Xiaomi M2/MI2 review

Where to get one: http://www.ibuygou.com/crazy-discount/

Specifications: http://goo.gl/T6PaQ

How to get one:

The one I got was a 32 GB version of the Xiaomi M2. You can get one here. The offer is for a limited stock but keep watching this space for offer on the device. The website (www.ibuygou.com) accepts PayPal as well as other standard online payment methods. They have various shipping options including DHL, Fedex, EMS and Registered Airmail and Airmail and ship internationally. The cheapest is the Airmail (free). But I recommend at the very least opting for a registered airmail so that you can track the package. I personally changed my shipping to DHL because I couldn’t wait for the device to arrive. The customer care executive was extremely helpful when changing the shipping method.

The device was shipped in a day and arrived within a couple of days once I changed my shipping method to DHL from registered airmail. The packaging was appropriate and there was no damage. The device however, ships with minimal accessories and in-box items. The seller fortunately, added a connector for my country.

Device Hardware:

The Quad core 1.5 GHz device flaunts a 2GB RAM and Adreno 320 GPU. The amazing 342 ppi – 1280x720 4.3 inch screen is supported by a 2000 mAh battery. It has an 8 MP rear camera and 2 MP front facing camera. The only thing I miss in this device is the memory card slot so make sure you opt for a highest possible capacity version you can afford. The phone has all the other standard stuff that smartphone have like GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, etc.

One thing I was concerned about was the battery life. Even though there is an option to buy a battery with 3100 mAh capacity (here); the only downside you need to put on an ugly black color cover instead of the standard one. But to my surprise the battery is powerful enough to last for about 8 hours with heavy usage and a whole day for light users.

The camera on the device is extremely responsive and has a good quality lens. The photos are crisp and have no lag between continuous shots. There is a led illumination available. The front facing camera is decent and enough for video chats. The GPS works as expected. The hardware is powerful enough to play graphics intensive games like Vector. But the hardware does tend to heat up with extensive use on GPU intensive games. The heating is something Xiaomi has to look into.

The call quality is crystal clear but the speak phone volume is limited. The speaker volume for the device is to a lower side in general but not so low that it becomes unusable. The signal quality is decent and does not cut off at poor signal reception places.

Device Software:

The device comes preloaded with MIUI JBLv11 (based on Android 4.1.1). For international users, there is no Google play store. But one can go to the MIUI market app and download it without any hiccups. MIUI is basically an acquired taste but is an excellent shell over the standard Android OS. It comes preloaded with a number of features that provide excellent customization options.

With the 2GB RAM the device runs like butter. Even with around 200 applications installed on my device it still runs very fast and has 1GB of RAM available at all times. MIUI comes with preinstalled task manager, specialized apps like Anti-Spam, Anti-Virus, MIUI market, themes, etc. People who miss the Android JellyBean experience can install a custom launcher like GO Launcher EX and get an Android JB theme.

One thing about MIUI that a user can appreciate is there are frequent updates available and if you choose to root the device and install a development build there are weekly updates. The OS still has some quirks that you would notice from time to time on the English version but overall the experience is fulfilling and not incomplete. Some things you have to get used to are Chinese names/characters in names for online library of themes, wallpapers, etc.

There is something called a MiDrive that serves the same purpose as the Apple Cloud service. You can backup many things online along with files you specify and are available at i.xiaomi.com

Overall review:

The Xiaomi M2 is a great phone at a great price. The specifications are amazing and are available at a relatively cheap price. The hardware performance is great and the software is highly customizable. The camera performs well and the battery life supports the superb device. My opinion is if you want something compact at a reasonable rate that fits in your pocket unlike the latest trend of 5 inch phones, this is a great device. The seller has multiple reviews and accepts PayPal so your purchase is protected. The only problem I found was the lack of a memory card slot on the device. My experience using the device has so far been great and I would recommend this to anyone who plans on upgrading to a quad core super powered Android device.

Note:

Screen Shots, Camera Shots and other images available at http://goo.gl/UkoKz .

Sample Video from Xiaomi M2 primary camera at http://goo.gl/LqBv9

Sample Camera Shot:

News Channels and Attention Deficit Disorder

Yes, we live in an information age. Find the remote control for your television set and try to count the number of news channels that you are subscribed to! Amazing isn’t it… for a diverse country like India with so many languages dividing us regionally – the news broadcasters have managed to create a network of news channels covering all the languages and regions. My one question is – do we have some much news worthy of reporting?

One advantage of this is you never miss a news – petty or otherwise; Additionally, regional news seems to have gained a lot over regional newspapers and tend to create bigger fuss over smaller issues! Though all of this is true and seems like progressive step, no matter how infinitesimal, is pushing us to move in the right direction. But then I use my remote control again and surf to ‘Aaj Tak’. Suddenly, I am awakened to a new aspect of the information age – news spicing and bombarding! And make no mistake this is not limited to Aaj Tak but also encompasses apparently reputed news networks like Times Now, IBN 24x7, Headlines Today, etc. Try switching over to your favorite news channel and count the time they spend on one story and the way the limited visual footage they show of the incident. I will bet you this will definitely blow your mind. The whole news story will have no content that cannot be explained in less than 1 min and still goes on for about 10 with at least 2 commercial breaks to show the same reel of a file footage and same readout from the newscaster over and over again. This brings me back to the same question do we have enough news happening around us to be updated with or is the news corporation trying to rewrap and resell the same stuff over and over again. I miss ‘Doordarshan--days’ when boring/interesting was not a measurement for worthy news broadcast – it was the governed by precision and sense of bias.

Another thing worth mentioning is the attention span of human beings i.e you and me! With so much happening around us we have been continuously stuck in a state of overwhelm! It is like the Tata Vista advertisement our eyebrows never seem to return to their God-given state. We have been bombarded with so much information since the beginning of time that we have hardly had any time to process it. We have developed a super power and it is called ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Our environment has stunted our attention spans from few hours to few seconds. Try this out – switch on the TV set with the intention of watching a new channel and hold the remote in your hand; set it to one of the many news channel. Now time yourself for the amount that it takes for you to shift to another channel or just to start channel surfing. You will realize the one thing we are missing from our homo sapiens ancestors is the virtue of patience! We are so easily bored and/or swayed and/or irritated by everything around us that unless it is eye catching and/or shocking- we do not even bat an eyelid. Another good example of small attention spans is this video.

Gone are the days when simple really meant simple and complex was something unexplainable. Today news corporations create their own spindle of yarns to weave their own fabric of truth and reality. Choosing sides is essential part of democracy but biased news is not. I believe in being my own censor and missing out on the ‘san sani khej khabre’ !