Apple builds an R&D center in China to survive a tough market
There’s no question that China isn’t as much of a money maker for Apple as it once was. However, it’s not about to quit the country — if anything, it’s settling in for the long haul. The company has unveiled plans to build a Chinese research and development center by the end of the year. Just what it’ll work on isn’t evident at this stage, although it’s part of an overall increased investment in Apple’s second-largest market.
It has a few good reasons to set deeper roots in China. Much as with the massive investment in Didi Chuxing, it’s at least partly about assuaging regulators who’ve been banning services and are otherwise jittery about an American company on their turf. Apple is trying to show that it can create jobs and otherwise contribute to the Chinese job market beyond stores and factory contracts. This also helps Apple recruit Chinese talent that would be difficult or impossible to bring overseas.
The moves might be necessary in a nation whose smartphone market is particularly volatile. Apple isn’t the only one hurting — IDC estimates that Xiaomi, a darling of the Chinese market just a year ago (it’s sometimes billed as China’s Apple), saw its shipments plunge a whopping 38.4 percent year-over-year during the second quarter. The exact reasons for its trouble are mixed, although it’s a latecomer to advertising (it historically relied on online sales) while rivals have stepped up their game.
Both Apple and Xiaomi might also simply be facing a changing of the guard. While Huawei is still the top phone brand in China, it’s technically eclipsed by BBK’s rapidly growing smartphone empire. It owns Oppo and Vivo, whose shipments surged (in Oppo’s case, by 124 percent) to make them the second- and third-largest phone brands in China this spring. Combine that with the smaller but plucky OnePlus badge and BBK largely has the country covered, ranging from budget phones for the mass market to attention-getting flagship devices. Anyone trying to take on BBK faces a multi-pronged assault, making it that much harder to topple.
Source: Reuters, IDC
Xiaomi Announces ‘Redmi Pro’ Smartphone With 5.5-Inch OLED Display and Dual-Lens Camera
Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi today announced a new smartphone, called the Redmi Pro, during an event in Beijing, China, where it also surprised attendees with the ‘Mi Notebook Air’. As TechCrunch pointed out, the company’s Redmi line of smartphone devices angle toward the low-cost spectrum of handsets, with most models costing around $150, allowing the company to move over 110 million models in the last three years.
A few additions to the Redmi Pro place it on the higher-end of that spectrum, since the new smartphone is the first in the Redmi family to have an OLED display, a larger 5.5-inch screen, and — perhaps most notably — pack in a dual-camera system. Specifically, the two lenses are a 13-megapixel Sony IMX258 sensor and a 5-megapixel Samsung sensor, and will result in image quality on par with DSLR-style cameras, according to the company.
Other than these features, the Redmi Pro also has a 4050 mAh battery, a USB Type-C charging port, up to 4GB of RAM and 128GB internal memory, an expected fingerprint sensor for biometric security, and three color options: gold, grey, and silver. Pricing for the Redmi Pro begins at $225 (1,499 Yuan) for 3GB RAM with 32GB of storage, $255 (1,699 Yuan) for 3GB RAM with 64GB of storage, and $300 (1,999 Yuan) for 4GB RAM and 128GB of storage. According to Xiaomi, the difference between the 3GB and 4GB RAM models is a faster and more powerful GPU and Helio X25 chipset.
The Redmi Pro — which will launch on August 6 in China — is debuting at a time when higher-quality smartphone cameras have begun to stand out as a major sticking point for consumers deciding on which device to purchase. Apple’s own upcoming iPhone 7 Plus has been the perpetrator behind dozens of dual-lens camera rumors since the beginning of the year, with a handful of design renderings and images of the smartphone leaking this summer, all showing off the large, pill-shaped enclosure purported to lead to DSLR quality photos as well.
For those interested, Gizchina has a collection of images taken with the Redmi Pro’s dual-camera system on its website.
Tag: Xiaomi
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Xiaomi Surprises With MacBook Lookalike ‘Mi Notebook Air’
Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi had a surprise in store for attendees of its new Redmi Pro smartphone launch event today, unveiling its first ever PC laptop, named the “Mi Notebook Air”.
The familiar-named aluminum notebook closely resembles a MacBook and features a 13.3-inch 1080p display, up to 2.7GHz Intel Core i5-6200U processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB solid-state storage, and a discrete Nvidia GeForce 940MX graphics card.
Connectivity-wise, there’s a USB-C port included for charging, 2x USB 3.0 ports, 1x HDMI, and a headphone jack. Xiaomi claimed a 9.5 hour battery life for the notebook, which weighs 2.82 pounds.
The company also announced a smaller 12.5-inch (2.36 pounds) model with an Intel Core M3 CPU, 4GB RAM, a 128GB SSD, and integrated graphics, costing $540 in total. Both laptops have a full-size backlit keyboard. The Windows-installed machines will be available in China from August 2, but no details regarding global availability have been given.
According to CNET, Xiaomi partner Tian Mi will manufacture the Mi Notebook Air. Rumors that the smartphone maker was seeking to enter the PC laptop market have been bubbling for a while, and its unapologetically titled debut offering leaves no doubt the company is seeking to emulate – not to mention compete against – Apple in the Chinese market, albeit in the form of a more budget-conscious package.
Xiaomi saw flat revenues last year, with the struggling smartphone sector making up 90 percent of its sales. The move shows the company sees untapped potential in the Chinese consumer notebook market despite suggestions that it may be on the verge of contracting, which indicates the company is also willing to take a risk as it attempts to justify its $45 billion valuation.
Tags: China, Xiaomi
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Xiaomi’s Redmi Pro does OLED and dual camera on a budget
Just because Xiaomi is selling Segways, drones, bicycles and rice cookers these days doesn’t mean that it’s forgotten what it started off with years ago: mobile phones. Today, the Chinese company announced the Redmi Pro which is the latest smartphone in its entry-level portfolio. As suggested by the name, this device packs some surprising features that make it stand out from its predecessors: This is the first time that Xiaomi’s featuring an OLED display plus a dual-camera setup on a device, which is a surprising move given that these are headed to the affordable Redmi line instead of the flagship Mi line. The price? From 1,499 yuan which is about $225.
The Redmi Pro comes in a gold- or silver-colored brushed metallic unibody — a real bonus at this price point — and packs a 5.5-inch 1080p OLED display (with full NTSC gamut), a fingerprint reader plus a 5-megapixel selfie camera on the front side. Flip it over and you’ll find a Mi 5-like curved back sans glass, along with a dual camera featuring a 13-megapixel Sony IMX258 main sensor plus a 5-megapixel Samsung assistive sensor for bokeh effects. Like many earlier dual-camera phones, here you can change the focus point on the image even after capturing; and there’s a dual-tone LED flash, too. There’s also a generous 4,050mAh battery inside — similar to the one in the very recent Redmi 3S — with fast charging via the USB Type-C port. Likewise, the Redmi Pro has the same IR blaster as the Redmi 3S which lets you control your TV and home appliances.
Given the base price point, it’s no surprise that the Redmi Pro is powered by a MediaTek chipset. The base spec starts with the 10-core Helio X20 plus 32GB of storage and 3GB of RAM (1,499 yuan/about $225), followed by the faster Helio X25, 64GB of storage plus 3GB of RAM (1,699 yuan/about $255), and capping with the same chipset, 128GB of storage plus 4GB of RAM (1,999 yuan/about $300). As with most Chinese and Indian smartphones these days, the Redmi Pro is a dual-SIM 4G+ device (VoLTE supported), though you can also use the second SIM slot to add a microSD card instead.
1.21 Redmi devices were sold every second over the past three years.
For those who aren’t familiar, Xiaomi launched the Redmi line back in 2013 to tap into the low-end market, i.e. the sub-1,000 yuan or $150 price point. This was achieved with minimal advertising plus cheaper components, but without sacrificing build quality (and hopefully reliability). Unsurprisingly, the sub-brand has done very well in terms of volume — a total of 110 million Redmi devices have been sold as of July 11th, meaning 1.21 units were sold every second over the past three years.
The Redmi Pro marks a significant change for the sub-brand as it’s the first Xiaomi product to feature celebrity spokespersons (which obviously requires money) plus traditional advertisements across the country (I saw them at the bus stations and elevators in Beijing). Price bump aside, such move appears to be taking a page out of the books of local rivals Huawei, Oppo and Vivo — all of which beat Xiaomi in global shipment volumes earlier this year — who are well-versed in conventional marketing tactics plus offline retail in their home country. This works particularly well in the second- and third-tier Chinese cities, which are no doubt where the Redmi brand performs well.
Unfortunately, there’s no word on when to expect the Redmi Pro to hit the markets outside China, but we’re pretty sure it’ll eventually land in India plus other developing markets. Or you can just fly yourself to China for a quick shopping trip, if you don’t mind taking a break from Pokémon Go for a few days.
Xiaomi’s first laptop is the $750 Mi Notebook Air
It wouldn’t be a Xiaomi event if it was just announcing one product. In addition to the new Redmi Pro smartphone, the Chinese company threw in a huge surprise by launching its first-ever laptop line, the Mi Notebook Air, running on Windows 10. It comes in two sizes — the powerful 13.3-inch and the portable 12.5-inch — and both feature a slim body, a 1080p display with slim under-glass bezels (while still managing to fit in a 1-megapixel webcam), a backlit keyboard, a USB Type-C charging port plus a minimalistic metallic design — in gold or silver, naturally — with no logo on the outside. The best part of all? The flagship model costs just 4,999 yuan or about $750.
Don’t be misled by that seemingly too-good-to-be-true price tag. The 13.3-inch model comes in at just 14.8mm thick and 1.28kg heavy, which is pretty good given that you get an Intel Core i5-6200U processor (up to 2.7GHz) plus an NVIDIA GeForce 940MX GPU (with 1GB GDDR5 RAM). Of course, Xiaomi just had to point out that this is thinner and lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Air. You also get 8GB of DDR4 RAM, 256GB of SSD via PCIe and one free SATA slot for expansion (but only serviced by Xiaomi). The 40Wh battery should be good for up to 9.5 hours, and it can go from zero to 50 percent in just half an hour using the bundled USB-C charger.
The smaller 12.5-inch model is even slimmer and lighter at 12.9mm and 1.07kg, respectively, but you’ll have to make do with an Intel Core M3 CPU, no dedicated GPU, just 4GB of RAM and just a 128GB SSD via SATA — though there’s one free PCIe slot if you don’t mind letting Xiaomi do the upgrade for you later. And instead of two USB 3.0 ports, you only get one here; but you still have an HDMI port. The upside of this model is that you get two more hours of battery life. The price? 3,499 yuan or about $520.
Much likes its bicycles, rice cookers and drones, the Mi Notebook Air is a “Mi Ecosystem” product made by a partner — in this case, it’s Tianmi which literally means “field rice.” A Xiaomi rep reasoned that the company decided to tap into the laptop market as it identified a potential market to deliver the right balance between performance and portability, as well as to make it easier for young adults to afford a PC for productivity. While the Mi Notebook Air doesn’t run on MIUI (Xiaomi’s customized Android ROM), it does come with “Mi Sync” software (tentative name translated from Chinese) which should somewhat boost Mi Cloud usage. The laptop can also be automatically unlocked when your Mi Band is within a close proximity.
The Mi Notebook Air is launching in China on August 2nd. Again, there’s no info regarding global availability for it just yet, so stay tuned for future updates.
Segway miniPRO by Ninebot Review
Walking on our own two feet just isn’t enough anymore for some people, there now needs to be some style behind the process – or else you’ll look very much like everyone else, exerting energy into it. While some don’t mind it all, others however are finding alternative forms of personal transportation. Over the most recent holiday season, so-called “hoverboards” roared unexpectedly onto the scene and became highly coveted amongst gift hunters, garnering huge sales in the process. Despite the sales surge, controversies surrounding safety recalls and the banning of its use in certain places, seemingly killed the hoverboard’s potential.
Long time connoisseur in personal transportation, Segway, believes that a better alternative will be achieved by the company’s latest, consumer-centric transportation vehicle in the Segway miniPRO by Ninebot. Given Segway’s history and reputation, the miniPRO is clearly distancing itself from being associated with hoverboards in general, as there’s no mention of it being one at all. Instead, Segway is selling it as being a “smart self balancing personal transporter.” This Bluetooth enabled personal transporter can be controlled via your Android smartphone, in addition to delivering vital information about its operation.
Slapped with an MSRP of $1300, it might be regarded as a pricey investment at first, but considering that commercial Segways start at $5,000 at the very minimum, the miniPRO’s cost is definitely easier on the pockets. Is it really worth getting though and is this the future of personal transportation tech?
Buy the Segway miniPRO now!
Design
First and foremost, the Segway miniPRO is a beast in terms of its size and puts to shame how those aforementioned “hoverboards” are built. Right away after taking out of the packaging, it’s tough to overlook the sense of solidness that accompanies its construction and design – one that favors an aggressive styling with its mostly dark black paint job. Meanwhile, the red accents found throughout the body help to exemplify its aggressiveness even more, making those hoverboards appear kiddy by comparison.
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Even though it shares the same foundation as most hoverboards, where it’s essentially a base held together by two 10.5” pneumatic, air-filled tires, which in this case are military-grade shock resistant and durable, the miniPRO is differentiated by a center column that controls its left/right steering by swaying your knees towards the corresponding direction. Again, there’s that sense of meticulousness with its design, as it incorporates an abundant set of LEDs and indicators on the platform to provide lighting while it’s on operation and relevant vehicle diagnostics without having to rely on the app – they include things like the battery level, speed limit, and Bluetooth connectivity indicators.
This isn’t a dainty, hastily put together contraption, like some of those unbranded hoverboards you might find sold at grocery stores. Building on top of its existing reputation in the business, Segway’s devotion in designing a personal transporter for the masses is evident here with the miniPRO’s outstanding design.
Balancing & Movement
Anyone who has experience in riding a hoverboard will undoubtedly have an easier time adjusting to the Segway miniPRO’s operation, seeing that its steering implementation is similar to a certain degree. Forward/backward movement is done in similar fashion by balancing yourself on the board and either leaning towards the appropriate direction. Of course, leaning a little bit makes the miniPRO move slowly, but leaning a lot will naturally make you move quicker. The skill in balancing on the Segway miniPRO might be difficult to newcomers who’ve never used a hoverboard, but once mastered, getting on/off and movement becomes second nature – it’s just finding that sweet spot with your center of gravity.
What’s different, though, is the center column that rests over the knees for left/right steering. This particularly implementation isn’t just safer for the rider, but also more logical because it aids in the balancing. In comparison, typical hoverboards rely on opposing foot tilting, wherein a left turn is done by tilting you left food forward and your right one backwards, which we feel is a more clumsy way of executing it – more so when you’re already trying to keep steady on the board. This implementation is what sets this apart from other personal transporters.
Admittedly, navigating around on the miniPRO was a breeze, even on some steep inclines. With a maximum weight limit of 220lbs, we’re able to safely traverse terrains without any issues, including some uneven areas. However, it’s best to take these types of terrains with caution, since going through them at faster speeds is a cause for some unbalancing.
We only had one minor altercation riding the Segway miniPRO, which relates to one incident when we got off it, but our shirt got caught towards the end of the center column – causing the unit to steer towards one direction, as well as the wheels grazing the bottom of our ankle.
Is it a practical form of personal transportation?
Size-wise, the Segway miniPRO offers personal transportation in a package that’s considerably less than your ordinary bicycle, but still bulkier and heavier than a skateboard or scooter. With a top speed of 10 mph and a range of 14 miles, the miniPRO clearly has some advantage over other manual forms of personal transportation, but we wouldn’t recommend lugging around a heavy backpack or other gear while using it. Instability alone, especially at higher speeds, is something we’re afraid of happening in the process. Even by ourselves, we still feel leery about pushing it to its maximum speed limit.
Using it to travel short distances is fine, say somewhere around one or two miles, but bear in mind that factors such as weight, terrain, and the incline will play a role in depleting its battery faster. Speaking of battery life, it might not have gotten close to its rated range of 14 miles from a full charge, but given out weight and whatnot, our 6 miles of usage isn’t too shabby at all. And when it comes to recharging it, the included wall adapter plugs into the port on the front section of the miniPRO, taking upwards of around 4 hours to completely charge.
The premise of the Segway miniPRO is alluring, a personal transporter that gets you from point A to point B in style. At the same time, though, its heavy weight (28 lbs) makes it almost impractical to bring along on the subway – you’ll be exerting more energy just lugging it around and carrying up stairs. Yes, there’s a steering guide at the top of the column that extends that allows us to pull the miniPRO, but it’s still a lot of work bringing it around. In fact, it’s just as heavy as some entry-level folding bikes.
Ninebot app
When it comes to its smartphone integration, the Bluetooth connection paired with the Ninebot app for Android allows us to do a host of things, ranging from customizing the LED lights, calibrating the unit, obtaining diagnostics information, and even remotely controlling it with the app. You can guide the miniPRO using the on-screen controls with the app, allowing for all the same movements available to us as if we were actually riding it. Remotely controlling is neat, obviously, but the only limitation here is the reach of the Bluetooth connection.
And as for security, the anti-theft security alarm feature is only available when the miniPRO is on and connected via Bluetooth to our connected Android smartphone – a Samsung Galaxy S7 in this case. When it’s enabled, the miniPRO will vibrate a little and flash some of its LEDs in the event it’s disturbed, as well as informing us via the app if it’s been moved or touched
Related: Xiaomi backed Ninebot acquires Segway1
Unfortunately, there’s no way to have this feature enabled without having the Segway miniPRO turned on. Add to that, the whole security feature is rendered useless because you need to have it turned on and connected via Bluetooth for it to work properly. If we’re to grab a quick coffee from a store and leave the miniPRO outside, someone could very well snag it quickly and be a good distance away by the time we realize that the Bluetooth connection was severed.
Gallery
Conclusion
The promise of being the next step in the evolution of personal transportation is strongly evident with the Segway miniPRO by Ninebot, since its implementation is something we feel as being far more logical than the typical hoverboard. From its meticulous design, stylish flavor, smooth operation, and smartphone integration, it seems like the personal transporter that we’ve all been waiting for. Accompanied with the established reputation of the name Segway, the miniPRO seems like it’s on its way to success, right?
Now that’s a loaded question to answer, even for us, given that its sticker tag of $1300 will make it a difficult proposition for garnering widespread adoption. Over at Amazon, its price has been lowered to make it $1000, but it’s still a pricey investment for people to justify purchasing over other alternatives. Indeed, it’s a pretty cool gadget that’ll make your friends jealous, and it’s also more affordable than most commercial Segways. At the end of the day, however, it’s just too much of an expensive investment to spur adoption on a mass scale.
And herein lies the biggest issue; just like with smartphones, the tech surrounding personal transportation devices has improved dramatically but, rather crucially, battery technology has progressed at a slower rate.
For half the cost, alternatives like a decent folding bike or electric scooter, will offer more versatility for those who really need to cover distances. And of course, bikes and scooters only have to rely on the energy level of its rider – whereas the Segway miniPRO won’t be much of a help when its battery is depleted. And herein lies the biggest issue; just like with smartphones, the tech surrounding personal transportation devices has improved dramatically but, rather crucially, battery technology has progressed at a slower rate. As far as the technology goes however, the Segway miniPRO is a lot more comfortable than alternatives like a hoverboard.
What do you think of the Segway miniPRO and would you buy one? Let us know your views down below!!
Buy the Segway miniPRO now!
Xiaomi Mi Band 2 review
Buy now from Amazon
Xiaomi is all over the place in the technology world. The Chinese company first came to the scene with its MIUI firmware back in 2010, and has since moved on to creating its own Android smartphones, televisions, tablets, and so much more.
One of the most interesting products the company has in its lineup is the Mi Band. Announced in August 2014, Xiaomi’s first Mi Band wearable aimed to bring basic activity tracking to the masses thanks to its seriously low $13 price point. Now Xiaomi is back with a new, more expensive fitness tracker – the Mi Band 2.
With an OLED display and a new design, does the Mi Band 2 have what it takes to make its way to your wrist? Let’s find out.
Here is our full Xiaomi Mi Band 2 review.
Review notes: I’ve been using the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 as my main fitness tracker for 20 days. The HTC 10 has been my smartphone companion of choice for the duration of this review.
Design
Aside from the strap, the Mi Band 2 doesn’t really look anything like the original Mi Band. It still comes in the form of a dongle that fits snugly into a silicone strap, and it’s thin and light enough that you’ll forget you’re wearing it most of the day. One of my biggest problems with the first Mi Band is that it feels cheap. I mean, I know it is cheap at only $13, but the silicone strap was too plasticky for my liking. The Mi Band 2’s strap is much more rubbery and soft this time around, which I really like.
The OLED display is nice… indoors
I won’t talk too much about price just yet, but you should know that the Mi Band 2 is a bit pricier than its predecessor. It retails for around $40-$50 here in the US. Why the bump up in price? Xiaomi decided to include an OLED display this time around, which I must say is very nice most of the time. Indoor visibility is just great, but it’s pretty tough to read outdoors in the sun. In fact, trying to check the time on a run just isn’t possible at times, but I suppose having a display is better than not having one.
Xiaomi says the .42-inch display is also UV coated, scratch resistant and anti-fingerprint. I haven’t gotten any scratches on mine, but fingerprints do show up quite a bit. The display can get very smudgy and greasy.
Underneath the display sits a snazzy capacitive button that lets you filter through the current time, steps, distance, calories heart rate and battery. You can also check the time by simply lifting your wrist, though I’ve found this feature to be more laggy than what other fitness bands offer. Sometimes the time delays for about 2 seconds before showing up. This definitely won’t make or break your experience with the device, but it’s still something worth noting.
Xiaomi also says there will be more colorful band options available at a later date, but as of writing this review we’re not sure when the bands will launch.
The Mi Band 2 also comes with an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance. This means you can wash your hands without taking it off, but you shouldn’t go swimming with it.
Features and performance
The Mi Band 2 does everything you’d expect from an entry-level fitness tracker. It tracks your steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned and your sleep. And for the most part, it’s very good at tracking all four of those metrics.
I’ve taken the Mi Band 2 out on a few runs with the Fitbit Charge HR and Garmin vívosmart HR, and all three devices have given me similar results. In terms of step tracking, the Mi Band 2 recorded 7,055 steps taken on a run, while the Charge HR recorded 7,058. During a second workout, the Mi Band 2 recorded 5,022 steps, while the vívosmart HR recorded 5,018. Basically, if you care about step tracking and you’re looking for an inexpensive alternative to other fitness bands, the Mi Band 2 will definitely do the trick.
See also: Fitbit Charge HR vs Garmin vívosmart HR8
The device will automatically record your workouts in the Mi Fit app, which is quite convenient. It can sometimes take a minute or two to recognize when you’ve started exercising, but it still should be accurate enough for most people.
Sleep tracking is one of this device’s strongest features
There’s much more to an activity tracker than step tracking, though. The Mi Band 2 will also record your light and deep sleep, and it does a pretty good job at both. It will automatically detect when you go to sleep, so there’s no need to open the app and press a sleep now button. Once you wake up, you can check all your sleep stats in the Mi Fit app. You’ll be able to see how much light and deep sleep you experienced, how many minutes you were awake, as well as the exact times you fell asleep and woke up.
The Mi Band 2 also supports silent alarms, so you can wake up with a subtle vibration if you aren’t a fan of noisy alarm clocks.
The optical heart rate monitor is one of the Mi Band 2’s most problematic features
One of the Mi Band 2’s headlining features is its optical heart rate monitor. This is one of the most problematic features on the device – not only because readings can be far off at times, but also because it often fails to record my heart rate when I’d like it to.
To test heart rate accuracy, I’ve been comparing the Mi Band 2 with the Wahoo TICKR X heart rate monitor. Most of the time the Mi Band 2’s heart rate readings are spot on with the TICKR X, though I have noticed the Xiaomi device will sometimes be off by 15bpm or so.
You should stay away from this device if you need to keep tabs on your heart rate during a workout. The heart rate monitor isn’t continuous, and you have to stay really still in order for the device to take its readings. You can always stop running to check your heart rate, but that’s not the most convenient method for many athletes out there.
Don’t buy the Mi Band 2 if you need a reliable heart rate monitor
I need to emphasize something here. The Mi Band 2 needs to be very still if you want to check your heart rate. Like, the device struggles to take readings even when I’m sitting still at my desk. I’ve never experienced a fitness tracker that fails so often at this. On the plus side, though, its display allows you to fire up the heart rate monitor much quicker than you could with the Mi Band Pulse.
One of my favorite things about the Mi Band 2 is the Idle Alert feature. The device will give you a short vibration if you’re inactive for one hour, and you can customize what times of day this feature is turned on. I sit at a desk all day, so anything that reminds me to get up and move every once in awhile is definitely a plus.
One other neat trick it offers is notification support. Well, you won’t get full notification support here, but the device will buzz your wrist when you have an incoming text or phone call. It works most of the time, but not always. I’m not sure if this is due to a spotty Bluetooth connection or if it’s just a bug that needs fixing, but either way you shouldn’t rely on the Mi Band 2 to alert you of notifications every time.
Don’t miss: Samsung Gear Fit 2 review10
Xiaomi says the Mi Band 2 can last up to 20 days on a single charge, and that’s exactly what I’ve been able to achieve. Throughout the review period, I’ve gone on walks and runs about 4 times per week, checking my heart rate and scrolling through my daily stats multiple times per day.
It’s pretty easy to charge the Mi Band 2, as well. Just remove the dongle from the band, plug it into the proprietary charger, then hook it up to a computer.
| Display | .42-inch OLED display |
| Heart rate monitor | Yes, optical heart rate sensor |
| Sleep tracking | Yes |
| Water resistance | IP67 |
| GPS | No |
| Battery life | Up to 20 days 70mAh, lithium polymer |
| Compatibility | Android, iOS |
| Weight | 7g |
Software
Xiaomi’s Mi Fit companion app is sort of a mixed bag. I like some parts of it, while I can’t stand others.
Let’s start with the positives. Mi Fit is a beautiful app that displays your daily activity, sleep, weight loss, heart rate and goals on the main screen. Tapping on any one of these sections gives you more detailed information about that particular metric.
From here you’ll be able to access daily, weekly and monthly graphs showing your progress overtime. You can do this with your daily activity and sleep metrics, but for some reason the heart rate section only shows a list of readings in reverse chronological order. It doesn’t really make sense to look at your heart rate readings this way. Most people measure their heart rate to see how they’ve improved over time, but you just can’t do that with the Mi Fit app.
One other positive: Mi Fit can connect with Google Fit, WeChat and even Sina Weibo, so you’ll be able to access your results in your favorite apps if need be.
Unfortunately the list of negatives outweighs the positives here. This might not be a huge concern to most people, but I found the layout of the app just horrible. The interface is separated into three main sections: Status, Play and Profile. Status is basically your home screen, where you’ll find your daily activity. The oddly-named Play screen is where you’ll change notification options, set alarms and Idle Alerts, and also connect to third-party apps. In the profile section, you can change your activity and weight goal, connect with friends, and also access a settings menu (which pretty much only lets you change units and submit feedback).
I don’t know if it’s the Play section’s name that throws me off, or if it’s the lack of settings in the settings menu, but I still find myself, after 20 days of using this dang app, getting lost and scouring through to try and find what I’m looking for.
One of the things I like most about Fitbit’s companion app is that it makes it really easy to connect with friends and check out their progress. This isn’t the case with Mi Fit. You actually have to scan a QR code to become someone’s friend on Mi Fit. I really don’t think people are going to use this feature.
Oh, one last thing – the Mi Fit app force closes just about every other time I use it. I’ve used it on both my HTC 10 and Nexus 6P, and I couldn’t get it to stay open on either device.
Gallery
Should you buy it?
Buy now from Amazon
The Xiaomi Mi Band 2 is one of the better entry-level fitness trackers in the sub-$50 price range. It’s only $40, and it can track your daily activity and sleep without a hitch. It also looks really nice and has great battery life.
The problem is, most of the other features Xiaomi included in this tracker just don’t work very well. The heart rate monitor only works when you’re completely still, the display is hard to read outside, and the Mi Fit app needs a lot of work.
You shouldn’t buy the Mi Band 2 if you’re a serious athlete or if you need something with an accurate heart rate monitor. But if you only have $40 or $50 to spend and want something that can keep tabs on your daily activity, this device might be the perfect thing for you.
Related reviews:
- Fitbit Charge HR review
- Fitbit Alta review
- Withings Go hands-on
Xiaomi Mi Max Review
Recently, several smartphone manufacturers have introduced extra-large smartphones, including the Samsung Galaxy A9, LeEco Le Max 2, and Huawei P8 Max. While flagship smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S7 and HTC 10 have trended around 5.2″ for display size, Xiaomi has ignored this trend entirely for their first humongous smartphone: the Xiaomi Mi Max.
With a 6.44″ display, the Mi Max is much larger than what many would consider normal, and it definitely suggests that Xiaomi took the expression “go big or go home” quite literally. Interestingly, Xiaomi is positioning the Mi Max as an affordable mid-range device, one that won’t necessarily compete with LeEco’s phablet, but promises to still offer a great phablet experience.
Recent Xiaomi reviews:
- Xiaomi Mi 5 Review
- Xiaomi Mi 4S Review
- Xiaomi Redmi 3 Review
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Review
So how well does the Mi Max deliver on that promise? Let’s find out with our written review of the Xiaomi Mi Max!
Buy the Xiaomi Mi Max now
Design
Typical: if I had to chose one word to describe the Mi Max’s design, it would definitely be typical. While there is nothing particularly exciting about the design here, I appreciate the Mi Max’s aluminum construction as it provides a premium look and feel. There’s also a few design aspects which make the Mi Max less difficult to hold such as its side tapers on the rear and the perfectly positioned power button and fingerprint reader.
While there are plastic caps on the top and bottom of the Mi Max, which presumably house necessary antennas, these caps are fairly continuous with the rest of the design, in both color and feel. With that said, they may be to blame for notable creaking noises while holding the phone and it’s very likely that they do not help with the phone’s weak structure.
Our Xiaomi Mi Max bends with merely a bit of pressure, an attribute which is remarkably disconcerting. After reviewing many Xiaomi smartphones with excellent build quality over the past few years (some half the price of the Mi Max), I found the Mi Max’s poor build quality to be shocking. Whether this will be an issue you for you will depend primarily on how you use the phone, and it is difficult to deny that this is a very considerable flaw with the device.
Many will detest the black border used around the display
The curved “2.5D” glass on the front of the Xiaomi Mi Max houses three illuminated capacitive keys, positioned in Xiaomi’s standard layout. The display’s side bezels are quite small, although many will detest the black border used around the display. It’s a shame that Xiaomi did not reconsider the use of the black border for the Mi Max, as it has been criticized with in the past when implemented in phones like the Xiaomi Mi 5.
Display
The extra-large 6.44″ 1080P display on the Xiaomi Mi Max places this phone well into phablet territory. When I fist started using the Mi Max, I had mostly mixed feelings. On the one hand, I immediately enjoyed the extra screen real estate for videos, but on the other, I worried how feasible it would be to use the Mi Max day-to-day. While it is possible to sometimes use the Mi Max with a single hand, it can get very uncomfortable very quickly. Once you are subconsciously accustomed to the Mi Max’s size, however, it seems much more normal in the hand. Still, its size does tend to make it slide out of many non-jean pockets, which is definitely annoying.
I immediately enjoyed the extra screen real estate for videos
Whether the extra-large size is the best fit for you will depend both on your usage and your willingness to change how you interact with your smartphone. For me, the transition to the Mi Max wasn’t difficult, but I will still be returning to my slightly smaller Nexus 6P, for its practicality.
The display itself looks pretty good; it has good viewing angles and accurate color reproduction. The 1080P resolution seems a bit low at this size, and I would have liked to see Quad HD, even if it meant for a slightly higher price. Sunlight readability could use some work, and while the reduced contrast sunlight mode does help, the screen on the Mi Max can still be difficult to read outdoors. With that said, kudos to Xiaomi for including Corning Gorilla Glass 4, something that we don’t often see at this price point.
Performance
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor strikes yet again in the Xiaomi Mi Max, and helps make the Mi Max performance comparable to phones with higher-end chips like the Snapdragon 808. MIUI, Xiaomi’s custom software, runs very smoothly on the Mi Max, and the base model’s 3 GB of RAM is generally enough for moderate-to-heavy multitasking. It is important to understand that there are different models available as well, although we do not imagine real-world performance differences between models to be significant.
I also had no trouble playing higher-end games like Asphalt 8, thanks to the phone’s Adreno 510 GPU.
Hardware
The Xiaomi Mi Max offers great call quality, and if you chose to use the device in an official market, you’ll receive 4G LTE speeds. However, if you’re in an unofficial market, like the United States, you’ll be limited to HSPA+ speeds on both AT&T and T-Mobile. That’s quite unfortunate, but it’s worth noting that the Mi Max is an unlocked dual-SIM device, and one of the SIM slots doubles as a microSD card expansion slot, allowing you to expand the phone’s storage up to 256 GB.
The fingerprint reader on the back of the Mi Max is accurate and, in my experience, just a hair faster than the one found on the Nexus 6P. That’s pretty good for the price, and many users will appreciate the added convenience when securing their phones.
What did strike me as odd was Xiaomi’s retreat to microUSB, the now outdated data and charging port standard. While some, like Samsung, have decided to allow USB Type-C to mature before implementing it, Xiaomi embraced it just months ago with phones like the Mi 5, so their inclusion of microUSB now feels like a step backwards more than anything else. With that said, microUSB may still be appealing to those who are still using the older standard and do not want to purchase brand new cables.
A side-firing speaker seems to be a nice compromise in this case
The single side-firing speaker on the Mi Max sounded pretty good in my testing, and sounded only slightly distorted at high volumes. While it would have been great to see front-facing speakers for an even more immersive media consumption experience, they would have likely added to the size of the phone. Therefore, a side-firing speaker seems to be a nice compromise in this case.
Battery Life
Battery life with the Mi Max was excellent in my testing, thanks to its very large 4850mAh non-removable battery. Screen on time did vary considerably depending on my usage. Primarily, I noticed that it did significantly better on Wi-Fi than it did cellular data, but even my heaviest usage was not enough to kill the Mi Max in a single day.
While it does support Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, Xiaomi has failed to include a Quick Charge 3.0 charger in the box. This was more acceptable even with the more expensive Mi 5, as the charge times still weren’t so bad even on Quick Charge 2.0. But with the Mi Max, the battery is much larger, and therefore takes about four hours to charge…on Quick Charge 2.0! Basically, a Quick Charge 3.0 charger is necessary here, and it’s a shame that Xiaomi is requiring users to purchase one separately.
See also: Quick Charge 3.0 Explained31
Camera
The Xiaomi Mi Max is equipped with a very capable 16 MP f/2.0 rear camera with a dual-LED flash. After taking a closer look at the sample images, it seems that the Mi Max’s camera is one of the best we’ve seen at this price point. Images came out sharp and detailed with visually pleasing color reproduction and great dynamic range.
Autofocus is remarkably slow and finicky
The Mi Max’s camera is far from perfect, however. Autofocus is remarkably slow and finicky and, even when holding the device and subject still, the Mi Max would slightly miss focus more than what we normally expect. It also tended to oversharpen images, to the point of recognition in some images.
Just as is the case with virtually all sub-$250 smartphones, low-light is where the camera truly struggles. While it is possible to get a good image with the Mi Max in a darker environment, it simply can’t be counted out on like some other smartphone cameras can. That’s not a major flaw because of the phone’s price, but it is something to keep in mind.
MIUI’s camera app remains easy-to-use while also offering manual control for those who wish to take advantage of it. The built-in filters are nice to play around with, and the different modes like Panorama can be very helpful in some situations.
Software
Xiaomi has shipped the Mi Max with its own custom version of Android, MIUI 7. Although it is running on top of Android 6.0 Marshmallow, MIUI is a sharp departure from stock Android. And while I do generally enjoy using MIUI 7, I’m looking forward to the production release of MIUI 8, which will bring a great number of UI changes and improvements. At the time of writing, Xiaomi had just begun automatically rolling out MIUI 8 for those on the beta release channel. Normal users can expect the update in the coming weeks.
Since this phone is still shipping with MIUI 7, this part of the review will focus on the MIUI 7 software experience. MIUI has received a number of mixed reviews from Western media, with some criticizing it for being too similar to iOS, and with others praising it for the amount of polish and coherency it offers.
After using MIUI day-to-day myself, I think it’s a great alternative to stock Android, especially for users who wish to customize and tweak. The stock apps are well designed, the UI is remarkably responsive, and the ability to do things like restrict data for specific apps is invaluable. To top it off, the MIUI receives weekly updates, so you’ll be getting bug fixes and new features very often.
With all of that said, the software experience for those importing the device is far from perfect. Reseller loaded bloatware, a hellish bootloader unlocking process, and missing Google apps are major hurdles that importers will face. Even if you do get Google apps up and running with the installer app from the Mi App Store, there are still issues to be had. Random Google app crashes, Google Now issues, failure to place calls with Google Voice, and the inability to do things like consume DRM-protected content can make this experience less than ideal for Westerners.
Gallery
Price & Conclusion
You can purchase the Xiaomi Mi Max in a number of different models globally. Pricing starts at 1499 RMB in China, or about $228, but will pricing will vary based on region. Each model is available in either silver, gold, or dark grey.
The Mi Max is perhaps Xiaomi’s most interesting foray into a single smartphone sub-market. While it has undercut the competition in price, it has also cut corners in many areas, some more than others. The device’s cheap build quality, poor imported device software experience, and lack of U.S. availability are clearly disappointing attributes. But no smartphone is perfect, and the Mi Max has plenty to offer for the price. Its impressive camera, excellent battery life, and smooth performance are all great reasons to buy this phone.
Recent Xiaomi reviews:
- Xiaomi Mi 5 Review
- Xiaomi Mi 4S Review
- Xiaomi Redmi 3 Review
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Review
If you are looking for a great extra-large smartphone on the cheap and can get past its quirks, the Xiaomi Mi Max is likely the best fit for you. With that said, similarly sized options like LeEco’s Le Max 2 are promising and, while they may be priced higher, they may also offer a much more refined experience overall.
It will be very interesting to see where this market heads in the near future. But, we want to know, would you switch to an extra-large smartphone? Let us know in the comment section below!
Buy the Xiaomi Mi Max now
Xiaomi’s foldable electric bicycle costs just $460
Xiaomi may not yet have a drone that can carry people, but at least it has an electric bicycle now, and it’ll only cost you 2,999 yuan or about $460/£307. The Mi Qicycle is the second product from the Xiaomi-backed startup, iRiding, who released the premium 19,999 yuan (about $3,000/£2045) Qicycle R1 just back in March. This time round, iRiding is able to slap Xiaomi’s “Mi” brand on its latest ride to target the mass market. While the Mi Qicycle weighs a total of 14.5kg (almost twice that of the carbon fiber-made R1), it can be folded into half its size for easier storage. It comes with a 3-speed hub plus a 250W motor which offers pedal assist, and that’s good for up to 45km (about 28 miles) on a single charge.
Since the Mi Qicycle is a smart bike, there’s Bluetooth connection for your smartphone’s companion app to check on the bike’s status, ride stats and GPS navigation. It also has its own little display on the handlebar to show you the time, speed, distance, dynamic power and battery charge, as well as to let you toggle between these modes: “Fitness,” Power-saving,” “Balanced” and “Extra power.” And as you’d expect, the bike has a front light and a red brake light at the back.
As with many of the best products from Xiaomi, chances are you won’t be able to buy the Mi Qicycle outside of China. If you’re lucky enough to live there or know someone who does, then you can already head over to Xiaomi’s Mijia app to back this bike’s crowdfunding campaign.
Source: Xiaomi
Xiaomi’s Mi Band 2 comes with a display and a price rise
While you probably won’t see many people wearing Xiaomi’s Mi Band tracker, that doesn’t mean it isn’t popular. The bracelet, alongside a range of kids watches, has helped the Chinese electronics maker become the world’s second biggest wearable manufacturer behind Fitbit. To maintain its momentum, the company today took the wraps of the Mi Band 2, debuting a familiar wearable that features a 0.42-inch OLED display.
Like its predecessor, the Mi Band 2 tracks basic movements, monitors your heart rate, measures sleep, includes an ADI accelerometer and is waterproof. The screen, coupled with a thin anodized button, will display the time, step count and current heart activity, but comes at a price. Xiaomi has been forced to increase the cost of its wearable, pricing it at around $23 (£15), around $7 more than its older sibling.
The display will also take a toll on your Mi Band’s battery life. Xiaomi’s wearables are known for their distance between charges and the company has traditionally targeted 30 days of usage. For the Mi Band 2, that estimate has been rounded down to around 20 days, but we’re sure it’ll outperform the company’s conservative expectations.
Available in black, blue, green and orange, the Mi Band 2 will go on sale on June 7th in China — there’s currently no word on whether it’ll make it to Xiaomi’s international stores in the future.
Via: Engadget Chinese
Source: Mi (Facebook), Mi.com
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