A couple of weeks after its global unveiling, the Xiaomi Mi A3 is now in Malaysia. As expected, the Android One device is priced very competitively for our market, retailing below the RM1,000 price point; even for the 128GB variant.
On top of that, the Xiaomi Mi Band 4 was also launched at the same time, carrying a RM149 price tag. For folks who are looking to get an affordable smartphone or fitness band, these two products are worth considering.
Let’s start with the Mi A3, Xiaomi’s latest Android One device. Two variants are available in Malaysia: the 64GB model retails at RM899, while the 128GB variant goes for RM999. Without a doubt these are competitive prices for a device of this calibre.
Compared to its predecessor, the Mi A3 brings quite a number of improvements. It has a much more generous 4,030mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging, an in-screen fingerprint sensor, a power-efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 655 chipset (built on an 11nm process), and a more sophisticated triple camera system, among other things.
However, there is one hardware that draws criticism: the 6.088-inch 720p AMOLED display. That’s right, a 720p display, which is technically a downgrade from its predecessor’s 1080p IPS screen. Granted, the shift to an AMOLED panel can be seen as an upgrade, but many (including us) are puzzled at the 720p resolution.
That being said, in our hands-on of the Mi A3, we mentioned that it’s not that big of a deal. Of course, it’s possible to see the pixelation of the display close-up, but when viewed at a normal distance, it doesn’t look particularly blurry or anything. Plus, it’s an AMOLED screen, so you get deep blacks, vibrant colours, and great viewing angles.
Besides the display, other specifications of the Mi A3 are relatively good. It comes with 4GB of RAM, a microSD card slot (a feature that wasn’t available on the Mi A2), a 3.5mm headphone jack (also unavailable on the Mi A2), and a USB-C port.
In the camera department, the Mi A3’s triple camera system is made up of a 48MP f/1.79 primary sensor, an 8MP f/2.2 wide angle shooter, and a 2MP f/2.2 depth camera. The front-facing shooter, on the other hand, has a 32MP f/2.0 sensor.
And then we have the Mi Band 4, Xiaomi’s most complete wearable yet. It features a 0.95-inch 240 x 120 AMOLED display, a 135mAh battery, which can deliver up to 20 days of battery life, and a 5 ATM rating; it can be submerged up to 50m underwater for 10 minutes without problem.
The Xiaomi Mi A3 will be available in Malaysia from Shopee, Lazada, as well as Authorised Mi Stores from 3 August onwards. The Xiaomi Mi Band 4, on the other hand, can be purchased right now from the same channels.