According to Xiaomi, the Mi Mix 3’s display is a 6.39-inch OLED panel that’s covered in 2.5D curved glass, with a resolution of 2244×1080 pixels and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. If you’ve ever looked at any other smartphone on the market, chances are you’re used to seeing 18.5:9 resolutions. On a 6.39-inch display, it means you’ll have an aspect ratio of around 93.4 percent. And because it’s a 6.39-inch panel, it’s going to fit into the palm of your hand easily, with a higher screen-to-body ratio compared to other phones in the 6-inch-plus market. Since the screen is AMOLED, there’s also no need for a notch or any sort of hole in the screen.

The camera and battery life

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 comes with a 4,200 mAh battery. That’s a little short of the battery life offered by Xiaomi’s most recent flagship phone, the Xiaomi Mi 8. It doesn’t stop the phone from lasting a day and a half, or more with heavy use, but it is a mark of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3’s weaker battery performance that it doesn’t offer the same longevity as the Xiaomi Mi 8. The camera, too, is a strength of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3. It has a 52-megapixel Sony IMX586 sensor which, despite sharing a name with the camera in the current top-end handset from Sony, is actually a brand new unit.

The internal hardware and software

When it comes to designing a smartphone, the devil is in the details. A device’s inner workings are just as important as the exterior looks. In the case of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, the specifications include an octa-core CPU, a Snapdragon 710 CPU, an Adreno 616 GPU, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. For the camera, the handset includes a 12MP+12MP camera setup, coupled with 4-axis OIS for improved image stabilization. The next thing to consider is the display itself. The Mi Mix 3 comes with an edge-to-edge panel that ditches the notch and the hardware necessary to house the front-facing camera in order to deliver a truly bezel-less experience. In fact, the device’s display measures a whopping 91.3% screen-to-body ratio.

What else can you get for your money?

Xiaomi has released its full range of the three versions of the Mi Mix 3: the base variant with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, the standard 6GB version with 256GB of storage, and the top-end 8GB RAM with 512GB storage. The 16GB version of the Mi Mix 3 has been omitted from the range, but with 128GB of storage, and an individual contract price of £346.32, it’s still a cheap way to buy the Mi Mix 3. The Snapdragon 845 processor runs the show, which is a sign that it will be a power-user’s phone, rather than a casual mobile shopper’s phone. For another example of the handset’s heft, the Mi Mix 3 tips the scales at 198g. It also has a big 5,000mAh battery, which seems to work really well.

Conclusion

In the world of mobile devices, smartphones are more than just a tool for calling and texting and using social media; for many consumers, they are becoming the primary form of digital connection with friends and family. However, with such tremendous growth, there is always a worry of a ‘good enough’ phone (referring to what many manufacturers call ‘premium’ quality devices) being on the market and being able to provide a top-quality experience at a lower price point. Having witnessed the explosive growth of the global smartphone market, I feel compelled to put together a comprehensive list of the best smartphones on the market, offering excellent value for money.