Xiaomi Mi Max 2 Review

Name: Xiaomi Mi Max 2 Review
Item: Xiaomi Mi Max 2
Rating: 7
Author: Plamen Dimitrov

Posted: 20 Jul 2017, 09:19 , by Plamen Dimitrov

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Tags: Android -Android + Xiaomi -Xiaomi +

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Introduction

Xiaomi Mi Max 2 review unit provided by our friends at EuDirect.Shop

For the second year in a row, Chinese phone maker Xiaomi has produced a device that takes the word “phablet” to another level. Much like its predecessor, the recently-released Mi Max 2 employs a massive 6.44-inch screen, but also packs improvements in several key areas.

While undoubtedly welcome, these enhancements also come hand in hand with a bigger price tag, so let's put this exotic smartphone under scrutiny and see if it's worthy of your attention.

Design

As we live in the year of “all-screen” phones, we can't really say that the bezels on the Mi Max 2 are all that slim. Still, the phone works out a good screen-to-body ratio of 74.13%.

Compared to the first iteration, there's a big improvement in terms of build quality. This year's model is larger and heavier, but it does feel more premium and comfortable to hold thanks to its all-metal unibody and rounded edges. The power and volume keys feel sturdy and responsive.

The fingerprint scanner is fast and reliable, and we're happy to say that Xiaomi has included a type-C USB port this time around.

Overall, we like the design of the Mi Max 2, but it's important to remember that a device of this stature is not suitable for everyone.

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+ 11 images

Front view | Side view

6.85 x 3.49 x 0.3 inches
174.1 x 88.7 x 7.6
7.44 oz (211 g)

Xiaomi Mi Max 2

6.5 x 3.11 x 0.32 inches
165 x 79 x 8.1 mm
6.63 oz (188 g)

Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra

7.08 x 3.49 x 0.42 inches
179.83 x 88.57 x 10.7 mm
9.14 oz (259 g)

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro

6.18 x 3.11 x 0.31 inches
156.9 x 78.9 x 7.9 mm
6.70 oz (190 g)

Huawei Mate 9

To see the phones in real size or compare them with other models, visit our Visual Phone Size Comparison page.

Display

The obvious highlight of the Mi Max 2 is its humongous 6.44-inch LCD display. Its 1,080 x 1,920 resolution works out a pixel density of 342ppi, which is not ideal, but sufficient. Viewing angles are good and the screen seems to be a bit less reflective than the original Mi Max, but the maximum brightness level has been reduced for some reason. As such, outdoor visibility isn't a strong point of this display.

With a color temperature of 7500K, most colors and shades appear bluer than intended, but we do have to note that the situation is better than with the original Mi Max which had an even colder screen. All in all, we're happy with the display's performance, given the fact that the phone costs about $300.

Display measurements and quality

	Maximum brightness (nits)Higher is better	Minimum brightness (nits)Lower is better	Contrast Higher is better	Color temperature (Kelvins)	Gamma	Delta E rgbcmy Lower is better	Delta E grayscale Lower is better
Xiaomi Mi Max 2	496 (Good)	1 (Excellent)	1:2523 (Excellent)	7517 (Average)	2.27	4.84 (Average)	4.8 (Average)
Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra	619 (Excellent)	13 (Poor)	1:1444 (Excellent)	7493 (Good)	2	3.82 (Good)	5.69 (Average)
Lenovo Phab 2 Pro	428 (Good)	5 (Excellent)	1:1251 (Excellent)	8314 (Poor)	2.22	5.72 (Average)	7.62 (Average)
Huawei Mate 9	677 (Excellent)	5 (Excellent)	1:1662 (Excellent)	8113 (Poor)	2.3	5.76 (Average)	7.37 (Average)

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The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set (area) of colors that a display can reproduce, with the sRGB colorspace (the highlighted triangle) serving as reference. The chart also provides a visual representation of a display's color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The 'x: CIE31' and 'y: CIE31' values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. 'Y' shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while 'Target Y' is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, 'ΔE 2000' is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.

These measurements are made using SpectraCal's CalMAN calibration software.

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Interface, Functionality, Camera and Multimedia

Related phones

PhoneArena rating:

7 Good

Xiaomi Mi Max 2 Compare

Specifications News^[4]

Rivals Photos

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20 Comments

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posted on 20 Jul 2017, 09:48

1. notfair (Posts: 635; Member since: 30 Jan 2017)

OMG!!! THAT BATTERY LIFE.....

posted on 20 Jul 2017, 12:36

12. Anshulonweb (Posts: 468; Member since: 07 Feb 2014)

Your username describes the essence of review....big size as a con is not valid i think.... the whole purpose of this phone is to have a big size... it's made for that specific purpose... it's like saying iPhone 5se having small size is a con as it may be small for some people.. second the waterproofing con is simply no brainer considering the price of product... and meanwhile Xiaomi has already announced the nougut plans that brings multiwindow so adding a word - not "yet" present would be better idea

posted on 21 Jul 2017, 08:10

16. ibend (Posts: 6747; Member since: 30 Sep 2014)

fun fact:
this phone got almost twice battery life compared to iPhone7+
and yet, It can get fully charged 52minutes faster than iPhone7+

source: PA's battery test

posted on 21 Jul 2017, 11:19

18. skyline88 (Posts: 696; Member since: 15 Jul 2013)

which explains pretty much on why the sales of ip7+ is horrible

posted on 20 Jul 2017, 09:50

2. GreenMan (Posts: 2657; Member since: 09 Nov 2015)

Now, at first glance, one might said: "What's the bloody point of making such an 'enormous' phone..."

And I asked the exact same thing to myself...

But then I got it...

China's one child policy...!!!

Allow me to explain, It's meant for people who mostly stay indoors (Geeks & nerds, to be precise). Not as massive as a tablet, yet bigger than a 'regular' 'puny sized' 5.5" phablets to enjoy heavy duty internet surfing, Youtubing and gaming... And since the younger Chinese generation mostly stays indoors and aren't that social, this is a PERFECT solution for them...

When they DO go out, it's not that hard for them to lug it around, unlike a bloody full-sized tablet which would be quite a chore in comparison...

So, Xiaomi has found a nice, little niche there...

To understand Chinese People, you've to THINK like Chinese People...!!!

"I think, therefore, I AM..."

G'Day!

posted on 20 Jul 2017, 09:51 1

3. GreenMan (Posts: 2657; Member since: 09 Nov 2015)

But I do wish that Chinese parents do something about all that 'screen time' and take steps to make their child more social...

Oh well...

posted on 06 Sep 2017, 08:55

20. born_naughty (Posts: 1; Member since: 06 Sep 2017)

That's an interesting theory GreenMan. And I'm not saying there's no truth to it but certainly not for me. Just a sidenote: I don't really see the point in the large battery if it's for people that don't go outside often. I have a Mi Mix at the moment that has the same screen size. I like playing games while I wait, when I have an appointment or when I don't have anything to do for a short while. Playing games on a smaller screen then this is really bothersome in my opinion. Ideally I'd like a tablet but then I need two devices and a tablet hard to lug around as you mentioned. That's why this is the perfect solution for me.

Yes, I know it touches a few points you made but what I mean is, I don't have any problems fitting a phone like this in my pocket and while my hobbies are mostly indoors, I am quite social and take this phone everywhere I go. As said before, if I would stay at home I would rather have a tablet and wouldn't need a big battery either as I'd just keep it plugged in. This battery makes sure I can take this phone with me the whole day and play games without having to recharge.

posted on 20 Jul 2017, 10:23

5. cmvrgr (Posts: 40; Member since: 16 Aug 2013)

This xiaomi has Limited network coverage and a sluggish cpu.

Asus Zenfone Ultra 6.8" is far better alternative (supports Band 20 and Band 28 for europe and oceania).

posted on 21 Jul 2017, 07:57 1

15. ibend (Posts: 6747; Member since: 30 Sep 2014)

comparing $260 phone with $700 flagship? lol...

posted on 20 Jul 2017, 11:09

6. UglyFrank (Posts: 2188; Member since: 23 Jan 2014)

This phone would've been more of a catch if they included the S660 which is the obvious successor to the 650/652 in the past Mi Max.
Also the lack of western network support isn't really important for phones that aren't officially sold by the manufacturer in the west.

posted on 20 Jul 2017, 11:20

7. Trickzter (Posts: 82; Member since: 21 Apr 2015)

No SD660 is the reason I didn't purchase this. I did have interest in buying this phablet as I currently have Redmi Note 3 and was looking at Mi Max 2. But will hold off and go with something else now.

posted on 20 Jul 2017, 11:22

8. brasstax (Posts: 532; Member since: 16 Apr 2014)

The 660 is a kick ass cpu. Read a review on some Chinese site on a phone having the chip and it easily keeps up with the 835 in benchmarks.

posted on 20 Jul 2017, 11:35

9. TheOracle1 (Posts: 1684; Member since: 04 May 2015)

Big size can make it unsuitable for many users - Huh? How does this count against it. Big shoes are unsuitable for some users too?

Waterproofing would have been nice - And why would it need waterproofing when it's primarily a multimedia device?

Limited network coverage and support for western markets - Surprise, surprise! It wasn't meant for western markets. But T-Mobile US & UK and AT&T H+ are plenty fast anyway

Video recording can be better - No argument there.

Big screen is suitable for multiwindow mode, but feature is not present - It's about to be updated to MIUI 9 which does have multi-window.

Most of what you've listed aren't cons. They're tradeoffs when buying an imported phone.

It's $270 for the 64gb version with free shipping to the US from most resellers, so you need to check the source of your pricing.

It's not a phone for me but it certainly deserves more than a seven.

posted on 20 Jul 2017, 11:54

10. UglyFrank (Posts: 2188; Member since: 23 Jan 2014)

Waterproofing isn't really essential in this price segment
I had to pay a premium for my super media smartphone (S8+)
Although I had considered getting this until the S625 rumours came out)
Many valid points, that battery score is enough for it to score at least an 8 since it's clearly fulfilled its purpose as a Max device

posted on 20 Jul 2017, 12:26

11. mahima (Posts: 679; Member since: 20 Nov 2014)

pa cons are always a joke especially to xiaomi device

posted on 20 Jul 2017, 14:15

13. Marslander (Posts: 154; Member since: 08 Jan 2015)

If you do a search on YouTube, you can find a tutorial on how to enable multi window/split screen functionality in MIUI 8 nougat, without root.

posted on 20 Jul 2017, 23:18

14. Mr.mobile (Posts: 130; Member since: 09 Mar 2017)

I said many times snapdragon 625 is best power efficiency prossecer ever made by Qualcomm , and this mi max 2 has 6.44" inch screen and just 5300mah battery they could easily put 6200mah battery waste of space inside look lenovo p2 with 5.5" inch screen it has 5100mah battery with 177grams

posted on 21 Jul 2017, 08:17

17. ibend (Posts: 6747; Member since: 30 Sep 2014)

MiMax battery life 17h
P2 battery life 11h
even with that huge screen, it can last 50% longer than P2...

posted on 23 Jul 2017, 06:20

19. Mr.mobile (Posts: 130; Member since: 09 Mar 2017)

Just 17 hours Screen on time when can I see 25hours of SOT in just 4000mah battery

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Xiaomi Mi Max 2

view full specs

PhoneArena rating:

7Good

Display	6.4 inches, 1080 x 1920 pixels (342 ppi) IPS LCD
Camera	12 megapixels
Hardware	Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, Octa-core, 2000 MHz, ARM Cortex-A53 processor
Size	6.85 x 3.49 x 0.30 inches (174.1 x 88.7 x 7.6) 7.44 oz (211 g)
Battery	5300 mAh, 57 hours talk time