Xiaomi MIX 4 review: Dress in Tsing Yi to show off your elegance! Perfect mobile phone screen

1. Foreword and Picture Appreciation

Note: The preface is long and mainly reviews Xiaomi’s history of impacting high-end and MIX series. You can skip the preface directly to save time.

A few years ago, Xiaomi mobile phones were synonymous with cost-effectiveness, which was also the imprint of the brand.

1999 yuan, Xiaomi has been famous in the mobile phone circle for its cost-effectiveness since the release of its first mobile phone. With its unique Internet operation, dealer costs are subtracted, but at the same time, cost-effectiveness has become Xiaomi’s mobile phone. of bondage.

With the important premise of cost-effectiveness, Xiaomi did not dare to invest in a lot of research and development, especially in the high-end market. Xiaomi was even more pitiful. At that time, no one would want to buy a 5,000 yuan Xiaomi mobile phone. The cycle is difficult to break the ice.

In early 2015, the high-end flagship Xiaomi Mi Note debuted. The top-end version rarely used a 2K resolution screen, priced at 3,299 yuan, and hired celebrities to endorse it. Xiaomi, which was still in the dark, released A high-end series.

We all know the final response, and the performance is not satisfactory. The most important thing is that Xiaomi’s brand tone has not yet been established. The Note series was released almost without any warning, and the products were piled up. , ignoring the experience.

In 2016, at the Xiaomi Note 2 launch conference, Lei Jun only spent half an hour talking about this model. When everyone thought the conference was over, MIX appeared on the big screen, and when it lit up At the moment when the screen appeared, the whole audience was jubilant.

It was really jubilant. The author was squatting next to the computer watching the press conference and was deeply impressed.

At that time, smartphones were faced with a choice. Which form should they develop into? Folding? Is it a flip? The first generation of Xiaomi MIX gave an answer - full screen. Many years later, the screen-to-body ratio of smartphones began to expand, from an 18:9 ratio to a notch screen, then to a water drop screen, and then to a hole-punch screen.

A director of the Finnish National Design Museum commented on the first generation of Xiaomi MIX, which pointed out the direction of future smartphone design.

In the following years, Xiaomi laid out the high-end market and successively released MIX 2/2S. Until MIX 3 in 2018, this series pressed the pause button and began to focus on the digital series. The Redmi brand is independent, and the latter takes over the banner of cost-effectiveness. Xiaomi is attacking the high-end market. As you all know, with the Xiaomi 10 series and Xiaomi 11 series, this brand has gradually established a foothold in the high-end market.

During this period, although models such as MIX Alpha and MIX FOLD were also released, they were not part of the basic series. What Mi Fans wanted most was still the iterative update - MIX 4.

Now, it's here.

In terms of color matching, Xiaomi MIX 4 is available in three colors: shadow gray, ceramic white, and ceramic black. They all use Unibody all-ceramic bodies, and are the first lightweight integrated precision ceramics. What is the use? Let’s take a look at the picture appreciation session.

Mobile phone packaging

Mobile phone packaging

Printed with "There is no perfection in the world, but there are always people who pursue perfection"

Open the package

After removing the protective film of the phone and putting it in, it looks like a whole piece of glass. Let’s talk about MIX 4 using a hyperboloid screen, but some users still prefer straight screens. Some say curved screens are easier. In case of accidental touch, some people say that it is not as good-looking as the straight screen, but for now, the slightly curved form of MIX 4 is very suitable for the present, and I personally think that the appearance of the straight screen is definitely higher than that of the straight screen (everyone has his own opinion, Anti-bang), and MIUI also has algorithms to reduce accidental touches on curved screens, which will be discussed later.

Front of the phone

Front of the phone

This screen is the most important part of the MIX 4. It uses a new CUP full screen, which is said to have gone through three generations of technology iterations. The photo area and display area both reach 400ppi. Whether it is the front or side, or other color display, the lens in the center is completely invisible (the more obvious area in the center is the hole punched in the original protective film), and the actual screen is fully displayed.

Front of the phone

Front of the phone

In order to achieve this display effect, Xiaomi MIX 4 pioneered the micro-diamond arrangement, maintaining the same number of pixels and RGB ratio. Under such circumstances, the sub-pixel area is reduced, light occlusion is reduced, and 100% full-pixel display is achieved. It also has a unique circuit design and ITO transparent leads. Compared with the first generation shown last year, there are still problems such as mosaics, screens, and pixel density. This time The screen of MIX 4 truly achieves a high degree of unity of normal screens in terms of display effect.

Front of the phone

The CUP display area is 0.2cm?, occupying 0.2% of the entire screen area. It is said that such a small area costs more than an entire conventional flagship machine screen, the cost has increased significantly, and the production process is complicated.

In terms of parameters, the MIX 4 screen is 6.67 inches, made of AMOLED material, with a resolution of 2400x1080, supports P3 color gamut, JNCD 0.34, dE 0.4, HDR1, supports 120Hz refresh rate + 480Hz touch sampling rate , 10bit color depth, True Tone color display, front and rear dual sensors, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, and Dolby Vision.

After verification, Xiaomi’s screen came from Huaxing Optoelectronics. To be precise, it was jointly developed by Xiaomi and Huaxing. According to the official introduction, they invested a special team of 100 people, which took 3 years and the total investment cost exceeded 5 billion, and has applied for more than 60 patents including high-transmittance screen design and self-developed underlying software algorithms.

How would you rate this screen? Before we talk about it, let’s talk about an important issue first, which is the conflict between under-screen and pop-up front cameras. Both achieve a full screen without openings and can display a complete screen. However, the latter has a mechanical structure. The increase in weight and thickness, and the occupying of precious internal space, makes the transition more appropriate. The under-screen camera is in line with the upgrade rules, from bangs to water droplets, and then from hollowed out to under the screen.

Let’s talk about the advantages first. Although there are already models with under-screen cameras on the market, from a visual point of view, the MIX 4 solution is the best under-screen camera display effect I have ever seen. First, it is displayed exactly the same as other screen areas.

Of course, there are regrets, that is, the screen quality. Nowadays, flagship models are basically high resolution + high refresh rate, including peak brightness, color accuracy, and panels, such as Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra. It belongs to the top ranks, and the under-screen camera is still a new technology. To say that it has a top-notch display would be bragging, but as mentioned before, the display effect of Xiaomi MIX 4 is completely adequate in my personal opinion.

The back of the phone

The back of the phone

The back of the phone

The back of the phone

In terms of design, MIX 4 is rear-mounted It is a rectangular camera module, located in the upper left corner. It has a conventional shape. It is not as unique as the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra. The overall design language is still Xiaomi’s design language in the past two years. It can only be said to be quite satisfactory and not too eye-catching. Just when I was thinking about it. When I was a little disappointed with the design, I changed my opinion when I held it in my hand.

The first impression it gave me was the texture of MIX 2’s all-ceramic body. After careful inspection, I found that it is indeed a Unibody all-ceramic body, and it is the first new lightweight one-piece ceramic body.

In the author’s impression, the reason why traditional ceramics are not widely used in mobile phones is that the cost is higher than that of glass and the weight. However, there is a saying that the texture of ceramics is as gentle as glass or other materials. Incomparable.

The back of the phone

The back of the phone

However, MIX 4 is not that heavy to start with. After checking, the body weight is only 225g, and it is partially made of glass flagship models. Pretty much, and the reason is thanks to the machine's lightweight ceramics. It uses high-purity nano-zirconia composite material. This professional term is difficult to understand. Just know that it is 30% lighter than traditional ceramics, but it still has the original texture of ceramics.

According to Xiaomi, the production process of Xiaomi MIX 4 lightweight integrated ceramics is quite complicated. Compared with traditional ceramics, it is 25% more and requires 46 processes. If there is even a slight difference, the entire furnace of ceramics will be scrapped. I have to say that this is another exploration of ceramic technology in the MIX series. It is not a boast. For the all-ceramic body + various components of the body, MIX 4 has achieved an acceptable weight.

Back of mobile phone

Back of mobile phone

Porcelain has a long history. It can be traced back to more than 3,000 years ago. my country already had porcelain. By the Song Dynasty, it was divided into five major categories. Famous kilns, so for Chinese people, ceramics are a symbol of elegance and gentleness with a long history.

In terms of color, in addition to ceramic black and ceramic white, Xiaomi MIX 4 also has shadow celadon. It is said to be inspired by the traditional ceramic treasure shadow celadon from the Northern Song Dynasty. The color is green and light blue, like uncut jade. .

In order to achieve this color matching, the machine uses a high-purity nanomaterial formula, supplemented by niobium oxide rare earth metal oxide and various metal oxides as colorants, and then dissolves, precipitates, and high-temperature calcinations respectively. The process creates the current color matching, which seems a bit chaotic at first glance, but if you look closely, it has a translucent texture.

The back of the mobile phone

The back of the mobile phone

A layman like the author knows a little bit that the most difficult thing for firing ceramics is light color, such as shadow cyan gray. There should be no impurities in the process. If you are not careful, you will go a long way. Some people may ask, why can white be used? This is because after most ceramics are fired, their original color is white, so the firing process of shadow pewter must be even more difficult.

Maybe you guys have noticed that none of the mobile phones I reviewed before have such a detailed introduction to the body. This is because holding it in my hand, the real MIX 4 phone made me feel a It has a sense of artistic quality, so we talk more, but it is useless to talk about it. If you have time, you can experience the real machine offline. It will definitely be amazing when you get started, especially the delicate feel of ceramics.

Let’s take a look at a few more pictures of Unibody’s all-ceramic body and shadow cyan gray color scheme.

The back of the phone

The back of the phone

The back of the phone

The top of the phone has infrared, UWB, microphone, and Harman Kardon logos< /p>

The bottom of the fuselage is the speaker, microphone, USB-Type interface, and SIM card slot

The R corner of the fuselage

The package comes with a 120W charger, data cable, Type-C to 3.5mm data cable, mobile phone case

In addition, MIX 4 also makes up for a shortcoming of the Unibody all-ceramic body, which is the signal. Ceramics have very strong hardness. What about the antenna strap? The author discovered that Xiaomi designers are careful. There is a small A shell (face shell) between the screen and the frame of MIX 4. It is usually used to buffer the screen from being broken when the phone falls. However, Xiaomi MIX 4 has made the A shell out of metal. Look carefully. If so, you can see the small narrow strip of the antenna hidden inside.

2. System experience

The MIX 4 in the author’s hands runs MIUI 12.5.3 based on Android 11. I have said this many times before in Xiaomi mobile phone reviews. Here are a few. The unique features of MIX, as well as some new functions of MIUI.

In terms of functions, this screen is basically complete. For example, DC dimming, eye protection mode, and color style are all retained, and it supports 120Hz refresh rate. It also supports AI master image quality engine and has super-resolution enhancement. , video quality enhancement, dynamic picture compensation and other display functions.

The system has a built-in setting called edge accidental touch prevention, which is mainly used to reduce accidental touches caused by hyperboloids. There are three modes to choose from and support customizing the area size. Some previous waterfall screen models also had this function, and the actual effect is obvious.

MIX 4 charging supports wired/wireless fast charging, including four charging modes. The default is regular constant temperature charging, as well as fast charging mode, as well as wireless charging 50W and 100W modes. This part will be discussed in detail later. explain.

The machine has a new smart charging system, which is claimed to extend battery life by 25%, including night smart charging mode, time domain smart charging mode, and battery health display. Among them, nighttime smart charging solves the problem of charging while sleeping at night to prevent the battery from being fully charged.

For example, if you charge your mobile phone before going to bed, it will basically be fully charged in one hour, and the remaining few hours will be full charge, which affects the battery life. Therefore, the MIX 4 algorithm is, if When it detects that the user is sleeping, the phone will intelligently charge to 80%, and then according to the alarm time, it will be fully charged when the user is about to wake up. It is an AI learning aid and will definitely not be felt in a day or two. It is estimated that it will take half a month to learn.

In terms of security, in addition to the previous flares, concealment masks, etc., the main new feature is the anti-lost function, which is officially claimed to be the strongest anti-lost mechanism in Xiaomi’s history.

The main functions are divided into five types: no shutdown, no network connection, no secret leakage, no theft, and no compatibility with other mobile phone cards. When Lost Mode is triggered, not shutting down means locking the screen and shutting down requires password verification, which is a normal operation.

Being constantly connected to the Internet is fun. We all know that if a mobile phone is lost and the SIM card is removed, the network will be disconnected. The function of finding the mobile phone is equivalent to being useless. However, MIX 4 has a built-in virtual SIM card, which can be used even if the SIM card is removed. Positioning, automatic networking, and the traffic generated is completely free.

To avoid being stolen, the SIM card must be bound to the phone and can only be used if it is unlocked. Moreover, after binding, the phone is not compatible with other mobile phone cards and can only be used if it is unlocked. In other words, as long as Xiaomi MIX 4 has power, it can locate the loss. So here comes the question, what should I do if I directly remove the battery? So this feature feels more like a gimmick, so it’s better not to lose your phone.

Finally, let’s talk about ads. The author has mentioned many times before that the built-in App ads have been reduced a lot in the latest version of MIUI 12.5, such as weather, calendar, etc. The ads at the bottom are gone. I hope there will be fewer and fewer ads in the future. .

3. Performance and Highlights

In terms of core configuration, Xiaomi MIX 4 is equipped with the Snapdragon 888 Plus processor for the first time. In fact, most users are familiar with it. Compared with the Snapdragon 888, It mainly upgraded the Cortex-X1 large core, and its main frequency was increased from 2.84GHz to 3GHz. At the same time, the AI ??engine achieved comprehensive performance improvement by increasing the frequency and software optimization, with a computing power of 32 trillion operations per second (32 TOPS), AI Performance improved by more than 20%.

Judging from the previous performance of the Snapdragon 888, the performance is an absolute flagship, but the power consumption and heat generation are somewhat unsatisfactory. However, the Snapdragon 888 Plus has once again increased the frequency, and its power consumption is expected to be higher. High, MIX 4’s solution is to add a new balanced mode.

According to the official introduction, the balanced mode will limit the energy consumption of the mobile phone to control the heat. In fact, to put it bluntly, it is to reduce the frequency of the processor, and turning on the performance mode will release the performance. It is a common practice in the industry to control the temperature. According to Xiaomi’s official data, MIX 4 with balanced mode turned on is cooler than the Snapdragon 888 phone.

In addition, there is a recently added memory expansion. MIX 4 can expand 3GB of running memory, use part of the idle ROM space for RAM operation, increase the equivalent memory capacity, and integrate RAM and ROM through algorithm optimization. .

In addition to the Snapdragon 888 Plus, the machine also has a full version of LPDDR5 memory + UFS 3.1 flash memory, and the first 3D graphene vapor chamber, which is a 280-micron-thick vapor chamber made of graphene. , compared with the previous vapor chamber, the heat conduction efficiency is higher, the area is 1206mm?, and the processor and motherboard are covered around it.

Having said so much, let’s run a score.

After actual testing, Xiaomi MIX 4’s AnTuTu score was 830506. The CPU and GPU scores were higher than those of ordinary Snapdragon 888 models. The performance obtained by increasing the frequency is a slight upgrade.

In terms of storage, MIX 4 is equipped with UFS 3.1 flash memory, with a sequential read speed of 1950MB/s and a sequential write speed of 737MB/s.

4. Image

In terms of image, MIX 4 seems to be relatively conventional. Compared with current flagship models, such as its own Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, it can only be said to be quite satisfactory, but its overall performance is better. Better than Xiaomi Mi 11, it has an extra telephoto lens.

In terms of parameters, the rear of Xiaomi MIX 4 is a 100-megapixel main camera (HMX, 1/1.33 inches, OIS optical image stabilization) + 13-megapixel free-form ultra-wide-angle (FOV120, 6P) + 8 million pixels Pixel periscope telephoto lens (5X optical zoom, OIS optical image stabilization).

To see how it performs, take a look at the sample. It should be noted that due to the epidemic prevention and control in the area where the author is located, I cannot go out to take pictures of high-rise buildings. I have to simply take pictures in the community. I hope you understand.

1. Daytime sample

Architecture (default main camera is 16 million pixels f/2 ISO-49)

Architecture (default main camera is 16 million pixels f/ 2 ISO-50)

Architecture (5X zoom shooting f/3.4 ISO-50)

Plants (main camera defaults to 16 million pixels f/2 ISO-82)

Plants (default main camera is 16 million pixels f/2 ISO-100)

Ultra wide angle is not enabled (default main camera is 16 million pixels f/2 ISO-50)

Turn on the ultra-wide angle (8 million pixels f/2 ISO-50)

Among them, the free-form lens can achieve a 120-degree field of view and hardware-level anti-distortion. The ultra-wide-angle lens uses a new set of algorithms to enable the ultra-wide-angle lens. After that, the main camera will also be taken, and the two photos will be merged into one. The center area is the main camera picture, and the edge is the ultra-wide-angle picture, maintaining the resolution of the sample.

2. Night sample

Architecture (default main camera is 16 million pixels f/2 ISO-1603)

Plants (default main camera is 16 million pixels f/ 2 ISO-3412)

Plants with no light at all (the main camera defaults to 16 million pixels f/2 ISO-8400)

Plants with no light at all (turn on night scene f/2 ISO -1601)

Night scene is not enabled (main camera defaults to 16 million pixels f/2 ISO-4386)

Night scene is enabled (main camera defaults to 16 million pixels f/2 ISO-1604)

Judging from the shooting samples of MIX 4, the algorithm is still Xiaomi's usual method of brightening the dark parts and suppressing the highlights. The night scene mode is changed to take multiple photos and then calculate them, but the effect is better than the previous evaluation. Xiaomi Mi 10 is better. The latter's algorithm has also been improved. It can be predicted that future mobile phone cameras will begin to develop computational photography instead of focusing on large soles and high pixels.

5. Battery life and charging

In terms of battery life, MIX 4 has a built-in 4500mAh battery MTW multi-pole battery. Since it is equipped with the higher-frequency Snapdragon 888 Plus, the power consumption performance will be How? Use the AnTuTu stress test function to conduct a super power consumption test.

Stress test is a built-in function of Antutu evaluation. It tests the stability of device performance by performing high-load calculations. It requires the CPU to perform a lot of calculations, so the power consumption is higher than that of video and daily use. Wait for the scene to be bigger.

Test conditions: No SIM card inserted, the device is connected to Wi-Fi, positioning is turned on, the battery is fully charged, the screen brightness is adjusted to the highest level, and all background services are turned off. Turn on AnTuTu stress test, test continuously, and record the remaining power of the device every 30 minutes.

Under the super power consumption test, Xiaomi MIX 4 lasted for 180 minutes, which is equivalent to the Snapdragon 870 model (4500mAh) reviewed last time. The main reason is the new balanced mode, which reduces power consumption. Frequency controls power consumption and body heat, making MIX 4's battery life even longer than some Snapdragon 888 models.

What’s even more impressive is that the machine only consumed 9% of its power during the first 30 minutes of the stress test.

The last is the battery life estimate, because this result is based on the CPU being at full load. Taking into account our daily use and screen time, this data needs to be converted into multiples to get the performance of MIX 4 It has more than 6 hours of continuous use. Note that it is continuous use, not daily screen turning off, replying to messages, etc.

Charging has always been the strong point of Xiaomi mobile phones. Almost every flagship has made a breakthrough. Xiaomi MIX 4 has even achieved 100W wireless fast charging, but the default is 50W and you need to manually turn on the 100W charging mode.

In terms of wired charging, the default is 120W wired fast charging, but it is not a continuous high power. It also provides a manual turning option. Only after turning on the fast mode can the full speed of 120W be exerted.

After actual testing, Xiaomi MIX 4 was charged to 100% in 21 minutes in constant temperature mode, and 55% of the power was charged in 9 minutes. In fast mode, 120W was fully released, and it was charged to 100% in 15 minutes. It takes 9 minutes to charge 72% of the battery.

Next let’s look at wireless charging, which requires Xiaomi’s 100W sailing air-cooled wireless charging base and a 120W charger.

The wireless mode is divided into two modes: 50W and 100W. The 50W wireless charging takes 48 minutes to charge to 100%, and the 100W wireless charging takes 29 minutes to charge to 100%. The speed is directly doubled, surpassing that of most mobile phones. Some wired charging speeds.

6. The road of exploration of MIX 4

It took more than 1,000 days before the release of MIX 4. However, the project was established at the end of 2018, which means that Xiaomi has been polishing it for nearly three years. time.

It takes three years to polish a model, and the effort behind it can be imagined. It is this expectation, coupled with the stunningness of the first generation, that makes MIX 4 expectations too high, even though its The performance is definitely in line with the meaning of exploration, but after giving the MIX series, there doesn’t seem to be much innovation?

To talk about this issue, let’s put aside the CUP full screen and lightweight one-piece ceramic and look directly at the product itself. Judging from the paper parameters, MIX 4 is equipped with the Snapdragon 888 Plus processor, and the rear is still the same. 100 million pixel main camera, 120W wired charging + 100W wireless charging, which is a regular update.

So what is the significance of MIX 4 exploration? In fact, it is "internal strength". Lei Jun has mentioned many times that Xiaomi's high-end mobile phones must rely on experience in the future. What is experience? For now, I think it is necessary to have it when needed, such as mobile phone signal, and then temperature control. If it is based on Xiaomi's previous style can only be said to be 120W slow charging, but this time it has specially added a constant temperature mode, a balanced mode and an anti-lost function.

The purpose of doing this is to make MIX 4 more practical, rather than just stacking parameters and making the data look good. It can be said that it is different from previous MIX series models. On the basis of exploration ( CUP full screen, lightweight ceramic), began to focus on user experience.

I have got MIX 4 for a few days, and I have basically completed the previous tests, but I haven’t written the final summary because I don’t want to draw conclusions prematurely, so after watching the press conference, I After reading many netizens’ opinions on MIX 4, one question is: Is the configuration of MIX 4 not as good as Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra?

Excluding normal upgrades, the imaging capabilities are indeed not as good as those of Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra. As for selfie performance, Lei Jun even admitted that the current under-screen front camera is not as good as digging a hole. However, you must know that MIX 4 also has the above characteristics. It can be said that the two positions are different and each has its own advantages. Overall, Xiaomi’s digital series is about breakthroughs, from 1 to 2 or more, while MIX is about innovation, from 0 to 1.

Finally, let me make a digression. In Lei Jun’s annual speech, he talked about a past event. In 2014, at the first World Internet Conference, when Lei Jun said with high spirits that Xiaomi wanted to be the number one in the world, he was ridiculed and... The whole room burst into laughter, and almost everyone thought it was impossible. Now Xiaomi has reached the second place in the world (Q2 2021), so when Lei Jun said that within three years, Xiaomi mobile phones will become the first in the world, no one will Ridiculed, no one even questioned.

To be honest, every time I see Lei Jun on the Internet, it is hard to imagine that he can make Xiaomi mobile phones the second in the world within 10 years, completely changing the rules of the mobile phone market, just like the MIX series, Always on the road of exploration, brave and passionate.