You know how the saying goes: fast, cheap, or good; you may only pick two. This is the general rule of thumb when it comes to our expectations towards most of the things in our world today, especially when it comes to retail products.
As a disruptive force in the world of smartphones, Xiaomi seems to be a company that continuously defies the laws of retail products. With their recent foray into Singapore, they brought with them the same amount of fanaticism, fervor, and pandemonium with their trademark “fire sale” that distinctly heralds their brand.
I was also consumed by this “fire” and finally managed to get a set of their flagship offering, the Xiaomi Mi3, after several failed tries. Here’s a short review 3 months into using the phone.
Upon making successful payment for the phone, the delivery was made within 3 to 4 working days. The first thing you will notice when the packaging comes is how well-produced it feels in your hands, and how it completely exceeds your expectations. Although the packaging material is just normal corrugated cardboard, it feels sturdy and cut with the purpose to accommodate miscellaneous accessories while allowing the phone to take the center stage.
The Xiaomi Mi3 is a beautiful, classy device. Sleek and thin, it’s 8.1 mm thin and sports a uni-body design with no unsightly screws or any removable battery casings.
I got the black colored one, so the back of the phone feels smooth and matte upon touch, while the front is completely black and protected by Gorilla Glass. On the top, there’s the proximity and light sensor, the phone speaker, as well as the front camera and a status LED. Right below you can see the three synonymous Android buttons (menu, home, and back) that are softly illuminated without any signs of light bleeding.
Switching from an iPhone to Android, I was at first uncomfortable with the large size of the Mi3 and worried that it was not ideal for day-to-day usage. The iPhone is easily accessible by thumb and is perfect for single hand usage, and this new device initially seemed to demand attention from both my hands. Fortunately, my fears were unfounded as details in the Mi3’s design quickly helped me to acclimatize to its handling.
