Xiaomi is a manufacturer from China that needs no further introduction. They have released a lot of phones which are selling like hot cakes in China and also internationally. The Mi4C is one of their latest devices and in this review we are going to find out if it is worth your attention.

We wanted to say thanks to Giztop for providing us with a Xiaomi Mi4C review unit.

Xiaomi Mi4C Review: VIDEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Bz5gZsS-4c

Xiaomi Mi4C Review: UNBOXING

The phone comes in a typical for Xiaomi plain and simple box and the contents include USB brick, instruction manuals and the USB Type-C cable.

Xiaomi Mi4C Review: DESIGN

 

When it comes to the design of the Xiaomi Mi4C, we are looking at a very compact and lightweight device. In fact, it looks identical to the previously released Mi4i model and I will leave a link in the description below this video for a full review.

On the top we have a 5MP camera, usual set of sensors, earpiece and a highly customisable LED light.

On the bottom there are 3 capacitive keys with a nice backlight.

The back is made of plastic, which is soft to the touch and doesn’t feel cheap by any means.

On the top there is a 13MP camera along with the dual tone LED flash and a secondary mic. On the bottom there is a speaker grill.

On the right there is a volume rocker and power key. They have a great tactile response but they are made of plastic and thus feel cheap.

On the left we have a dual micro SIM card slots and both of them have the 4G support.

On the top there is a headset jack and the IR blaster to control various devices and on the bottom there is the USB Type-C port and the main mic.

Overall, I am very pleased with the build quality of the Xiaomi Mi4c. Yes, it’s made of plastic and these plasticky buttons don’t add any premium look to the phone but the device doesn’t feel cheap at all.

Xiaomi Mi4C Review: DISPLAY

The phone comes with a 5” display, which is a pleasure to look at despite a bit oversaturated colours. It is sharp and vivid, it has great viewing angles and contrast.

Xiaomi Mi4C Review: UI

The Xiaomi Mi4C runs on MIUI 7, which is based on Android 5.1. For those who are familiar with this implementation of Android, this phone comes with no surprise.

All the apps sit on the home screens and the MIUI has one of the most customisable UI you can find on Android. There are tons of themes, wallpapers and other things to choose from.

Also, you can customise the notification LED, capacitive buttons and so on.

One of the new features is the Edge Control, which basically allows you to tap the side of the phone and it works either as a back button or a shutter button in the camera app. I believe this is just an early stage of this feature and we may see the expanded functionality. Still, the current features work absolutely fine and it is really useful once you get used to it.

Overall, the MIUI is fast and smooth despite having plenty of features. It is not the fastest UI I’ve seen as there is a bit of stutter from time to time but I see a visible upgrade in terms of performance over the MIUI 6.

Xiaomi Mi4C Review: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

The Xiaomi Mi4C is quite a powerful phone. It has a Snapdragon 808 chip and the lower-end review unit I have has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of non-expandable storage.

The gaming performance is like on a high-end phone. The graphics look stunning, there is no lag and overall I am more than happy about it.

Also, I didn’t feel any overheating. Yes, the phone gets just a bit warm but there is nothing to be worried about.

Xiaomi Mi4C Review: MULTIMEDIA

Enjoying multimedia is just a blast. Movies look great on a good looking screen and the loudspeaker quality is also good for both videos and music.

The sound via earphones may not be the class-leading but it is more than enough to please your ears.

Xiaomi Mi4C Review: CAMERA

The phone comes with a MIUI camera app, which has quite a few shooting modes and some settings to play with. The shutter speed is really fast and it may be even on par with most of the flagships.

Xiaomi Mi4C Review: IMAGE QUALITY

The 13MP camera on the back can produce some really good looking daylight images as they look sharp, have plenty of details, contrast, colours and even dynamic range are usually handled well.

Good Indoor shots are still possible but in the lower lit situations we can see a soft focus on the corners, less details and more noise.

The night shots are a bit disappointing. Yes, the camera illuminates the scene quite well but it struggles with focusing and the amount of details is disappointing. Also, noise levels are quite high. Honestly, I expected a little bit more as the night images looked decent on the phone’s screen.

A 5MP selfie snapper does a great job for social media needs but you have to have good lighting conditions.

Download full-res camera samples

Xiaomi Mi4C Review: VIDEO

See a video review for a sample.

The 1080P is a maximum resolution this phone can shoot despite near flagship grade specs.

The quality of footage is kind of disappointing. It’s not the worst I’ve seen but it could definitely look sharper and have more details. A good thing is that the camcorder has CAF (continuous auto-focus) feature, which is still missing on a lot of Chinese phones. A bad thing that it is very slow.

Xiaomi Mi4C Review: CONNECTIVITY

The call quality is good and other connectivity options work absolutely fine.

Xiaomi Mi4C Review: BATTERY LIFE

The 3080mAh non-removable battery is okay but there is nothing to be impressed about but I presume this is due to an early software build of this device. I could get just up to 4 of screen-on time and the phone could easily get me through the day when using 2 SIM card slots at once, having a Wifi and 4G always on, checking social media and so on. Still, I believe there is a room for improvement and we may see that in the future software upgrades.

Xiaomi Mi4C Review: CONCLUSIONS

So there you have it, Xiaomi Mi4C, the device that has a midrange phone’s price but near flagship grade specs.

I like the design and the form factor, and the fact that the device is very compact due to its 5” display, which is brilliant to look at, by the way.

The phone is usually fast and fluid and the stutter kicked in just a few times. However, one annoying feature is that some notifications from Gmail or Facebook came in later than they were supposed to come.

I was happy with a graphically demanding performance, multimedia experience and daylight picture quality but I believe there is a room for improvement in a low-light camera performance, a battery life and while the UI experience is usually good, it still needs just little bit of polishing to make it great.

All in all, this phone, the same as other phones, is not perfect but it is definitely good. For the price of under $250 you are getting a really powerful package that it is packed in a nicely designed and compact body, and the Xiaomi Mi4C is definitely worth checking out if you are looking for a great bang for your buck.

We wanted to say thanks to Giztop for providing us with a Xiaomi Mi4C review unit.

Buy Xiaomi Mi4c

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Google announced the LG Nexus 5X handset a couple of days back. After seeing the specifications of the device, we immediately realized that the phone had specs quite similar to Xiaomi’s Mi 4c. Hence, we decided to compare both the devices to see which one comes out as the winner.

One might think the Nexus 5X to be very similar to the Xiaomi Mi 4c, which is true to a certain extent but they have their differences.

BODY & DISPLAY:

If we start from the exterior designs and the displays, the Nexus 5X will have a 5.2 inch Full HD display while that of the Xiaomi 4c is also a Full HD screen but with only a 5 inch size. Dimension wise, the Xiaomi 4c is 7.8mm thick while the Nexus 5X is expected come with a body of around 7.9mm thickness.

Both the devices have very different looks, with Xiaomi aiming for a simple yet elegant design, while LG looking for a soft polycarbonate design much like its predecessor. But both the handsets look quite good. So, we leave it up to you to decide which ones better.

HARDWARE:

In terms of processing hardware, both smartphones are powered by the Qualcomm hexa-core processor Snapdragon 808 with 2GB RAM. The operating systems on both will be Android, Marshmallow version going to the Nexus 5X while the Lollipop version is on the Xiaomi Mi 4c. Like all Nexus devices, you can have a pure Android experience on the 5X. On the other hand, the MIUI 7 on the Mi 4c is also quite feature rich and user friendly.

Both phones come in two models, one having 16GB storage and another version coming with 32GB storage. They are also powered by non-removable Li-Ion batteries but the Nexus 5X will house just 2700 mAh capacity while the Xiaomi Mi 4c will have 3080 mAh battery capacity and boasts quick charging technology QC 2.0.

CAMERA:

A lot of today’s smartphones are being fitted with a 13MP rear camera and 5MP one in the front. The Nexus 5X is going to be fitted with a slightly smaller camera with a resolution of 12.3 MP. However, that doesn’t tell the whole story as the sensor features larger 1.55 microns pixels which should technically be able to capture more light. So, this should translate into better picture quality. The Mi 4c on the other hand will have a regular 13MP camera. Both phones will have a 5MP front facing shooter and are fitted with a dual tone LED flash at the back.

CONNECTIVITY:

On the communication front all the standard LTE, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity solutions are supported on both phones. However, the Nexus 5X in turn boasts about having a fingerprint sensor and a barometer as exceptional features. The Xiaomi Mi 4c has an FM radio tuner for additional entertainment and an infrared port for supplemental connection but the Nexus 5X supposedly does not support these features.

PRICING:

The Nexus 5X which comes in three cover colors is expected to be sold with a relatively higher price tag of around $380. The Xiaomi Mi 4c which is manufactured with an option of five colors can be bought online for just about $249. That’s a difference of more than $120!

As you can see, except for the fingerprint sensor on board and the camera (expecting it to be better than the 13MP Mi 4c’s sensor), the Xiaomi Mi 4c can be called as the winner here. With a larger battery, infrared port, MIUI 7 and the pricing advantage, the Mi 4c does seem to be the better choice here.

Let me know which phone do you think is better?

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A couple of days back, Xiaomi announced its Xiaomi Mi4C mid-range flagship for a competitive price tag of 1299 Yuan ($203). The phone comes with top-notch specifications, especially for a device in its segment.

There’s the hexa-core Snapdragon 808 chipset under the hood along with 2GB / 3GB RAM and 16GB / 32GB storage options. The display up front is of 5-inches with FHD 1080p resolution. The rear camera is a 13MP Sony IMX 258 sensor with improved algorithm for better low light images (brighter and less noise). Up front, there’s a 5MP shooter with wide angle lens for the perfect group selfie. The phone comes with 3080mAh battery with Quick Charge 2.0 and a USB Type-C port. There’s even an IR port up on top.

Overall a great device in terms of specifications for just $203. But is it durable enough? Well, folks from China just did a drop test of the new Mi4C and in general, the phone did quite well.

In the waist high drop test, from around 1m high, the Mi4C survived the fall. No visible scratches or damages. Even in the second drop test from chest height, (around 1.5m), the phone survived as well. This shows that the display is quite strong and can definitely withstand a few falls.

However, in the third drop test, which was from over the head height, the Xiaomi Mi4C didn’t survive. That’s like the worst case scenario and its unlikely that you would drop your phone from such a height. So, in most cases, the Mi4C’s 5-inch display should survive a fall.

Anyways, take a look at the video and see it for yourself.

The post Xiaomi Mi4C Drop Test: Will It Survive A Fall? [VIDEO] appeared first on Gizmochina.

On Tuesday, Xiaomi officially released the Xiaomi Mi4c mid-range flagship in China. The phone comes with tremendous value for money, offering the powerful Snapdragon 808 hexa-core chip in a sub-$250 smartphone. There’s no doubt the Mi4C is one of the best value for money packages that you can buy from the market right now.

Unfortunately, Xiaomi has made the Mi4c limited to the Chinese market. International customers will have to buy the less powerful variant, with Snapdragon 615 inside. However, those who want to get their hands on the Xiaomi Mi4c can do so from Giztop. The website has started accepting pre-orders for the device. On the website, the 16GB variant is priced at $249, which is higher than the official price. But even with the slightly higher price tag, its better than most other competitors in the market right now.

To remind you of the specs, the Mi4C comes with a 5-inch 1080p FHD display with Snapdragon 808 chipset under the hood. You get 2GB & 3GB RAM options with 16GB/ 32GB of storage. There’s a 13MP sensor at the back which is reportedly quite good. You can check out the samples from here. The front 5MP camera is very wide, making sure that everyone in the group is included in the shot. As for the battery, you get a large 3060mAh battery on board with Quick Charge 2.0.

Overall, a great handset for the above mentioned price tag. You can check out the buy link for more details.

Update: The Xiaomi Mi4C phone is in stock now.

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Xiaomi revealed yet another powerful smartphone yesterday, the Xiaomi Mi4C, which unfortunately is limited to the Chinese market. However, that shouldn’t stop us from admiring the amount of features and value that the phone brings to the table at less than $210. So, there’s no denying in the fact that once again the company has impressed us with its release.

Apart from the numerous upgrades compared to the Mi4i, the company has also reportedly improved the camera performance, both on the front as well as the back. The rear features 13MP Sony IMX258 sensor with the same ISP as found in the Snapdragon 810. Xiaomi reports that the Mi4C particularly focuses on improving low light images, thanks to the new algorithm. Therefore, the night time pictures taken with the phone should turn out to be much more clear, sharper and brighter than competitors in this price range.

Usually, many companies claim that their new releases come with upgraded camera modules, later only to turn out to be disappointing. But the Xiaomi Mi4C does seem have improved color reproduction as well as reduce noise in low light images according to the latest samples.

You can check out the Xiaomi Mi4C Camera Samples from down below. They look quite good for a $210 smartphone!

1 of 9

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Xiaomi has always surprised us in the past with its pricing. The best example would be the Redmi Note 2 that comes with the powerful MT6795 octa-core chip, yet starts at 799 Yuan. The latest smartphone from the company is going to the Xiaomi Mi4C. We have been hearing a lot about this particular mid-range smartphone, both officially and unofficially, and we already know most of its specifications.

One thing that we were still unsure about the device was its pricing. Earlier rumors said that the phone would start at 1299 for the 2GB + 16GB version and go all the way up to 1499 for the 3GB + 32GB version. However, according to a new leak, the pricing will be a bit higher than expected. The leaked image shows that the Mi4C is priced at 1999 Yuan which is much higher than what previous rumors stated. However, since the launch is just a few hours away, its best to wait for the official announcement before making any conclusions.

As for the specs, the Xiaomi Mi4C will feature a 5-inch 1080p display powered by the Snapdragon 808 hexa-core chipset. As mentioned above, there will be two RAM variants, 2GB / 3GB with three different storage variants as well 16GB / 32GB / 64GB. At the back, you can expect to see a decent 13MP camera while up front there should be a 5MP front facing shooter. The battery should be the same as the Mi4i international version, i.e. 3120mAh. The phone is confirmed to support entire network in China, with 4G LTE dual SIM dual standby. Another interesting thing about the Mi4C is that its going to be the first Xiaomi smartphone with USB Type-C port. As for software, the phone will feature MIUI 7 based on Android 5.1.

These specs are quite impressive for a mid-range flagship. However, if the company does price it at 1999 Yuan, I am sure many fans will be disappointed. Anyways, since the launch is just a couple of hours away, lets wait for more details at the event.

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UPDATE:

Xiaomi’s official Weibo account confirmed USB Type-C as well. But we still don’t know whether it is USB 2.0 or 3.0.

We have been hearing a lot about Xiaomi’s upcoming mid-range flagship, the Xiaomi Mi4C. Just yesterday we saw a leaked orange box which showed off the colorful packaging of the device. We already know most of the specifications, thanks to the earlier TENAA listing. But now, some of these specs have been finally confirmed by the company executives via Weibo.

According to Mr. Li who is the Operations Director at Xiaomi, he recently got to play around with the new Xiaomi Mi4C. He says that he was impressed with the built and the performance of the device, and confirms that the phone comes with Snapdragon 808 under the hood. While we were almost sure of this due to the various leaks before, another interesting feature confirmed by him is the presence of the USB Type-C. Yes, it looks like Xiaomi is really targeting the premium mid-range segment with its new Mi4C, incorporating this new age connector into the device.

What’s more, just a few minutes after Mr. Li posted this on Weibo, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun confirmed the specs. So, we know for sure that the phone will feature Snap 808 & USB Type-C. Also, from the image, we can see atleast two colors, black and white. However, we expect a lot more options when the company announces the phone officially. According to Mr. Li, apart from these two specs, there’s another feature that’s pretty interesting. However, he didn’t reveal it. We can expect it to be either support for entire network (Chinese users love it) or fast charging.

As for the other specs, they are in line with the Mi4i model. So, expect a 5-inch FHD 1080p display, with 2GB/ 3GB RAM & 16GB / 32GB storage options. Given that there’s no memory card slot, the company is also expected to release a 64GB variant. At the back, there should be a 13MP sensor while up front, you will get a 5MP shooter. The battery is said to be above 3000+ mAh.

Finally, for the pricing, it is said that the 16GB will model will retail around 1299 Yuan ($203) while the 32GB model around 1499 Yuan ($235).

If this is the case, then Chinese users are in for a treat, as the specs to cost ratio is just amazing. The phone will be officially launched on September 22, which is less than a week away. So, stay tuned for more details.

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Xiaomi has once again confirmed via a new teaser that the Xiaomi Mi4C flagship will be announced on September 23. The phone is expected to come in two variants, one with 2GB RAM and 16GB of storage, while the other with 3GB RAM and 32GB of storage. Both the versions will be powered by the flagship Snapdragon 808 chipset. However, it looks like the Xiaomi Mi4C might have another storage variant as well.

According to Sun Peng, MIUI Senior Engineer, we may see a 64GB variant of the Xiaomi Mi4C in the coming weeks. He hinted that a 64GB version was possible via his official Weibo page earlier today. This is actually welcome news for users who always crave for more storage. Given the fact that the Mi4C won’t be coming with a MicroSD card slot, it becomes necessary to provide enough internal storage to store all your apps and data. So, a 64GB version at a slightly increased price isn’t a bad idea.

According to a report earlier today, the 32GB variant of the Mi4C could be priced around 1499 Yuan. Now, if this is the case, then we can expect the 64GB variant to be around 100-150 yuan higher. So, the retail price should be around 1599 Yuan which comes to $250 USD. That’s not at all a bad deal, considering the flagship Snapdragon 808 powers the device.

As for the other specs, expect it to be more or less the same as the Xiaomi Mi4i international edition. At the back, there will be a 13MP camera and a 5MP shooter at the front. The battery is expected to be higher than 3000mAh. As for the software, the Mi4C should run on the new Android 5.1.1 based MIUI 7 OS. There’s rumors about an infrared port as well.

We are not quite sure whether Xiaomi will announce the 64GB version along with the 16GB & 32GB variants. But since the event is just a few days away, lets wait and see whether we get to see this high-end storage version at the September 22 event.

Do you think companies should compulsorily announce 64GB internal storage variants for phones without SD card slots?

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Ever since Xiaomi announced the Xiaomi Mi4i mid-range flagship in India, the users in China have been eagerly waiting for its domestic version. We have been hearing a lot about this particular device in the past couple of months. Thanks to the TENAA listing, we even know the core specifications of the device.

Earlier today, Xiaomi posted a new teaser on their official Weibo page, which confirms that the Xiaomi Mi4C will be announced on September 22. The company is calling it the “Little Prince”, which is kind of apt, given that the phone will feature quite impressive specs. We have not yet seen the next generation Xiaomi Mi5 model till now and we don’t expect to see it at least till the end of 2015. As a result, the Mi4C could be considered as an affordable flagship model that can succeed the Xiaomi Mi4.

One of the biggest changes between the Xiaomi Mi4i international version and the domestic version, Mi4C is the processor under the hood. The company is reportedly going with the flagship range Snapdragon 808 64-bit hexa-core chip on the Mi4C as compared to the less snappier Snapdragon 615 chip on the Mi4i. Apart from the powerful processor, the Mi4C is expected to come in two variants, 2GB RAM + 16GB of storgae, and 3GB RAM  + 32GB of storage. Like the international version, the domestic version too will feature a 5-inch display with 1080p FHD resolution. At the back, there will be a 13MP camera while up front, you will get a 5MP front facing shooter. Under the hood, you can expect a 3000mAh + battery. As for software, the Mi4C should definitely come with the new MIUI 7 based on Android 5.1.1. There are also rumors about an infrared port on the device.

As you can see, the specs are flagship worthy and are enough to succeed the previous generation Mi4. As for the pricing, the phone is expected to retail at 1499 Yuan ($235) for the top-end 3GB + 32GB storage version.

So, what do you think? Is Xiaomi looking to succeed Mi4, with the brand new Mi4C flagship?

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Back when Xiaomi announced the Xiaomi Mi4i, we were all surprised to see that there was no domestic version of the device. Later, TENAA listing and leaks confirmed that a special version of the Mi4i, domestically called as the Xiaomi Mi4c will come to China in the coming weeks.

Now, we have more information about the device, thanks to a new leak which shows off the retail box of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi4c. The leak reveals most of the specifications of the device. Thanks to TENAA, we already knew that the Mi4c will feature a more powerful Snapdragon 808 hexa-core chip clocked at 1.8GHz. Other specs were expected to be similar to the Mi4i. However, today this leak reveals yet another surprise. The box states that the Xiaomi Mi4c will come with the new USB Type-C port instead of the traditional one that was used in the Mi4i.

It looks like the Chinese version of the Xiaomi Mi4i will be much more powerful and feature rich than the international model. Other specs are more or less the same. So, the Xiaomi Mi4c is expected to come with a 5-inch IPS display with full HD 1080p resolution. There will be 2GB of RAM on board along with 16GB of ROM, 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing one. Under the hood, expect a 3000mAh battery. The phone will come with Android 5.1.1 with MIUI 7 OS on top. The dimension are expected to be exactly the same as the Mi4i, 138.1 x 69.6 x 7.8 mm. Also, it should weigh just about 130 grams.

Interestingly, despite the powerful specs, the Xiaomi Mi4c is expected to retail for just 1,299 Yuan. That’s almost the same price as the international variant with the slower Snapdragon 615. It is said that the Mi4c will be announced in the first week of September.

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For the past few weeks, we have been hearing a few rumors that the Chinese variant of Mi4i will feature a better processor than Snapdragon 615 that currently powers the device. It was said that the phone will be called as the Xiaomi Mi 4C, where C stands for China. In Mi4i, the ‘i’ reportedly stood for “International”.

Now, things are somewhat clear, thanks to the TENAA listing of the device. The Xiaomi Mi 4C supports all the three network carries in the country, thanks to its TD-LTE/ TD-FDD/ TD-CDMA/ WCDMA/ CDMA2000/ CDMA 1X & GSM standard support.

Specs wise, there’s one major difference. Instead of the Snapdragon 615 octa-core chip that powers the Mi 4i, the Xiaomi Mi 4C will come with the six-core Snapdragon 808 clocked at 1.8GHz. There will be 2GB of RAM on board along with a 13MP rear camera. Up front, there will be a 5-inch 1080p display along with a 5MP camera on top. Another difference in this new model will be the Android version, which is going to be Android 5.1.1 with MIUI 7 on top, instead of Android 5.0.2 on Mi4i.

Since the Xiaomi Mi4C has already passed TENAA, we expect a launch pretty soon. The pricing should be similar to the international version, so expect it to be around the 1299 Yuan mark.

Xiaomi is really stepping up its game in recent times. Snapdragon 808 is considered as a flagship level chip. It even powers the LG G4 flagship! So, getting this SoC in a mid-range device will really boost the performance of the handset.

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