Remember Android One? You may not, as it’s been quite a while. The Google initiative that meant to spread Android in low-cost devices in developing countries surfaced about three years ago but went sort of quiet.
Well, now it’s back and surpassingly, on a Xiaomi smartphone, the Mi A1. Xiaomi’s own interface, a heavy skin on to of Android, called the MiUi, is full of customisation and features that set it apart. But none of those are present on the new Mi A1 which has ‘pure Android’ on it. Apart from a tweak here and there, the software is then all Google, which is why Xiaomi uses the tag line ‘Created by Xiaomi, Powered by Google,’ to describe the A1.
Pure Android has a host of advantages, much as Mi fans may love Xiaomi’s MiUi, now in its 9th version. Pure Android means a phone will be running smoothly, without any bloat and lag from a manufacturer frantically piling on the features. It also means the phone will get updates and upgrades quickly, keeping it refreshed and more secure. In fact, Xiaomi says the A1 will upgrade from the current Android 7.1.2 to Android 8.0 or Oreo, and even go so far as to say it will get Android P, whatever that may be. Peppermint, I’m thinking.
Another advantage of the Android One experience is that the device will present as ‘simple’. Time and again I get asked for recommendations on a phone that isn’t too complicated. Those who use a smartphone for some of the basics such as calling, messaging, browsing, email and YouTube, want nothing more and don’t even want to know that other uses exist at all or that a device can be customised limitlessly. A little swipe to the right will show the Google feed. A swipe up will open the apps drawer. And another bonus: a press down on the home button will trigger the Google Assistant, which was not long ago the sole domain of Google’s own Pixel phones as well as one of its two main USPs, the other being the highly rated camera. So with the Mi A1, you now get quite a bit of what you would on the Pixel.
Solid and standard
That’s as far as the software. To look at, the Mi A1 is a slight variation on the theme phones in this segment are following. It’s a metallic phone and will come in pale gold, black and rose gold — to begin with it seems to be the gold that’s available. The back is all smooth on this 5.5-inch device, with antenna lines hugging the top and bottom contours in a somewhat iPhone-like fashion. No surprises there. On the back you’ll see the AndroidOne logo along with the Mi and the cameras and round fingerprint sensor.
On the front, the phone looks completely standard. I intensely dislike the fact that the phone is gold on the back and white on the front, but that’s an individual preference, I’m sure. The front has 2.5D glass curving in and making the smartphone look more than it actually costs. But the rounded edges and sides do make the smooth phone a little vulnerable to slipping, so a textured case might be a good idea. It is a solidly built device though.
The Mi A1 works on the tried and tested Snapdragon 625, a stable octa-core processor present in many sturdy budget phones. It has 4GB of RAM to work with, quite enough for most needs on this phone. It has 64GB of internal storage plus a card slot for more. In comparison, one of the most recently launched phones, the LG Q6 uses Snapdragon 435 at the same price point. The software meets this configuration halfway to make the device nice and smooth to use. It has other features users will be pleased with: an IR blaster to let you use it as a remote, You obviously have dual SIM and Volte-LTE support, which is now too standard to mention.
The 1920x1080p display is totally comfortable to work with. It’s bright and clear. It doesn’t have screen customisations like other Xiaomi phones because we’re now on pure Android. If you want a blue-light filter, get one from the Play Store. The battery on board is a 3080mAh which works well through the day and can take you through more depending on your usage and the Battery Saver feature.
Two for the price of one
The other much-touted feature of the Mi A1 is its dual camera setup. It has two 12MP main cameras meant to get you that depth effect. It doesn’t do that too badly if you are in good light. If not, in any case you’ll be told that it’s too dark to attempt it. The camera app is the one customisation here, from Xiaomi. You get a button to tap for 2X optical zoom, an implementation popularised by the iPhone 7. The Mi A1’s is essentially a good-light camera though. The front camera is a 5MP shooter.
Price: 14,999 on Flipkart, mi.com and offline Mi stores
Pros: Simple clean Android experience from Google, loaded with assistant, works on the latest Android, good camera for the price, good depth effect
Cons: A tad slippery. No earphones provided. Would have been nice in a totally new design