The Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S Review: Fantastic Overall Value

Conclusion & End Remarks

The Xiaomi MI MIX 2S overall seems to be a very well rounded phone. Before we’re going to compare it against other devices, we have to keep in mind one thing: pricing. Xiaomi’s main advantage over the years has always been its ability to undercut the competition while still providing cutting edge hardware. This is more important than ever as the company is expanding its presence in the big European markets. Currently, the MIX 2S can be found for 525€ for 64GB and 576€ for 128GB variants on German Amazon, with Prime delivery.

It’s clear that the nearest competitor to the MIX 2S is the Galaxy S9+ - and in this review I’ve mostly compared it against the Snapdragon variant of the S9+ which isn’t available in Europe, and one has to keep in mind the Exynos version performs worse and has worse battery life.

Keeping that in mind, we can contextualize the MIX 2S’s performances better.

In terms of overall device performance, I think I was very clear – as there’s no competition. This is currently the fastest smartphone available, at least certainly among Android devices. Xiaomi integrated the Snapdragon 845 without a hitch, and silicon and software both work tremendously well together. This is an important consideration, especially in the European market as I still don’t see the Exynos S9’s as viable purchases at the current full price of 677€.

Battery life is very good – the toughest competition here is from Huawei as its newest phones present a significant advantage over the competition.

What is probably the Mi MIX 2S’s biggest weak point is the screen. I was subjectively quite annoyed with the pixel response time as it very much results in visible ghosting and smearing, especially in scrolling text. While display accuracy was good and the MIX 2S offers a very accurate sRGB mode, the off-axis viewing angles of the screen aren’t top-notch. This is one of the aspects where paying a premium will actually give you a better product.

Camera wise the MIX 2S was extremely competitive, and actually I was unusually happy with the capture experience as it’s one of the most consistent shooters I’ve tested. While picture quality in every scenario might not be the best, being edged out by the S9 in daylight details and the P20 Pro in low-light scenarios, in terms of overall rounded experience and quality, the MIX 2S is of outstanding value in the camera department.

Overall Xiaomi offers a great product, while not perfect in every aspect, it also doesn’t have any immediate deal breakers that I would say would put it out of consideration for buyers. The screen is one thing that’s subjective and if you have the chance, it’s best to be experienced and evaluated it in person. Oh, and it doesn’t have a headphone jack, so that’s also a thing. All in all, it’s definitely priced where it should be.