Xiaomi Mi3 Review: Taking A Closer Look At The Top Selling Android Smartphone Right Now

Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi is recently hailed by research firm Canalys as the top smartphone manufacturer in China. And that is no small feat, considering the Asian country has hundreds of millions of smartphone users. 

Interestingly, the Chinese brand eclipsed Samsung's stellar two-year run at the top with a $300-smartphone dubbed as the Xiaomi Mi3, and this review will tell us just how it managed to do that. Contrary to popular belief, the Mi3 was announced late last year, just after the IFA event in Berlin. But because its manufacturer was still virtually unknown back then, it did not make the initial impact. 

Display

The Xiaomi Mi3 has a high-end 5-inch display that can certainly rival those smartphones in flagship territory. The phone packs a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution display which is just a pleasure to look at when it comes to games and movies. 

Design

Unlike most Chinese smartphones within this price range, the Xiaomi Mi3 gets a metallic frame to support the smartphone, and a plastic back cover. While it certainly does not look better than more premium-looking devices such as the HTC One M8, its super affordable price tag is already one reason why you should consider getting this device. 

Performance

As far as performance is concerned, the Xiaomi Mi3 will definitely be up for the challenge as it packs a Snapdragon 800 chipset, quad-core CPU, and 2GB of RAM. Sounds familiar? That's because those are the same specs of other high-end smartphones which launched last year such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the LG G2. 

Camera

Camera department is also over the top for the Xiaomi Mi3, as it packs a 13MP primary shooter at the back and a 5MP front-facing cam. The Note 3, which arguably was the best Android phone launched last year, has the same 13MP rear camera, but only a 2MP front cam. 

Verdict

Whether you believe it or not, the Xiaomi Mi3 costs around $300 for the 16GB version and slightly higher for the 64GB variant. In case you want an updated model with a still affordable price tag, the Xiaomi Mi4 should be released in selected markets this month.