Xiaomi Mi Note 2 had some certification problems, which resulted in a late publish. The phone was unveiled yesterday, bringing a dual-curved 5.7-inch display, a high-resolution camera, and an excellent metal body coated with glass on both sides. The model looks almost identical to Samsung Galaxy Note 7, and we are sure the Mi Note 2 will find its way to many dissatisfied Note 7 buyers. Let’s compare the device with Xiaomi Mi 5s, an upgraded version of the company’s 2016 flagship model.
Dimensions, Design
The Mi Note 2 measures 156.2 x 77.3 x 7.6 mm, a bit larger than the Note 7 dimensions (153.5 x 73.9 x 7.9 mm), but very striking nonetheless. Curved glass coating is used on both the front and the back of the device, giving it a sophisticated premium look. On the front, you can find a large Home button under the screen, along with the speaker and a selfie camera placed above the display. The backside is dominated with the main camera sensor, placed in the upper middle. Overall, the Mi Note 2 look pretty sharp, with a strong Galaxy Note 7 vibe.
The Xiaomi Mi 5s looks similar, but it doesn’t feature double glass coating. Metal body gives the phone a premium look, but the Mi Note 2 looks a bit better because of the double glass protection. On the front, you can find a Home button, with the speaker and the selfie camera placed above the screen. The main camera sensor is placed on the upper left part on the backside. The Mi 5s measures 145.6 x 70.3 x 8.3 mm, a solid size for a 5-inch phone.
Hardware, Display
Both models come equipped with the latest Snapdragon 821, with the Mi 5s having a bit underclocked version (2×2.15 GHz Kryo & 2×1.6 GHz Kryo along with Adreno 530) of the chip. The Mi Note 2 comes with a higher clocked version (2×2.35 GHz Kryo & 2×1.6 GHz Kryo) that will give even more power. Don’t be fooled by numbers, though; even the version featured on the Mi 5s will provide more processing power than you’ll ever need.
The Mi Note 2 comes in a couple of flavors. The regular edition features 4 gigs of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. The ultimate edition comes with 6 GB of RAM along with 128 GB of internal storage. Built in storage can’t be expanded, though.
The Mi 5s also comes in two flavors. One features 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage while the other one comes equipped with 4 GB of RAM and 128 of built in storage. As is the case with the Mi Note 2, you can’t expand internal storage space.
The Mi Note 2 features a huge 5.7-inch dual-curved 1080p AMOLED screen. Reports say Xiaomi used Samsung’s flexible OLED displays on its latest model, but the resolution is lower than what we saw on the Note 7, which features 1440p screen resolution. Anyway, the display offers rich colors, with a solid sharpness (386 ppi pixel density).
The Mi 5s comes with a 5.15-inches 1080p IPS LCD display offering natural colors and wide viewing angles. The screen is a bit too small for completely enjoying videos, but web surfing will be great. On the other hand, the Mi Note 2’s large display is excellent for any kind of usage.
Camera
The Mi Note 2 comes equipped with a 22.5 MP (f/2.0) main camera sensor supporting EIS, phase detection autofocus, dual-LED flash, and HDR. You can expect great looking, sharp photos, even in low-light conditions. The camera is capable of recording 2160p@30fps videos. The selfie snapper counts 8 MP (f/2.0) and supports autofocus.
The main camera featured on the Mi 5s has 12 MP (f/2.0) and supports phase detection autofocus, dual-LED flash, and HDR. A large single pixel size (1.55 µm) offers great low light camera performance. The main snapper is capable of recording 2160p@30fps videos. On the front, you can find a 4 MP (f/2.0)selfie camera.
Battery, Software
Xiaomi Mi Note 2 packs a huge 4070 mAh battery, enough for at least two days without a charge. The Mi 5s features a solid 3200 mAh battery. Both phones run under Android Marshmallow coated with Xiaomi’s MIUI.
Both models have a fingerprint sensor, support for Quick Charge 3.0 technology, and they both come with USB Type-C connector.
Conclusion
The new Mi Note 2 is perfect for all Samsung fans that ended up disappointed with the failed Galaxy Note 7. Also, all fans of large screens should consider the Mi Note 2, since it is one awesome device. A huge screen doesn’t sport a 1440p resolution but that isn’t a reason for not getting one. The phone looks amazing, it features an awesome camera and lots of storage space. The Mi note 2 should cost around $415 for the 4/64GB version, $490 for the 6/128GB version and $515 for the 6/128 GB international version.
The Mi 5s is a great device for users thinking a 5-inch display is a perfect sized smartphone screen. The Mi 5s offers a powerful processor, accompanied by a great camera and a superb metal body.