one of those smartphone brands that has plenty to offer. In fact, they’ve released quite a lot of devices in the Philippines for 2018 alone. So, if you’re planning on buying a Xiaomi smartphone and don’t know which one to choose, we hope this guide helps.

Author’s Note: We have categorized the Xiaomi devices based on tier (flagship, mid-range, and entry-level). The smartphones listed below are those that were officially launched in 2018 and is available for purchase in the Philippines.

Flagship

Mi 8

Let’s start the list with Mi 8, the company’s latest flagship smartphone. It packs a 6.21-inch display, up to 256GB storage, dual-rear cameras, Infrared face recognition, and a 3,400mAh battery. Powering it is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset and 6GB RAM. It’s priced at Php25,990USD 443INR 37,545EUR 422CNY 3,225 for the 64GB model and Php27,990USD 477INR 40,434EUR 454CNY 3,474 for the 128GB.

Mi Mix 2S

If you hate bezels, then you might want to look at the Mix 2S. It has a smaller screen than the Mi 8 at 5.99-inches but with really slim top and side bezels. As expected, it packs a Snapdragon 845 chipset, with up to 8GB RAM and up to 256GB storage. Price is at Php27,990USD 477INR 40,434EUR 454CNY 3,474 for the 6GB+64GB model and Php29,990USD 511INR 43,324EUR 487CNY 3,722 for the 6GB+128GB.

Pocophone F1

Now if you want flagship specs but at a low price, the Pocophone F1 by Xiaomi’s sub-brand Pocophone is your best bet. Like the Mi 8, the F1 sports a display with a notch design. It has a 6.18-inch screen, the same dual-rear cameras as the Mix 2S, Snapdragon 845, up to 8GB RAM, and up to 256GB storage. The F1 also has the largest battery capacity in the flagship lineup at 4,000mAh battery. Its price is at Php17,990USD 307INR 25,988EUR 292CNY 2,233 for the 6GB+64GB and Php19,990USD 341INR 28,878EUR 324CNY 2,481 for the 6GB+128GB. The Armored Edition with Kevlar body, on the other hand, is priced at Php22,990USD 392INR 33,211EUR 373CNY 2,853 for the 6GB + 128GB model.

Mid-range

Redmi Note 5

If you’re looking for something that is in the mid-range segment, good news as Xiaomi has a lot to choose from. Starting with the Redmi Note 5 (Global), this phone sports a 5.99-inch screen with a Snapdragon 636 chipset, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, dual-rear cameras, and a large 4,000mAh battery. It’s now priced at Php11,490USD 196INR 16,598EUR 186CNY 1,426 which makes it a recommended device for those who are looking for a good mid-ranger with a large battery.

Redmi 6

Next is the Redmi 6 that launched in the Philippines in July and can be considered an affordable mid-ranger due to its sub-Php10K price tag. It sports a 5.45-inch screen, dual rear cameras, and up to 64GB storage. Powering it is a MediaTek Helio P22 chipset, up to 4GB RAM, and 3,000mAh battery. The Redmi 6 is priced at Php7,490USD 128INR 10,820EUR 122CNY 930 for the 3GB + 32GB model and Php8,990USD 153INR 12,987EUR 146CNY 1,116 for the 4GB + 64GB.

Redmi S2

As an alternative, Xiaomi also has the Redmi S2 with a 5.99-inch display, Snapdragon 625 chipset, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, dual-rear cameras, and a 3,080mAh battery. It is priced at Php7,949USD 135INR 11,483EUR 129CNY 986.

Mi A2

If you’re looking for a smartphone with a pure Android experience, don’t worry as Xiaomi has that as well. Actually, they have two – the Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite. Both are powered by Android One based on Android 8.1 Oreo. If you want the most powerful Qualcomm mid-range chipset, you might want to opt for the Mi A2. It has a Snapdragon 660 chip, up to 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, dual rear cameras, and 3,010mAh battery. The 4GB+64GB model is now priced at Php13,990USD 238INR 20,210EUR 227CNY 1,736.

Mi A2 Lite

If the Mi A2 seems to over the budget, Xiaomi offers the Mi A2 Lite with a 5.84-inch screen, Snapdragon 625 chipset, up to 4GB RAM, up to 64GB storage, dual rear cameras, and surprisingly, a large 4,000mAh battery. The Mi A2 Lite has two models – the 3GB+32GB for Php9,490USD 162INR 13,709EUR 154CNY 1,178, and 4GB+64GB for Php10,990USD 187INR 15,876EUR 178CNY 1,364.

Mi Max 3

Looking for a smartphone that can definitely last you a whole day of heavy use? If yes, then take a look at the Mi Max 3. It has a large 6.9-inch screen, Snapdragon 636 chipset, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, dual rear cameras, and a massive 5,500mAh battery – the largest in this lineup. The Mi Max 3 is yet to be available but it’s priced at Php14,990USD 255INR 21,655EUR 243CNY 1,860.

Entry-level

Redmi 6A

Time to look at Xiaomi’s entry-level offering for this year, with the Redmi 6A, As the name suggests, this is the little brother of the mid-range Redmi 6. It has a 5.45-inch screen, the new MediaTek Helio A22 chipset, 2GB RAM, up to 32GB storage, and 3,000mAh battery. It is priced at Php5,290USD 90INR 7,642EUR 86CNY 656 for the 16GB model and Php5,990USD 102INR 8,653EUR 97CNY 743 for the 32GB.

Let’s list down the mentioned devices by price so you can get a good look and choose the one within your budget:

And there you have it. We hope this guide helped you when it comes to choosing your Xiaomi device. If you have any suggestions, let us know in the comments below.