Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G: the best 5G phone if you can get it

Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 5G design and build quality

Xiaomi added its name to the long list of manufacturers unveiling a 5G smartphone at the Mobile World Congress. For its launch of this new generation of mobile data, the company did not want to take any risks by unveiling a new model. The brand has made the smart move by offering from a device from its existing range in a 5G edition, namely the spectacular Mi MIX 3, which was released the end of last year.

Xiaomi sticks with a winning design

Aesthetically, nothing has changed compared to the 4G version of the Mi MIX 3. We find the same large bezel-less screen on the front panel (body to screen ratio of 93.4%) as well as the famous mechanical slider housing a 24MP front sensor (Sony IMX576). The handling is equivalent. We find the same craftsmanship quality. The device is not thicker but it is a little heavier because of its larger battery. Nonetheless, it's not awkward to handle. 

In terms of the technical specs, these are mostly the same as those on the LTE version. We find the same cameras (Sony IMX363 dr 12MP + Samsung S5K3M3+ 12MP), the fingerprint reader on the back, 10 GB of RAM and 128 of GB internal storage (non-expandable).

In the end, the only difference with the existing model we knew about is the next gen Snapdragon 855 chipset and the presence of a Qualcomm 5G Snapdragon X50 modem. Xiaomi promises download speeds of up to 2 Gbps. The Chinese manufacturer has also improved the battery with a capacity of 3800 mAh - a necessary effort when you think of the energy that 5G requires.

During the presentation, Donovan Sung, the brand's product manager, gave us a presentation of a 5G video call. The quality was stunning and no bugs occurred, something that often happens at large conferences. Xiaomi promises to download 15 minutes of 1080p video in 1 second. Unfortunately, I couldn't try to make a call myself. So I look forward to receiving a test copy (and the deployment of 5G itself, incidentally) to check all of this out.

Available at a great price soon!

Above all, what contributes to making the Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 the best 5G smartphone so far is its price! Indeed, Xiaomi will market its Mi MIX 3 5G at the starting price of 599 euros. That's around $679, though we don't know if Xiaomi will offer the device in the United States. The first deliveries in Europe will start at the beginning of May. Two colors will be available - Onyx Black and Sapphire Blue.