Xiaomi Mi Max 2 review

Xiaomi just launched its latest smartphone dubbed “phablet” in India, the Mi Max 2. The successor to the last year’s product and the subsequent Prime variant that the Chinese company, the Mi Max 2 represents the best of Xiaomi. The company’s portfolio in India boasts of some of the best selling smartphones in the country, which anyway speaks volumes about the brand’s popularity, but also at their attempt to cater to different segments of our society. The Mi Max sold over 3 million units which solidifies the user base even more for people who love a large smartphone. And then the Max 2 builds upon that.

Now, the Mi Max 2 is a bit costlier than its successor but not by much. At Rs 16,999 for the 64GB variant, the Mi Max 2 treads on the line between smartphones and the so-called phablets. We got to test the Matte Black colour variant of the Max 2 and here’s what we found out.

Design

Right from unboxing the smartphone, you get to know that Xiaomi isn’t joking around, obviously through its whole “Big is Back” campaign. The Mi Max 2 is huge. And when I say that, be assured that what is mean is that it lies somewhere between “it's really big” and “holy moly, that’s a big-ass smartphone”. 

At 211gms, it’s a bit on the heavier side than its predecessor but it's pretty thin at just 7.6mm. Considering the battery capacity this time around, you have to give it to Xiaomi for achieving that kind of thinness. 

As soon as you pick the Max 2, it doesn’t feel like the usual plastic-build smartphone, but in fact oozes high-quality finish. The Max 2 is thin but not too thin, weighs more than the original Max, but not enough. The Max 2 brings around just the right amount of things that work in tandem right from the start.

The metal finish on the rear gives a sturdy in-hand feel. The edges have been curved and rounded, which provides a better grip on the smartphone. 

However, that doesn’t diminish the fact that it’s a huge smartphone, but it gives you an inherent feeling of trust that even if it falls off, the damage won’t be catastrophic. More so, because of the metal back, the Max 2 is neatly designed. I especially liked the bit where designers have taken the effort to hide the antenna belt by extending it to the edges of the smartphone. 

The rear panel houses a fingerprint sensor along with the camera and flash. The volume rockers and lock button find their way onto the right edge, while the left houses the Hybrid SIM slot. The top houses a 3.5mm jack adjacent to an IR blaster along with a microphone and front-facing camera embedded in the bezels while on the bottom, you’ll find a USB Type-C port in between two speaker grills. The design of Max 2 is seamless, right from the matte finished back which curves on the edges to meet the display.

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