Don’t buy the Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold!
So, Xiaomi entered the foolable smartphone race with the Mi Mix Fold a few months ago. While it’s a first-generation device for the company, it tries to differ from what’s available in the market but doesn’t do so successfully.
Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold
Now if you don’t know anything about the Mi Mix Fold then here’s a quick little recap of the phone.
On the outside, the phone looks a LOT like the original Samsung Galaxy Z Fold but it’s much larger and heftier. While this size does bring a massive uninterrupted 8” 120Hz foldable soft inner display, it’s really too heavy at 312gms to carry when folded down. On the front you’ve got a 6.52” 90Hz display with a ridiculous 27:9 aspect ratio. On the inside, it’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 and up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
On the front you’ve got a 20MP selfies camera, while on the back you’ve got a triple camera setup with a 108MP wide sensor, a 13MP ultra-wide and an 8MP telephoto lens. The battery is a ginormous 5020mAh and the phone charges at 67W. Priced at around Euros 1300 and not officially available here in the UAE, the phone makes a big hole in your pocket.
So now that we’ve got those highlights out of the way, let me tell you why I think you should stay away from the Mi Mix Fold.
Don’t buy it
The first reason is the body and design. Considering we’re on the third iteration of the Samsung Galaxy Fold, the Mi Mix Fold just can’t offer that mature premium feeling that the Fold 3 offers. The body is bulky, massive and frankly just ‘outdated’. The bezels on the massive outer screen are huge too. While it’s not clear in the market yet, there seems to be a size limit for a folding smartphone, and I think Xiaomi crossed that limit. Also what’s with this writing on the side Xiaomi? Please keep it off future phones!
The second reason is the lack of a camera on the unfolded inner display. Now whether I’m on a video call or want to take a selfie of myself, I’m forced to use the outer camera on the abnormally tall outer display. That’s just not a choice I want to be forced into.
Speaking of cameras, the rear cameras aren’t anything to write home about. While the specs on paper are good, the images are muted and lack a certain oomph I would’ve liked to see from a flagship camera at this price.
There’s the issue of the display tech. While Samsung has moved onto UTG or Ultra Thin Glass displays and water resistance, Xiaomi is still on soft displays which could get damaged and will require extra caution
Finally, I just don’t see an identity in this smartphone. Xiaomi just seems to have jumped onto a bandwagon and jumped on through the fastest method they could. When folding phones were initially rumored, Xiaomi’s initial concepts were pretty cool and it’s just sad to see the brand have gone down this path.
Listen, I’m not saying this phone is the worst thing to happen to Xiaomi, there’s some nice stuff too. Gaming and reading on the uninterrupted inner display are so much fun on the phone. The battery lasts more than any foldable I’ve used it truly does convert into a tablet but these just don’t make up for all the sacrifices I mentioned earlier.
I didn’t have an elongated time with the phone but I’m pretty confident time wouldn’t have changed my opinion of the Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.