It's time for another camera battle! Today on our website two flagships of the Chinese smartphone industry will compete in a fierce duel - Xiaomi Mi 6 and.

Cameras Xiaomi Mi 6 vs Huawei P10 Plus

Review Xiaomi Mi 6 I’m still cooking, but I can already say that the camera in the smartphone is excellent and takes photographs very well in any mode, as you can see below.

Some technical details. The camera consists of two modules, both 12 megapixels. But the first module can be considered the main one - focal length 27 mm, f/1.8 with four-axis optical stabilization and phase detection autofocus. The second module is more of an auxiliary one - a 52 mm portrait lens, f/2.6, characterized by a beautiful “blurring” of the background (bokeh effect).

Camera Xiaomi Mi 6

The camera interface has a button for switching between shooting modes of different modules. In general, in the dual camera layout, Xiaomi, as we see, followed the path of Apple and LG and installed two independent modules in Mi 6 that work separately.

IN Huawei P10 Plus The camera is also double, but the principle of its operation is radically different from Xiaomi cameras- a 20 megapixel black and white sensor and a 12 megapixel color sensor are used here. The main module received LEICA SUMMILUX-H optics with an f/1.8 aperture, an optical stabilization system, laser, phase and hybrid autofocus.

Camera Huawei P10 Plus

Let me remind you how 2 cameras work in Huawei P10/P10 Plus. The main black and white module is responsible for detail and wide dynamic range. And color data is superimposed from a second color camera. That is, both modules work simultaneously. In addition, you can take gorgeous monochrome pictures that imitate photos from black-and-white film cameras and use a shooting mode with a wide aperture (beautiful bokeh), as well as post-focusing previously taken frames.

In the forest - daylight

Pair 1

Couple 2

Pair 3

Pair 4

Pair 5

In this scene, the Huawei P10 Plus clearly demonstrates its superior dynamic range - note the shadows (for example, firewood in the shed) and well-lit areas of the photo.

Pair 6

It was very difficult to focus on the black blackberry, as the breeze was shaking the branch, but the Huawei P10 Plus camera still managed to do it. In the Xiaomi Mi6 gallery, I still couldn’t find a single photo with the correct focus (honestly, I tried). Here's the best result:

Pair 7

Pair 8

Pair 9

Pair 10

Subject - daylight

Pair 11

Pair 12

Couple 13

Couple 14

Dim daylight

Couple 15

Subject - poor lighting

The room is completely dark, light from the monitor, an object on the table. Believe me, there is very little light, but both cameras cope well with the situation.

Couple 16

Couple 17

I like the photo from the Xiaomi Mi 6 camera better - it’s somehow clearer. It’s noticeable how the Huawei P10 greatly brightens the pictures in the dark, while the detail decreases.

Couple 18

Street, late afternoon

Couple 19

As for my personal feelings from several days of the photo marathon. I can say that Huawei focuses noticeably faster and more accurately, while Xiaomi has an instant release. Plus, of course, the P10 Plus has excellent dynamic range in scenes with varying lighting conditions. Also, the photos of Huawei P10 Plus are more contrasting. In the last examples above, where the camera makes the photo unnaturally light, the situation is as follows - you can take similar photos, or you can reduce the exposure on the fly using the wheel in the center of the screen and bring the photo in line with your preferences. That is, in this case, we simply see that the automation strives to show as many details as possible in the photo, and at the same time demonstrates the potential of the camera and its brightness reserve. As they say: “the reserve does not rub your pocket,” and if necessary, you can always turn down the brightness manually.

Also, it seems to me that the Huawei P10 Plus takes somewhat unique photos, a little artistic or something, but at the same time leaves more space for post-processing (I admit, I like this). At the same time, the Xiaomi Mi 6 software immediately strives to take a photo that will appeal to the average user. I can’t judge which approach is more correct.

But the most main point, which I took away from this comparison is the following. One thing is certain - specifically for Xiaomi, a huge step forward can be noted in the matter of photography. I definitely didn’t know how to take pictures like that. But Mi 6 is already very close to the market leaders in this matter. It is likely that in a year or two we can expect absolutely incredible results that will be demonstrated by the flagships of this brand.

As always, I am happy to shift responsibility for the final results of the fight to our readers. Vote for the camera that is in this comparison you liked it more, you can lower it.

Alternative names- Mi6Mi6 Plus
Mi 6+
Mi6+

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

SIM card size	Nano-SIM	Nano-SIM	Nano-SIM
Number of SIM cards	2	2	2
Characteristics		Dual SIM stand-by (Both cards are active. When one is busy talking, the other is deactivated.)	Dual SIM stand-by (Both cards are active. When one is busy talking, the other is deactivated.)

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

GSM	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz
CDMA	CDMA 800 MHz	CDMA 800 MHz	CDMA 800 MHz
W-CDMA	-	W-CDMA 850 MHz W-CDMA 900 MHz W-CDMA 1900 MHz W-CDMA 2100 MHz	W-CDMA 850 MHz W-CDMA 900 MHz W-CDMA 1900 MHz W-CDMA 2100 MHz
TD-SCDMA	TD-SCDMA 1880-1920 MHz TD-SCDMA 2010-2025 MHz	TD-SCDMA 1900 MHz TD-SCDMA 2000 MHz	TD-SCDMA 1900 MHz TD-SCDMA 2000 MHz
UMTS	UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz	-	-
LTE	LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE-TDD 1900 MHz (B39) LTE-TDD 2300 MHz (B40) LTE-TDD 2500 MHz (B41) LTE-TDD 2600 MHz (B38)	LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE-TDD 1900 MHz (B39) LTE-TDD 2300 MHz (B40) LTE-TDD 2500 MHz (B41) LTE-TDD 2600 MHz (B38)	LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE-TDD 1900 MHz (B39) LTE-TDD 2300 MHz (B40) LTE-TDD 2500 MHz (B41) LTE-TDD 2600 MHz (B38)

Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds

Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

Operating system (OS)

MIUI V9.5 (Android 8.1 Oreo) MIUI (Android 9.0 Pie)

MIUI V8.5.5 (Android 7.1.1 Nougat) MIUI V9.0.3 (Android 7.1.1 Nougat) MIUI V9.0 (Android 7.1.1 Nougat) MIUI V9.2 (Android 8.0 Oreo) MIUI V9.5.3 (Android 8.0 Oreo) MIUI (Android 9.0 Pie)

MIUI V8 (Android 7.1.1 Marshmallow)

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.

SoC (System on Chip)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 MSM8976 Plus		Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998
Technological process	14 nm	10 nm	10 nm
Processor (CPU)	4x 2.2 GHz Kryo 260, 4x 1.84 GHz Kryo 260		4x 2.45 GHz Kryo 280, 4x 1.9 GHz Kryo 280
Processor size	64 bit	64 bit	64 bit
Instruction Set Architecture	ARMv8	ARMv8-A	ARMv8-A
Level 1 cache (L1)	-	32 kB + 32 kB	32 kB + 32 kB
Level 2 cache (L2)	-	3072 kB 3 MB	3072 kB 3 MB
Number of processor cores	8	8	8
CPU clock speed	2200 MHz	2450 MHz	2450 MHz
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)	Qualcomm Adreno 512	Qualcomm Adreno 540	Qualcomm Adreno 540
GPU clock speed	650 MHz	710 MHz	710 MHz
Volume random access memory(RAM)	4 GB 6 GB	4 GB 6 GB	6 GB
Type of random access memory (RAM)	LPDDR4X	LPDDR4X	LPDDR4X
Number of RAM channels	Dual channel	Dual channel	Dual channel
RAM frequency	1866 MHz	1866 MHz	1866 MHz

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.

Built-in memory capacity	32 GB 64 GB 128 GB	64 GB 128 GB	64 GB 128 GB
	eMMC 5.1	UFS	UFS 2.0

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type/technology	IPS	IPS	IPS
Diagonal	5.99in 152.15 mm 15.21 cm	5.15in 130.81 mm 13.08 cm	5.7in 144.78 mm 14.48 cm
Width	2.68in 68.04 mm 6.8 cm	2.52in 64.13 mm 6.41 cm	2.79in 70.98 mm 7.1 cm
Height	5.36in 136.08 mm 13.61 cm	4.49in 114.01 mm 11.4 cm	4.97in 126.19 mm 12.62 cm
Aspect Ratio	2:1 2:1 (18:9)	1.778:1 16:9	1.778:1 16:9
Permission	1080 x 2160 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels
Pixel Density	403 ppi 158 ppcm	428 ppi 168ppcm	386 ppi 151 ppcm
Color depth	24 bit 16777216 flowers	24 bit 16777216 flowers	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen area	77.63 %	71.68 %	-
Other characteristics	Capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance	Capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance	Capacitive Multi-touch
	Display manufacturer - Tianma Corning Gorilla Glass 3 2.5D curved glass screen LTPS (Low Temperature PolySilicon) 500 cd/m² 84% NTSC	Corning Gorilla Glass 4 2.5D curved glass screen 1500:1 contrast ratio 600 cd/m² 94.4% NTSC	2.5D curved glass screen Force Touch Synaptics ClearForce

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.

Rear camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its back panel and may be combined with one or more secondary cameras.

Sensor model	Sony IMX486 Exmor RS	Sony IMX386 Exmor RS	Sony IMX362 Exmor RS
Sensor type	CMOS	CMOS	CMOS
Sensor size	-	4.96 x 3.72 mm 0.24in	-
Sensor format	1/2.9"	-	1/2.55"
Pixel size	1.25 µm 0.001250 mm	1.23 µm 0.001230 mm	1.4 µm 0.001400 mm
Crop factor	-	6.98	-
ISO (light sensitivity)	-	100 - 3200	100 - 3200
Svetlosila	f/1.75	f/1.8	f/2
Focal length	4.07 mm	3.82 mm 26.66 mm *(35 mm / full frame)	-
Number of optical elements (lenses)	-	6	6
Flash type	Double LED	Double LED	Double LED
Image Resolution	4000 x 3000 pixels 12 MP	4032 x 3016 pixels 12.16 MP	4032 x 3024 pixels 12.19 MP
Video resolution	3840 x 2160 pixels 8.29 MP	3840 x 2160 pixels 8.29 MP	3840 x 2160 pixels 8.29 MP
	30fps	30fps	30fps
Characteristics	Autofocus Continuous shooting Digital zoom Optical zoom Geographical tags Panoramic photography HDR shooting Touch Focus Face recognition White Balance Adjustment ISO Setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene Selection Mode	Autofocus Continuous shooting Digital zoom Optical zoom Optical image stabilization Geographical tags Panoramic photography HDR shooting Touch Focus Face recognition White Balance Adjustment ISO Setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene Selection Mode RAW Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF)	Autofocus Continuous shooting Digital zoom Digital image stabilization Geographical tags Panoramic photography HDR shooting Touch Focus Face recognition White Balance Adjustment ISO Setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene Selection Mode RAW Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF)
	720p@120fps Secondary rear camera - 20 MP (telephoto) Sensor model - Sony IMX376 Exmor RS (#2) Sensor type - CMOS BSI (#2) Sensor size - 1/2.78" (#2) Pixel size - 2.0 μm (4-in-1 pixel binning) (#2) Aperture size - f/1.75 (#2)	4-axis OIS 720p@120fps Secondary rear camera - 12 MP (telephoto) Sensor model - Samsung S5K3M3 (#2) Sensor type - ISOCELL (#2) Sensor size - 1/3.4" (#2) Pixel size - 1.0 μm (#2) Aperture size - f/2.6 (#2) 5-element lens (#2) Focal length (35 mm equivalent) - 52 mm (#2)	720p@120fps

Front-camera

Smartphones have one or more front cameras of various designs - a pop-up camera, a rotating camera, a cutout or hole in the display, an under-display camera.

Sensor model	Sony IMX376 Exmor RS	Sony IMX268 Exmor RS	-
Sensor type	CMOS BSI	CMOS	CMOS
Sensor size	-	4.54 x 3.42 mm 0.22in	-
Sensor format	1/2.78"	-	-
Pixel size	1 µm 0.001000 mm	1.391 µm 0.001391 mm	-
Crop factor	-	7.61	-
Svetlosila	f/2	f/2	f/2
Focal length	3.82 mm	3.14 mm 23.9 mm *(35 mm / full frame)	-
line of sight	-	80°	80°
Auxiliary light	LED	-	-
Image Resolution	5384 x 3752 pixels 20.2 MP	3264 x 2448 pixels 7.99 MP	3264 x 2448 pixels 7.99 MP
Video resolution	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP
Video recording speed (frame rate)	30fps	30fps	30fps
Characteristics	Face unlock	-	-
	Pixel size - 2.0 μm (4-in-1 pixel binning) HDR	-	-

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.

Battery

Samsung and Xiaomi this year became the first companies to release their flagships based on the new Snapdragon 835 processors. And although the companies belong to different echelons, and smartphones belong to different price categories, comparisons between these flagships cannot be avoided. Let's see what comes of this.

Let's start with the configuration of the devices. The Galaxy S8 comes complete with a whole lot of stuff: a paperclip for removing the SIM and microSD slots, a USB cable, a power adapter, headphones, a set of ear pads for them, an adapter with USB Type-C to microUSB, OTG adapter and instructions. The Xiaomi Mi 6 package is more modest: the kit includes a USB cable, a power adapter, an adapter from USB Type-C to 3.5mm jack, Silicone Case for smartphone, extractor and instructions. Despite the case, we'll give Samsung one point: the headphones are still a more pleasant bonus.

Screen. Here, the Korean company’s device has unconditional leadership: the front panel of the Samsung S8 is almost completely closed curved display, only tiny strips at the top and bottom had to be left for the speakers, camera and microphone. Diagonal Super AMOLED The Samsung S8 screen is 5.8 inches with a crazy resolution of 1440 x 2960 pixels. The Xiaomi Mi 6 has a standard screen and is made using the already familiar IPS technology; the screen diagonal is 5.15 inches and its resolution is 1920 x 1080 pixels. Honestly, after the Samsung S8, the screen of any other smartphone seems inferior. A point goes to a device from Samsung.

As for the body, both smartphones are similar in this regard: both have a back cover made of Gorilla Glass and a frame made of metal. Despite the large difference in the diagonal of the displays, the sizes of the smartphones are almost the same - the useful surface of the display affects it. The Samsung smartphone is 0.5 mm thicker, which is not felt at all. Both devices fit perfectly in the hand and do not slip out. Also, both smartphones are protected from water and dust, but if the Xiaomi Mi 6 is only protected from splashes, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is better protected: its protection level is IP68 and it can withstand short-term immersion in water. Again, the advantage of the Samsung S8 is obvious.

Performance. Inside the Samsung S8 there can be either a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or an Exynos 8895 processor, depending on the region of delivery. Both are approximately equal in performance. But, surprisingly, Xiaomi Mi 6 also has a Snapdragon 835, and it produces slightly better results in AnTuTu (at the time of writing this review, it is the second smartphone in terms of performance after the iPhone 7+ and, accordingly, the first in the ranking of Android smartphones). Samsung Galaxy The S8 is equipped with only 4 GB of RAM, which, in principle, is enough for the vast majority of needs, and 64 GB of permanent memory. For those for whom this is not enough, there is a microSD slot that can handle cards with a capacity of up to 256 GB. The situation is different for Mi 6: there are two memory options: 64 GB and 128 GB of permanent memory, while the amount of RAM is the same for both configurations. There is no slot for memory cards. In this competition, Mi 6 takes the lead.

Xiaomi Mi 6 runs on Android 7.1.1, but Samsung S8 is still on Android 7.0. As usual, the Chinese company’s smartphone runs on its own MIUI 8 shell, while the Korean device runs on TouchWiz. MIUI has almost no goodies inherent in Android 7.0, but Xiaomi is going to fix this in the near future with the release of MIUI 9.

One more thing to note: the Samsung smartphone has an additional button on the left side of the body, which activates the Bixby interactive assistant. This is essentially an analogue of Google Now, only from Samsung. It doesn't work very well. WITH Android release 7.1.1 on the device they promise to add the ability to redefine a button to another action, which is good news.

Also, Samsung's Home button is made using 3D Touch technology, that is, it is able to recognize pressing force. Always On technology is very attractive, thanks to which the smartphone constantly displays various useful information on the screen. You can turn it off, and this will save you about 10% of the charge, but, in our opinion, you shouldn’t do this: this feature is very useful in everyday use of the smartphone. One point goes to the device from Samsung.

Of course, thanks to the powerful hardware, navigation around the device is fast and nothing slows you down. The camera, even with HDR mode, works instantly. Both smartphones are capable of handling any heaviest application (it would be strange if this were not the case).

The Samsung S8's fingerprint scanner is located next to the main camera on the back of the device. Let's say right away that this is not very convenient: you constantly get your fingers into the camera lens. Even the camera software sometimes asks you to wipe the lens. Mi 6 has a scanner combined with touch button Home, and it works almost instantly. In this competition we give a point to Mi 6.

As for the other interfaces, everything is standard: dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC. In addition, the Samsung S8 has a retinal scanner feature to unlock the smartphone. To be honest, we found it a little useless, given that it certainly doesn't work in the dark or even in low light and can easily be faked by simply attaching a high-resolution printed photo.

Despite the fact that the smartphone from Xiaomi is slightly thinner than its competitor, the battery in it is more capacious: 3350 mAh in the Mi 6 versus 3000 mAh in the S8. In any case, both capacities should be enough for a day of work from smartphones in mode without launching games. Both smartphones support Quick Charge fast charging technology. In addition, Samsung S8 supports wireless charging. There is no clear leader in this championship.

Both smartphones can work with two SIM cards. Samsung S8 supports a larger number of LTE bands specific to the Russian Federation: 7, 20, 38, while Mi 6 supports only 7 and 38 bands. It’s hard to call this a big plus, since in the vast majority of cases this is enough.

There are no complaints about the sound quality. Both Samsung S8 and Xiaomi Mi 6 sound quite convincing. There are no complaints about the quality of the speaker and microphone either. The Mi6 doesn't have a traditional 3.5mm headphone jack, but it does have a USB Type-C to audio jack adapter, so that's not a problem.

And for dessert we have a camera-by-camera comparison. The Samsung S8 has one main camera, the Xiaomi Mi 6 has two. S8 camera parameters: focal length 26 mm, f/1.7 aperture, optical stabilization. Parameters of the first Mi 6 camera: focal length 27 mm, f/1.8 aperture, optical stabilization; second parameters: focal length 52 mm, aperture f/2.6, no optical stabilization. Roughly speaking, the second camera works like a zoom. As you can see, the main lens parameters samsung cameras The S8 and the first main camera of the Xiaomi Mi 6 are not very different, but in fact it turns out that the pictures on the Samsung come out a little better. This is especially noticeable in poor lighting conditions. And here's the thing: physical size There are more photomatrix and pixels in this matrix in the Samsung S8, due to which more light reaches each pixel under similar conditions.

However, it is worth noting that the Mi 6 has a special portrait mode in which photographs can be taken with bokeh (background blur). It works great, and the results are sometimes similar to DSLR photos. Therefore, in the camera competition, we do not give priority to anyone.

Both devices can shoot in 4K resolution at 30 frames per second.

And here front-camera Samsung S8 is still better. In addition to the fact that it has more pleasant characteristics, it can also shoot in 1440p resolution. For Mi 6 the limit is 1080p video. Both cameras, by the way, are 8-megapixel.

Let's summarize. Samsung S8 scores 5 points, Mi 6 – 2 points. A low number of points does not mean that the devices have few nice features. Conversely, in the event of a tie, we did not award points to either device.

To summarize, it is possible with ease. recommend Samsung S8 as an advanced device, especially in terms of appearance and screen. If you are not ready to spend an almost cosmic amount of money on an advanced smartphone, then Mi 6 will be an excellent alternative for you: in our market you can get it very inexpensively. Various features This smartphone's portrait mode, capacious battery, and fast fingerprint scanner will pleasantly surprise you.

We present to your attention a review of two flagships from leading smartphone manufacturers – Xiaomi and Apple. We are talking about Xiaomi Mi6 vs iPhone 7. Are they worthy competitors, how do they differ in ergonomics, functions and capabilities? Let's try to understand their similarities and differences together.

Equipment items

I would immediately like to note a common feature of the gadgets - none of them have an audio jack, as a result of which a special adapter is included in the package. Xiaomi packed it in a box USB cable Type-C with an adapter for our standard sockets, instructions, and a transparent silicone case. It will perfectly protect the device case from scratches and at the same time emphasize its spectacular appearance. To remove the SIM card, both devices have a compact paperclip.

The “Seven” does not come with a protective case, but instead the buyer is offered EarPods with a Lightning connector and a Lightning-to-mini-jack adapter. Of course, there were instructions and a charger.

Appearance: who is cuter?

When starting to study the design, I would immediately like to note that manufacturers approached the issue of choosing materials for creating the case differently. Xiaomi decided that the phablet should be radically different from other devices, so the back cover is made of impact-resistant glass. The front surface is also covered with equally durable glass, and the ends are protected by a stylish metal frame.

The glass is completely impervious to shocks and mechanical damage, but it easily collects fingerprints, so it is recommended to immediately use cases for Xiaomi phones.

The Apple brand did not approach this issue so radically, so it relied on a proven and reliable material - anodized aluminum. It has an excellent combination of lightness, strength and bending resistance. However, scratches easily appear on it, but fingerprints are practically invisible.

Considering such a parameter as ergonomics, I would like to note that both manufacturers paid close attention to this factor. The edges of both gadgets are rounded, due to which they do not dig into the hand. Accordingly, they are quite comfortable to hold, but you should be careful: both devices have a tendency to slip out of your hands.

Comparing Mi 6 and iPhone 7 in terms of the variety of color palettes, it becomes obvious that the primacy remains with “Apple products”. The Chinese brand offered users only three colors (black, white and blue), while Apple has much more - red, silver, gold, matte black, rose gold and black onyx.

Dimensions: focus on compactness

Both brands are doing everything possible to reduce the thickness of the devices to make them more comfortable to hold in your hands. And they succeed, because this figure, in comparison with their predecessors, has become smaller.

The dimensions of the “Six” from Xiaomi are 145.2x70.5x7.5 mm and weighs 168 grams. You shouldn’t be surprised at the rather solid weight indicators, because you need to remember that the body of the product is still glass.

The “Seven” is more compact – 138.3x67.1x7.1 mm, and weighs 138 grams due to the use of lightweight anodized aluminum.

Display: can we find the difference?

The screens of Xiaomi Mi 6 and iPhone 7 belong to the middle class, so they are outstanding technical characteristics there is no need to expect anything from them. The sixth version is equipped with a 5.15-inch IPS sensor, the resolution of which reaches 1920x1080 pixels (428 ppi). It is characterized by an excellent viewing angle, so even when the device is tilted, the picture clarity remains decent. There are functions of automatic and manual brightness adjustment, anti-glare coating, as well as a successful reading mode, which can be turned on manually or set the desired operating interval.

The indicators of the “seven” display module look more modest: it is a 4.7-inch IPS matrix, whose resolution is only 1334x750 (326 ppi). At first glance, such characteristics are not enough to display a high-quality picture, but the company’s engineers made a wise decision: due to the small size of the screen diagonal, it is not advisable to increase the resolution, because the picture looks flawless even in bright sunshine.

Both display modules They are protected by glass, there is an oleophobic coating, there are no questions about color rendering, and the viewing angles are pleasing. Who is winning? Surprisingly, the rivals here are equal.

Performance: determining the winner

It’s not for nothing that the devices are included in the premium segment, as they are equipped with some of the most powerful processors in the modern chipset market.

One of the leaders is Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, which is the owner of the sixth modification. It consists of eight cores, the maximum frequency of which reaches a record 2.5 GHz. This is the world's first processor made using 10 nm technology, which operates together with the Adreno 540 video accelerator. Just imagine: 60 FPS is supported in 3D! The introduction of innovative 10 nm technology has achieved excellent efficiency and a significant reduction in power consumption.

And according to AnTuTu it shows outstanding results - almost 182,000 benchmarks! Can a competitor achieve this level of performance?

As AnTuTu benchmarks show, Apple's A10 Fusion quad-core chipset comes close to its competitor as it scores over 176,000 benchmarks.

The PowerVR GT7600 video chip also copes well with complex graphics, so the playback quality of 3D games is also at a high level. In the vast majority of cases, there will be no slowdowns or freezes during operation of the device.

Another advantage of the gadgets is that they heat up to minimal values, so you won’t have to deal with a hot case during operation.

Autonomy: average

Who has the advantage in terms of battery life: Xiaomi Mi6 or iPhone 7? To answer, let's try to understand the energy intensity of installed batteries. Here the clear leader will be the product from Xiaomi, because it is the proud owner of a 3350 mAh battery, one charge of which is enough for a day in moderate use. If you watch videos or play toys, you will have to charge it after 8-9 hours.

The 7's battery capacity of 1950 mAh is sometimes not enough for the device to last at least a day without recharging. Often it has to be recharged in the evening. And if you use it very actively, then after 4-5 hours you will need to connect to the mains.

Its significant drawback is the lack of a fast charging function, as a result of which the process of replenishing the charge from 0 to 100% will take more than two hours. Agree, this is a long time, especially when compared with a competitor and its QuickCharge 4.0 function, which ensures that the full charge level is restored in 90 minutes.

Camera: both modules are good

The Apple brand still does not equip its products with dual photomodules, unlike the Chinese company. The main camera of the “Seven” is characterized by a 12-megapixel resolution, f/1.8 aperture and many settings. It does an excellent job of shooting in low light conditions, so your photos are virtually free of noise and blur.

This is the difference from the dual photo module installed in the Mi 6. Despite the presence of both a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens, four-axis stabilization and two-fold optical zoom, in low light conditions, noise and unclear areas of the image may be observed.

As for the front cameras, there are no significant differences: 8 megapixels in the sixth Mi versus 7 megapixels in the seventh iPhone. A certain advantage remains with the first option due to the fact that there is a built-in beautifier Beautify 3.0, which, using special filters, creates excellent-quality selfies.

Wireless technologies: complete set

Responsible for navigation in both gadgets GPS systems and GLONASS, the speed of connection to satellites does not cause the slightest criticism. The cold start time is minimal, literally three seconds, and the satellites are detected by the modules. There are also much-needed wireless technologies such as NFC, Bluetooth 4.2, WiFi b/g/n/ac, dual-band + Wi-Fi Direct, so there are no difficulties here.

A significant difference lies in the choice of operating system. A comparison of iPhone 7 and Xiaomi Mi 6 will be incomplete without comparing the capabilities of the OS: iOS 10 versus Android 7.1.1 Nougat, working in conjunction with MIUI firmware 8. The most important argument in favor of the Chinese brand’s shell is that it is constantly updated and provides users with maximum opportunities to adapt the interface to individual needs. Regular updates over the air, prompt elimination of bugs versus conservatism - the choice between MIUI and iOS is obvious.

Comparison of main characteristics

Options	Mi 6	Mi Note 3
Screen	5.15″, 1920x1080, Gorilla Glass	4.7 inches, 1334x750
CPU	Snapdragon 835	Apple A10 Fusion
Graphic arts	Adreno 540	PowerVR GT7600
RAM (GB)	4/6	2
ROM(GB)	64/128	32/128/256
Camera	Dual 12 MP, front – 8 MP	12 MP, front – 7 MP
Battery	3350 mAh	1950 mAh
Price	26000-32000 rub.	42000-47000 rub.

Conclusion

Is there a winner in the confrontation between the two flagships? No, our review did not reveal a clear leader, because both phablets are good in their own way. One pleasantly surprises with its performance parameters, the second wins in terms of photo quality. If we compare prices and battery life, the product created in China will clearly win.

As I promised, dear readers, we are starting to speed up the release time of reviews of current Xiaomi models, and the first of them will be the flagship Mi6, the presentation of which I attended a couple of weeks ago.

Characteristics

Specifications
Class	Flagship
Form factor	Monoblock
Housing materials	Glass
operating system	Android 7.1.1 + MIUI 8.0
Net	Two nanoSIM cards
Platform	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
CPU	Octa-core
Video accelerator	Adreno 540
Inner memory	64 GB or 128 GB
RAM	6 GB
Memory card slot	No
WiFi	a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth	5.0LE
NFC	Eat
Screen diagonal	5.15 inches
Screen resolution	1920 x 1080 pixels
Matrix type	IPS
Protective covering	Glass
Oleophobic coating	Eat
Main camera	Dual, 12 MP
Front-camera	8 MP
Navigation	GPS, A-GPS, BDS
Sensors	Fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass, barometer
Battery	3350 mAh, supports fast charging
Dimensions	145.2 x 70.5 x 7.5 mm
Weight	168 grams
Price	2500-3000 yuan (1 yuan = 8.3 rubles)

Equipment

• Smartphone
• Charger
• PC cable (also part of the charger)
• Silicone Case
• SIM eject key

The smartphone supports Qualcomm QuickCharge 4.0 technology, corresponding Charger comes included. Xiaomi also included a simple silicone case, apparently so that the smartphone does not get dirty.

Appearance, materials, control elements, assembly

The smartphone will come in four different colors, the first three being black, white and blue with gold with a glass body and a special premium version made of ceramic. I tested a simple blue version and it is this one, in my opinion, that looks the most interesting in terms of appearance.

In the comments, I came across two opposing points of view about this color: some readers consider the gold edging to be gypsy, while another part (including me) finds the combination of blue and gold unusual and original. Of course, there is no arguing about tastes, but personally I like the blue Mi6. Moreover, unlike the HTC U Ultra, not only the back panel is blue, but also the front.

The glass plays beautifully in the light and, depending on the lighting, changes its color from dark blue to light blue. The downside of such a case is that it gets dirty quickly and looks like a blue mirror.

If in Mi5s the case was curved only on the sides, then in Mi6 they also made bends at the top and bottom ends. Thanks to this, the smartphone feels smoother in the hand; the edges do not dig into your palm, as was the case with the Mi5s.

Above the screen there is a front camera, light and proximity sensors, a speaker mesh and an LED indicator.

Under the display there is a fingerprint scanner and touch keys “back” and “home”. In the settings you can change their positions, set actions for a long press, etc. In this regard, MIUI provides enormous scope for customization. Unlike the Mi5s, the scanner here is wonderful; it didn’t work for me probably 5% of the time. The rest of the time, unlocking occurred instantly.

At the bottom there is a Type C port, one of the external speakers and a conversational microphone. The Mi6 has stereo speakers, but the second speaker is the speaker. Music playback quality is excellent, but the maximum volume could be higher. But the Xiaomi minijack was abandoned, in my opinion, prematurely.

On the top you can see the IR port and the hole for the second microphone.

On the left is a volume rocker and a power button, and on the right is a tray for two nanoSIMs. There is no microSD slot in Mi6.

At the back there are two main cameras and a dual flash.

At the presentation they showed how effectively the Mi6 falls into water and survives rain and splashes without problems, but there is no information anywhere about moisture protection according to any standard, for this reason I was simply afraid to bathe the smartphone.

Dimensions

Mi6 is one of the few remaining compact smartphones, - this is exactly how I wanted to start this section, but when I started selecting competitors, I realized that all companies have more or less compact flagships, so this cannot be called a unique advantage.

On the other hand, the fact that a smartphone has compact competitors does not make it any less convenient. My main device is the iPhone 6, so it’s uncomfortable for me to use big Android phablets every time, but I liked the little Mi6.

Compared to Meizu Pro 6

The smartphone is heavy for its size, but the weight is distributed evenly, so it does not cause much discomfort.

Screen

In the first look, I wrote that the display in Mi6 has not changed much in comparison with Mi5s, I have to admit that I was wrong. The fact is that in Beijing I did not have the previous generation at hand, but the right smartphone lay at home. Comparing the screens head-to-head, it is immediately clear that the Mi6 has a higher level of maximum and minimum brightness, brighter and richer color rendition and no red halos when scrolling, better behavior in the sun. The display has definitely improved.

At the same time, a couple more significant advantages were added to it. Firstly, the minimum brightness level is now 1 nit (the brightness of one candle). At the presentation they said that people spend half of their time with a smartphone in bed in the evening or at night. At this time, it is important not to overload your eyes, and sometimes even the minimum brightness is unnecessary. I tried using the Mi6 in complete darkness and I can’t help but note that using the device at night is now much more pleasant.

The second change is an improved reading mode. In most smartphones, when you turn it on, the picture immediately begins to turn very yellow. For this reason, few people use it regularly. Mi6 has worked on this function and now when reading mode is turned on, the difference with a regular picture is almost invisible. This is true, although a lot depends on what intensity you have chosen in the settings.

operating system

The smartphone works under Android control 7.1.1 and MIUI 8.0. Initially I had a version on Chinese firmware, fortunately, a week after the announcement, Xiaomi sent a beta of global firmware, which is what I tested the smartphone on.

MIUI is undoubtedly one of the most customizable skins, and that is why it is so loved by geeks. Here you can configure absolutely everything from turning off your smartphone according to a schedule to the behavior of a connected wired headset. We plan to prepare a review of MIUI and other shells next month.

Performance

This is one of the first smartphones running on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, and it is a mass model, and not an expensive flagship for 50 thousand rubles. Latest chipset shows excellent tests in all benchmarks and copes well with any load, be it a regular application or the powerful World of Tanks.

During operation, the Mi6 practically does not heat up; if you run Antutu several times in a row, the smartphone becomes warm, but not hot, it is still comfortable to use.

Autonomous operation

At the presentation of Mi6 they talked about the fact that, despite the need of users for batteries with capacities of 4000 mAh and higher, most modern flagships still have a much smaller capacity. They cited the following tablet to confirm their words.

As for the results of battery life, they are standard: you can safely count on four to five hours of the display on at close to maximum brightness. At the same time, the smartphone supports fast charging Qualcomm QuickCharge 4.0. In half an hour it charges 56% in half an hour, 90% in an hour and fully in an hour and a half.

Camera

Typically, when a manufacturer installs a dual camera, it implements either background blur or double zoom. Few people do both. Personally, I think zoom is more important, but /Roman Belykh prefers portrait blur. Mi6 can do both, while the zoom here is optical, and the blur is software. Since it was the camera in Mi6 that aroused the most interest, we decided to make a separate material on it and released it before the review, because global version I didn’t have the firmware on hand yet. Therefore, this time for details on the camera, I refer you to that article by Roman.

Wireless interfaces

At the presentation, they talked about the special structure of dual antennas in a smartphone, which increases the Wi-Fi signal reception area. For my part, I confirm this, the device catches the network more confidently than most competitors, this is especially noticeable on dual-band Wi-Fi.

The Chinese did not skimp on the NFC module either; it supports all popular standards and can work with the Troika application.

Conclusion

I had no complaints about the quality of voice transmission after two weeks of use.

Xiaomi plans to officially sell the Mi6 in Russia, but is not yet ready to name the price of the smartphone here. Let me suggest that the younger version will cost you 30-32 thousand rubles. Based on this price tag, we will select competitors for Mi6. But first, about the advantages and disadvantages.

I liked the appearance of the model, it looks beautiful and unusual, the blue version is pleasing to the eye, and the smoothed edges and ends allow you to hold your smartphone with greater comfort. The screen, compared to the Mi5s, became brighter and more contrasting, acquired several useful features. The cameras take excellent pictures, with both double zoom and software background blur. Among other advantages, I would highlight good Wi-Fi reception, the presence of NFC and latest version chipset from Qualcomm.

Not without its shortcomings. Refusal of a minijack and a slot for a memory card are objective disadvantages, but I will also add that the case gets soiled so that it does not lose its presentation, you will have to wipe it regularly.

I liked the Mi6; it is one of those smartphones that is pleasant to use, despite the shortcomings described above. But for 30-32 thousand it has a number of strong competitors.

Meizu Pro 6. The compact music flagship from Meizu of the previous generation still looks attractive in comparison with the Mi6. It uses a practical aluminum body, an AMOLED matrix, good camera, there is also a slot for a memory card and a standard minijack.

ZTE Nubia Z11. Another strong competitor with a cool look, edge-to-edge display and comfortable shell.

Huawei P10. The flagship from Huawei can also easily compete with the Mi6 in terms of characteristics and price: dual camera, top-end chipset, good display, sophisticated shell.

How do you like the new product, dear readers?