Xiaomi Mi Max

The Xiaomi Mi Max has few competitors in the ‘Max’ category. As we have mentioned in past reviews, it’s not just the battery life that matters but the overall package and Xiaomi seems to have built a solid smartphone with a solid battery life. We were...

MIUI 8 – actually kinda great ; Insanely long battery life ; The price is right

It’s got a big & bulky brute of a screen ; The camera has a few niggles

The bargain price makes Xiaomi’s oversized phone look like seriously good value – if you can actually hold the thing, that is.

Solid build quality ; Fast fingerprint scanner ; Good value for money

Hard to get outside Asia ; Display is a bit hard to read outdoors ; Problematic video recording

There are few direct competitors to the Mi Max, for handsets with screens this big are rare and you're more likely to settle for a 6-inch or 7-inch device if you are looking for an alternative. And then, there's the price. In China, India and...

MIUI 8 - actually kinda great ; Insanely long battery life ; The price is right

It's got a big & bulky brute of a screen ; The camera has a few niggles

The bargain price makes Xiaomi's oversized phone look like seriously good value - if you can actually hold the thing, that is.

Simple and clean design; Solidly constructed; Well priced

6.44" frame can be unwieldily; Camera performance mixed

Now for how much all this will cost. Xiaomi has fitted the Mi Max with a R4 700 price tag. As such, for the outlay of a mid-range device, users will be getting something close to a flagship phablet range, minus a few frills of course. In terms of value...

Powerful Snapdragon 650 SoC. Very affordable for what you get. Great metal build, fingerprint sensor and enormous battery. Huge display is perfect for media consumption.

Impossible to use in one hand without the help of software. MIUI is a very heavy Android skin, and software updates are rare.

It's really hard to not recommend the Xiaomi Mi Max, as it brings excellent performance at a relatively low price point, while featuring a premium build and a clean design. The only major issue with the device is its video capture capability and low...

Display ; Performance ; Battery ; MIUI ; Price

Camera (during low light conditions)

While the Xiaomi Mi Max is one of the very few in its segment, the trend of smartphones with display sizes bigger than 6 inches and less than 7 inches is expected to rise in the next few months. Xiaomi seems to have hit the centre point between...

Sleek design ; Efficient hardware ; Expandable storage ; Fast fingerprint scanner ; Long Lasting Battery Life

Single-handed usage is tough ; Non-removable battery