The Xiaomi Mi Mix 5G is the most reasonably priced 5G phone yet, featuring the Snapdragon 855 and X50 modem for €599
Xiaomi’s press conference kicked off MWC 2019 in Barcelona with the announcement of a new phone, the Xiaomi Mi 9, and one updated handset – the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G.
The Xiaomi Mi 9 is a smartphone with a triple-camera setup and a hugely impressive 48-megapixel primary shooter, but it’s the updated Mi Mix 3 that’s the most exciting news today.
It’s the first commercially available 5G smartphone we’ve seen so far – the first among many to be launched at MWC2019 – and it’s also the first phone we’ve seen to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset.
The phone’s X50 modem will be able to connect to Sub 6 5G networks with download speeds of 2Gbits/sec. With 5G networks rolling out throughout Europe and in the UK this year, it should be able to take full advantage of those speeds before the end of 2019. To prove that 5G actually works, Xiaomi demonstrated a 5G video call on stage over the Spanish Orange network.
Qualcomm president, Cristiano Amon, took to the stage to endorse the new phone: “We are thrilled to continue our long-standing collaboration with Xiaomi to help deliver unprecedented 5G speeds and transformative user experiences to consumers through its latest flagship smartphone, [the] Mi MIX 3 5G.”
Other than the new processor and X50 5G modem, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 is much the same as the original Mi Mix 3. This is a phone with a large 6.39in 1,080 x 2,340 notchless AMOLED display and a sliding mechanism that hides the selfie camera away behind the display when it’s not being used.
It’s a great looking phone and takes outstanding pictures, too, courtesy of its dual rear 12MP cameras and 24-megapixel/2-megapixel selfie cameras. Image quality isn’t quite a match for the OnePlus 6T and, presumably, won’t be able to match the new Xiaomi Mi 9 and its 48-megapixel triple camera but it’s pretty darned good for a phone at this price.
Indeed, the most exciting aspect of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G is the price. When the phone becomes available in May 2019 it’s set to cost only 599 Euros, which is the cheapest 5G phone we’ve seen announced so far by a considerable margin.
With other smartphone manufacturers such as Samsung adding a hefty premium for 5G compatibility, Xiaomi’s approach is a breath of fresh air. We can’t wait to get our hands on it when it hits the shops in May.