Xiaomi Mi 4i

Sold at an affordable price, Xiaomi Mi 4i is an amazing mid-range offering, developed on the basis of the company's 2014 flagship Mi 4. Incredibly well designed, the phone takes cues of inspiration from an iPhone 5C, with its impressive build quality and a smooth and animated MIUI 6 interface. Despite the fact that the phone is positioned as a mid-range device, it packs an impressive number of features, excellent battery, good cameras and a gorgeous display sourced from Sharp.

However you look at it and whatever the source of your preferred review, Mi 4i lives up to the designation it received from Xiaomi, being an 'affordable flagship'. Aside from its powerful specs, the phone's most notable feature is its sturdy built quality. The engineers at Xiaomi have truly figured it out, as Mi 4i feels absolutely solid. Still, at just 7.8mm thickness and weighing 130 grams, Mi 4i lends itself comfortably to one-handed use. If you're used to the convenience of using two carriers at the same time, you'll also be delighted to know that Mi 4i is dual sim.

Among the many standout features of this phone that make it one of the best value propositions out there is the 5 inch IPS LCD display. The reason it deserves a special mention is the same reason that would lead one to suggest a much higher price range for this device. With incredible viewing angles, neutral colour temperatures, great colour reproduction this screen is really good. At the same time, Xiaomi Mi 4i makes use of a technology that adjusts hardware levels to improve screen performance in bright sunlight, providing for a much better visibility outdoors. So, no matter your intended use of the Mi 4i smartphone, whether work or play, its gorgeous Full HD Sharp display will have you covered.

Performance of a phone is never attributed to the screen alone. Hence, let us take a closer look at the hardware that is part of the package. Xiaomi Mi 4i relies on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 for processing, consisting of eight cores, clocked at an impressive 1.7GHz. One of the features is a separate graphics GPU, the Adreno 405, which is complemented by 2GB of RAM, making Xiaomi Mi 4i decidedly capable when it comes to resource-intensive applications like watching videos or gaming. The phone comes equipped with a respectable 16GB of internal storage and a 3,120 mAh battery. The latter utilizes quick charge technology to replenish itself from zero to 40% in less than an hour.

As we have come to expect from Xiaomi, Mi 4i has a great Sony/Samsung sourced 13MP rear camera, accompanied by a dual LED flash. Selfie lovers will rejoice at the presence of a 5MP front-facing shooter. Both of these take sharp photos, while the camera software allows for an appropriate amount of manual control. For instance, one can adjust exposure through the use of the focus ring even in automatic mode. Overall, it is safe to conclude that while Xiaomi Mi 4i is a mid-range, affordable flagship, every bit of its spec comes at an unbeatable price.