Xiaomi Mix Flip Review: Stiff Competition

Xiaomi has been within the enterprise of foldable telephones since 2021. Nevertheless, that is the primary time certainly one of these fashions has formally launched on UK shores, and it’s additionally a primary stab on the clamshell-style construct from the Chinese language tech big.  

This flip smartphone doesn’t come low-cost, and with powerful competitors from the Motorola Razr 50 Extremely and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, there are some areas the place the Combine Flip falls brief – although it’s nonetheless a stable smartphone.  

Design & Construct  

• Largest outer show on a flip cellphone
• No water or mud resistance
• Two colors

The Xiaomi Combine Flip shares some similarities with the designs of the competitors. It has a curved physique and folds as much as a neat sq., measuring simply 85mm as soon as folded. The outer show can also be the most important on a clamshell foldable at 4.01-inches, besting the Razr 50 Extremely by the tiniest of margins. 

Weighing simply 192g, it’s additionally impressively mild for a flip cellphone, making it nice for taking out and about with out the necessity for a bag – it matches in shallow pockets! My tirade in opposition to girls’s denims won’t ever stop.  

Moderately than having two horizontal digital camera bumps, Xiaomi has positioned them vertically. They’re on the chunky aspect, which means they’re an enormous assertion, however a tad annoying – extra on that later.  

Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry

Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry

Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry

The crease is extra distinguished than I skilled on the Razr 50 Extremely, however much less jarring than cheaper fashions resembling Nubia Flip 5G. You can even really feel the marginally spongey texture on the show the place the hinge is.  

The hinge additionally isn’t fairly as sturdy as what you’ll discover on Motorola’s cellphone, feeling looser and thereby not as premium. However arguably the largest draw back of this cellphone is the dearth of water or mud resistance, making it rather more weak to wreck.  

The USB-C port sits on the underside, with the amount rocker and energy button on the right-hand aspect, which features a built-in fingerprint scanner. This labored properly, as did face recognition, although the latter is simply a fundamental model and so can’t be used to authenticate funds or log in to banking apps.

There are two colors for the Xiaomi Combine Flip: Purple and Black, with an identical shiny chassis.

Display screen & Audio system  

• 6.86-inch AMOLED inside show
• 4.01-inch exterior show
• Stereo audio system

Foldable telephones have two shows to think about, so let’s begin with the inner one. It is a 6.86-inch AMOLED show with an adaptive 120Hz refresh price and a contact sampling price of as much as 120Hz.  

There’s additionally assist for HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos codecs, and the display screen has Rheinland Certification for low blue mild, flicker-free and circadian pleasant, making it simpler in your eyes within the night.

The show is impressively daring, with colors and textures that suitably pop. With a peak brightness of 3000 nits, I had no hassle utilizing the Xiaomi Combine Flip beneath vibrant daylight.  

Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry

Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry

Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry

The 4.01-inch outer show can also be vibrant and shiny, however essentially the most annoying factor about it’s the everlasting widget bar on the right-hand aspect subsequent to the digital camera module, which means that the app icons are all crammed collectively on the left, as are the apps themselves. Even in the event you de-select the bar, there’s simply an empty house that can not be eliminated, which feels wasteful.  

This makes the apps smaller than what they might be, and due to this fact tougher to navigate. I can’t textual content simply in a number of apps and presses on Google Maps aren’t seamless. 

As well as, you solely get a restricted number of apps supported on the outer display screen, although which means you reduce the probabilities of any bizarre facet ratio points. Nevertheless, the likes of Audible, Twitch and Netflix are lacking. It could’ve been good to at the very least have the choice so as to add these such as you do on the Z Flip 6 or Razr 50 Extremely.

The Xiaomi Combine Flip options twin stereo audio system, that are fairly loud and punchy and assist Dolby Atmos. Nevertheless, the audio isn’t as spectacular or as vibrant as you’ll discover on telephones with extra audio system and further software program enhancements.   

Specs & Efficiency  

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
• 12GB RAM/512GB storage

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is the chipset of selection for the Xiaomi Combine Flip, the identical processor that powers the OnePlus 12, the Xiaomi 14 Extremely and the Honor Magic 6. It’s Qualcomm’s newest and biggest on the time of writing, however quickly to get replaced by the 8 Gen 4.

That is paired with 12GB RAM and 512GB of storage, with no different choices out there.  

As with different smartphones with this chip, efficiency is swift and snappy. The cellphone rapidly boots up and has no lag when switching between apps on the duvet and interior shows.  

Nevertheless, it’s missing on the subject of cooling talents. The absence of that is prevalent when making an attempt to run in-demand video games like Genshin Affect, with the handset rapidly heating up even simply after 5 minutes. This recreation can nonetheless run on the graphics setting ‘Excessive’ with no popping or lag, although.  

In our benchmarking exams, the Combine Flip bested its greatest rivals. So, in the event you’re searching for a flip cellphone for gaming or heavy duty-tasks, this can be the most suitable choice on the time of writing:

Xiaomi Combine Flip Benchmarks

Cameras  

• 50Mp major digital camera
• 50Mp telephoto digital camera
• 32Mp selfie digital camera

The Xiaomi Combine Flip options twin 50Mp Leica rear cameras: one major and one 2x telephoto. That is certainly one of many smartphone manufacturers ditching the ultrawide lens in favour of improved zoom and portrait photographs – a sensible transfer for my part.  

Each cameras produce stable photographs within the daytime. Colors are replicated with nice accuracy, whereas textures and shadows are fairly dynamic. The bokeh impact in portrait photographs has simply the correct quantity of blur, whereas zoomed photographs protect element as much as 4x, with vital deterioration solely when you go previous 20x.  

Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry

Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry

Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry

See also  Creative Stage SE Soundbar Review

One of many key advantages of a flip cellphone is that you should utilize the primary digital camera for selfies with the cellphone closed. You may see the distinction between this and the entrance 32Mp one, which has a a lot softer impact and doesn’t handle to know the true-to-life tones and shadows on my face.  

Should you’re taking images of different individuals, you’ll be able to allow a preview on the entrance show so the mannequin can see the fast consequence with out you turning the cellphone round.  

Regardless of all that, poorer lighting situations trigger the Xiaomi Combine Flip to endure. Shiny daylight causes lens flare, whereas indoors makes some topics look washed out. Evening photographs additionally generally get a variety of blurry parts – it takes a variety of focus to get a transparent shot, which may be tough in the event you’re in a busy surroundings resembling Soho, the place I used to be for testing.  

The Razr 50 Extremely appeared extra competent in these situations, however neither cellphone can replicate the low-light high quality you’d see from a flagship candybar cellphone, just like the Google Pixel 9 Professional. 

I attempted out Xiaomi’s AI eraser (the equal of Google’s Magic Eraser) for eradicating undesirable issues from a photograph, resembling photobombers or obtrusive objects. On this picture beneath, the digital camera does an excellent job filling within the grass and eliminating onlookers from this selfie – aside from just a few stragglers that the software program couldn’t decide up: 

Nevertheless, this software program struggles a bit with extra advanced environment, resembling this black and white checkered flooring and the devices behind the individuals: 

For video, the Xiaomi Combine Flip helps as much as 8K video at 24fps, although you’re extra probably to make use of 1080p or 4K at 30fps or 60fps. 720p seize at 30fps can also be out there, must you want. OIS on the primary digital camera minimises undesirable shakes and tremors with out trying too unnatural. Holding the cellphone at a 90-degree angle (90s camcorder model) will even assist with this situation.  

When utilizing the entrance digital camera for video, a teleprompter mode is accessible – useful in the event you’re a content material creator and desire a script to learn. It’s a disgrace that this isn’t out there on the rear digital camera with the flip closed, as that provides the very best seize high quality. 

Battery Life & Charging  

• 4790mAh battery
• 67W charging
• No wi-fi charging

This cellphone is fitted with a 4780mAh battery. In real-world use, that acquired me round one and a half days’ value of utilization, which might be considerably diminished if I used it extra closely with video calls or gaming.  

That’s higher than what you get from the Z Flip 6’s 4000mAh cell, which barely makes it by way of the day. Nevertheless, it’s on par with what I acquired from the Razr 50 Extremely – which additionally has a 4000mAh cell. Determine that one out.  

Beneath our battery testing utilizing the PCMark app, the cellphone fared higher, reaching 13 hours and 58 minutes. Nevertheless, that doesn’t essentially translate to my real-world expertise.  

The Xiaomi Combine Flip helps 67W charging, which gave me 47% in half-hour and 29% in 15. A fast cost earlier than you exit the door ought to be sufficient to get you thru the day. No wi-fi charging is on provide, although.

Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry

Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry

Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry

Software program & Apps  

• HyperOS
• 4 years of OS updates
• 5 years of safety updates

The Xiaomi Combine Flip faces the identical downside as different telephones from the model: bloated software program.  

This flip runs on HyperOS, Xiaomi’s pores and skin over Android 14. It is a substitute for MIUI, however sadly, the identical frustrations stay. Not like Google’s clear software program expertise, there’s tons of app duplication and plenty of pre-installed apps that you simply may not need, like Reserving.com and AliExpress.  

I do not know why Xiaomi doesn’t provide the choice to refuse these apps on set up – it will definitely save customers a variety of time. Xiaomi’s personal apps additionally consistently attempt to push notifications on customers, together with the likes of bizarre wallpaper carousels.

Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry

Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry

Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry

Navigation on the cellphone is extra like iOS than Android, with fast settings accessed by swiping down from the left-hand aspect, and notifications from the right-hand aspect. Looking out within the Settings for explicit options proved arduous, with many prompts proving ineffective.   

Like different foldable telephones, the Xiaomi Combine Flip has just a few nifty options which can be absent from its slab fashions. Whilst you can reply calls by flipping open the cellphone from folded, there’s additionally the distinctive choice to take calls with the Combine Flip closed – helpful in the event you’re travelling and don’t have a hand free to flip it open. The cellphone may be positioned at a 90-degree fold when watching YouTube to allow flex mode for this app, which works properly.

The outer show can’t run each single app you obtain, however an honest vary is supported. That features Chrome, Messenger, Instagram, Spotify and TikTok. Xiaomi additionally has some cute, animated animal wallpapers, one thing that will significantly attraction to youngsters. 

Like a variety of 2024 telephones, there will even be a plethora of AI instruments coming, together with translation software program and assembly summaries, although these weren’t but on my unit. Google’s Circle to Search shall be coming later this yr, too, whereas the corporate’s Gemini assistant is already out there.  

As for assist, the Xiaomi Combine Flip has 4 years of software program updates and 5 years of safety updates. That’s higher than Motorola’s providing, however not as robust as Samsung’s, which guarantees seven years of assist in each areas.  

Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry

Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry

Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry

Worth & Availability  

The Xiaomi Combine Flip will set you again £1,099 and is accessible immediately on the Mi Store and Amazon. Like different telephones from the model, it isn’t out there within the US. 

No networks are promoting the cellphone on contract within the UK, so that you’ll have to purchase outright and pair it with a SIM-only deal. See a few of the finest choices within the widget beneath:

That beginning worth is £100 greater than the Razr 50 Extremely, and £50 greater than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6. I can’t see how this cellphone is value being that costly, contemplating that the software program expertise is a lot extra clunky and that there’s no water resistance.  

If it comes down in worth (be careful on the market seasons resembling Black Friday) then it’s value contemplating. Alternatively, you’ll be able to try our information to the very best foldable telephones for extra choices.  

Do you have to purchase the Xiaomi Combine Flip? 

For a primary try at a clamshell foldable, the Xiaomi Combine Flip isn’t too dangerous. It’s acquired first rate battery life for a cellphone of this construct, whereas the efficiency is swift and snappy. Pictures are additionally fairly good in first rate lighting, and the shows are vibrant and good for watching movies.

Nevertheless, it falls behind rivals in a number of key areas: water resistance (or lack thereof), software program and outer display screen navigation. Add to {that a} costlier worth, and it’s exhausting to see how the Xiaomi Combine Flip may beat both the Razr 50 Extremely or the Z Flip 6…until it will get an enormous low cost sooner or later.  

Specs

• 4.01-inch, OLED cowl show 
• 6.86-inch, 1-120Hz OLED major show 
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 
• 12GB RAM 
• 512GB storage 
• Cameras:
  • 50Mp, f/1.7, OIS major digital camera 
  • 50Mp, f/2.0 telephoto digital camera 
  • 32Mp, f/2.0 selfie digital camera 
• 4780mAh 
• 67W wired charging 
• Stereo audio system 
• 5G 
• 167.5 x 74.02 x 7.8mm (open), 85.54 x 74.02 x 15.99mm (closed) 
• 192g 
• Android 14 with Xiaomi HyperOS