You’ll also like: Xiaomi Mi 5X rumours and MIUI 9.0 rumours Headline new features include a high-performance Snapdragon 835 processor, which is paired with 6GB of RAM and either 64- or 128GB of storage, plus ‘four-sided 3D glass’ and a dual camera. You’ll also find dual speakers, a 3,350mAh battery that will last all day, an under-glass fingerprint sensor and a newly splash-proof body with sealed SIM tray. As we saw with the Mi Mix last year, a ceramic model with 18k gold detailing is also available. Also see: Best Chinese phones 2017 One of the things missing from the new Xiaomi flagship, though, is the 3.5mm headphone jack. The company has told Android Central that it made this decision (which could upset several fans) to allow room for a larger battery. “Smartphones are highly-integrated products and internal space is precious. By removing the headphone jack, we can save room for other components such as a bigger battery. Audio through USB Type-C is becoming more common, and will continue to provide excellent sound quality,” it said. You’ll also like: Xiaomi Mi5s review | Xiaomi Mi Note 2 review | Xiaomi Mi Mix review
When is the Xiaomi Mi6 release date?
Xiaomi Mi6 release date: 19 April 2017, shipping from 17 June 2017
Xiaomi announced the Mi6 in China on 19 April 2017. There is no official UK release date for the Xiaomi Mi 6 because it will not be officially sold here. As always, however, you’ll be able to purchase it from Chinese importers such as GearBest and Geekbuying, but at a slightly inflated price. GearBest will be shipping the Mi6 from 17 June, and you can see more information about pricing below. Bear in mind before you buy that the Xiaomi Mi6 does not support the 800MHz (Band 20) 4G band in the UK (though it does support 2100MHz and 2600MHz). This means if you are on O2, GiffGaff, Sky Mobile or another network that uses only 800MHz for 4G, you will not be able to receive 4G connectivity. Also see: How to tell whether a phone is supported by your network and How to buy Xiaomi devices in the UK.
How much will the Xiaomi Mi6 cost in the UK?
There are three versions of the Xiaomi Mi6, and all three come with 6GB of RAM. You can opt to buy the phone with either 64- or 128GB of storage, and there is also a ceramic model with 18k gold detailing. No Plus model has been announced at the present time. The recommended retail pricing is as follows: As we noted above, what you pay through Chinese importers such as GearBest will not be a straight conversion from RMB to Sterling. However, the price is still competitive when compared to similar-spec handsets officially sold in the UK. There are some risks you take when purchasing a phone from China, not least that you may be asked to pay import duty when they arrive in the UK (calculated at 20 percent of the value on the shipping paperwork, plus an admin fee of around £11). You can find more details on the pros and cons here. Also see: Best phones 2017 and Best Android phones 2017
What does the Xiaomi Mi6 look like?
The Xiaomi Mi6 announced this week is very similar in design to the smartphone we saw many months ago in leaked images. Here are some official shots of the new phone.
From the images it’s quite easy to make out the new dual-camera setup at the rear, which lies flush against the case, as well as the front under-glass fingerprint scanner – it’s the same approach it took with the Xiaomi Mi5s. However, less obvious perhaps is the four-sided glass. In essence, this means it is curved not only on the edges but on the corners, but is probably best explained with this slide from Xiaomi’s presentation.
The overall design is clean and simple with a mirror finish. A tough, also-glossy stainless steel frame is visible from the edges. Though it is not fully waterproof, the Mi6 can withstand splashes, and the SIM tray has also been sealed to stop water getting in. The Mi6 is available in black, silver and blue, plus there’s the ceramic version shown below.
What are the Xiaomi Mi6 specifications and features?
Many of the rumoured specifications for the Xiaomi Mi6 turned out to be true, including the Snapdragon 835 processor and 12Mp dual-camera. Here’s a look at exactly what you get inside. The Snapdragon 835 is a 10nm chip built by Qualcomm and Samsung, which improves on the company’s previous 14nm chips with increases of up to 30 percent in efficiency, 27 percent in performance and 40 percent in power consumption. It runs at a clock speed of up to 2.45GHz with a big.LITTLE architecture, which means four of the eight cores run at a lower 1.8GHz for efficiency. This chip also supports from Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0, which can offer five hours of battery life from a five-minute charge. Xiaomi says you should get a full day’s life from the Mi6. Rated at 3,350mAh the battery is high-capacity, but it doesn’t support wireless charging. The display might not be as high in resolution as some UK flagships, but it has a lot to offer. Its 5.15in dimensions mean the Xiaomi is easy to manage in a single hand. It’s also well specified with 1- to 600 nits brightness and a Sunlight Display, strong contrast and 4096 smart backlight adjustment levels. As expected, a dual camera is found at the rear with one 12Mp wide-angle lens and another 12Mp telephoto camera. The Mi6 supports a 10x digital zoom, 2x optical zoom and four-axis OIS. Read next: Best new phones Marie is Editor in Chief of Tech Advisor and Macworld. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she’s worked in tech media for more than 17 years, managing our English language, French and Spanish consumer editorial teams and leading on content strategy through Foundry’s transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.
