A lot of people consider Xiaomi the best budget phones manufacturer. The company mainly focuses on budget devices and they made it enter the top 5 world’s best smartphones brands alongside Samsung, Apple, and Huawei. The Chinese company released a lot of handsets with a very affordable price tag which became best-sellers in their segment. In this comparison, we will focus on the latest ones launched with prices under €200: Xiaomi Mi Play, Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro and Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite. They offer similar specs and performance, but each of them has different pro and cons. With this comparison, we will help you find out which is the best for you.
Xiaomi Mi Play vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro vs Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite
| Xiaomi Mi Play | Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro | Xiaomi Mi A2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 147.8 x 71.9 x 7.8 mm, 150 grams | 157.9 x 76.4 x 8.3 mm, 182 grams | 149.3 x 71.7 x 8.8 mm, 178 grams |
| DISPLAY | 5.84 inches, 1080 x 2280p (Full HD+), 19:9 ratio, 432 ppi, IPS LCD | 6.26 inches, 1080 x 2280p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, 19:9 ratio, IPS LCD | 5.84 inches, 1080 x 2280 pixels, 432 ppi, 19:9 ratio, IPS LCD |
| PROCESSOR | MediaTek Helio P35, octa-core 2.3 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, octa-core 1.8 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, octa-core 2 GHz |
| MEMORY | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot | 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB, micro SD slot | 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie, MIUI | Android 8.1 Oreo, MIUI | Android 8.1 Oreo, Android One |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS |
| CAMERA | Dual 12 MP + depth sensor f/2.2 8 MP front camera |
Dual 12 + 5 MP f/1.9 and f/2.2 Dual 20 and 2 MP f/2.0 and f/2.2 front camera |
Dual 12 + 5 MP f/2.2 and f/2.2 5 MP f/2.0 front camera |
| BATTERY | 3000 mAh | 4000 mAh | 4000 mAh |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Hybrid Dual SIM slot | Hybrid Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot |
Design
The design is one of the key elements of Xiaomi Mi Play. It is very hard to find a device in its price range which is as beautiful as this one. It comes with a stunning glass back and it is also the first Xiaomi phone to come with a waterdrop notch. Further, it is a compact phone and it is also very lightweight with just 150 grams. It has even a thin body with just 7.8 mm thickness. Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro and Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite are classic devices with a full metal unibody design, with the latter being more compact. You can find a lot of devices with similar aesthetics and their price tags, so Xiaomi Mi Play wins the comparison.
Display
Classic IPS panels with marginal differences, so, in terms of viewing quality, we consider it a draw. The real aspect that you should consider is the size of these displays: if you want a phablet suitable for productivity and multimedia, then you should go for the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro and its 6.26-inch screen. But if you prefer compact devices that fit in a pocket and are easy to use with one hand, then the other twos are better. Xiaomi Mi Play has a smaller notch, so I would prefer it to the Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite.
Specs & Software
Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro is the device which can provide the best performances because it is equipped with a more powerful chipset: the Snapdragon 636 by Qualcomm running at a max frequency of 1.8 GHz. Further, it is the only to come with up to 6 GB of RAM in the most expensive variant. The second place goes to Xiaomi Mi Play: the first smartphone to pack the new Helio P35 SoC by MediaTek, which is on par with the Snapdragon 632. Further, it is the only to come with Android Pie out of the box, but Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite has Android One, the stock version of the operating system which will be constantly supported by Google.
Camera
Besides being the fastest phone, Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro is also the best camera phone for both rear and front cameras. On the rear, it features a bright aperture and it can adapt better to every light condition, while on the front it has a dual selfie camera with a high resolution and a useful depth sensor. Xiaomi Mi Play comes right after with its sufficient rear cameras and a better front camera than Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite, but the differences between the Mi Play and Mi A2 Lite in terms of photo quality are minimal.
Battery
Xiaomi Mi Play has an average 3000 mAh battery, so it is excluded from the battery comparison because it cannot compete with its internal concurrence. Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro and Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite both have a huge 4000 mAh battery and they are among the best battery phones out there. Even though the battery capacity is the same, Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite is able to provide a longer battery life because it has a smaller display paired with a very efficient SoC: the Snapdragon 625 which has a very low energy consumption. And it has a stock operative system with no bloatware or customizations that could impact on battery life.
Price
Even though they are three devices from the same company, you can find these smartphones at similar prices. Xiaomi Mi Play just debuted in China with a $160 price tag, while Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro is already available in the global market with a price tag ranging from €180 to €200. At last, Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite with Android One can be found at about €160 thanks to online street prices. This handset is known as the Redmi 6 Pro in China, but in this country it comes with the MIUI instead of Android One.
Xiaomi Mi Play vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro vs Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite: PROs and CONS
Xiaomi Mi Play
PROs
- Better design
- Affordable price
- Compact
- Android Pie out of the box
CONS
- Smaller battery
Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro
PROs
- Wide display
- Big battery
- Better cameras
- Higher performance
CONS
- Worse design
Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite
PROs
- Android One
- Big battery
- Micro SD dedicated slot
- Compact design
CONS
- Lower-end chipset
