SpecEagle review · Xiaomi

Xiaomi Mi A1 review: Xiaomi's first Android One phone — stock software and a dual camera.

SpecEagle Editorial·Sep 2017·$230
Overall
52/100
Class rank
#31 of 63
Tier
Mid-range
Buy?
Look elsewhere
The verdict, up front

Xiaomi goes stock Android.

Mi A1 was Xiaomi's first Android One phone — stock software with guaranteed updates instead of MIUI — paired with a dual 12 MP camera and the efficient SD625. It was a massive hit with enthusiasts who wanted Xiaomi hardware value without the MIUI skin.

01Display

62/100

62/100 is one of the weaker display results among mid-range phones of 2017 — 7 points under the average. Check the rows below before buying for this.

TypeIPS LCD
Size5.5 inches
Resolution1,920 × 1,080 px (FHD)

02Camera

60/100

60/100 — right at the average for mid-range phones of 2017.

Main12 MP wide + 12 MP tele (2× zoom)
Selfie5 MP
Video1080p

03Performance

56/100

56/100 trails the 59-point cohort average for mid-range phones of 2017.

ChipsetSnapdragon 625 (14 nm)
RAM4 GB
Storage32 / 64 GB · microSD

04Battery

66/100

66/100 — right at the average for mid-range phones of 2017.

Capacity3,080 mAh
Wired10 W

05Build

64/100

64/100 trails the 69-point cohort average for mid-range phones of 2017.

06Value

76/100

At 76/100 this is one of the strongest value showings among mid-range phones of 2017 — 14 points above the cohort average.

What works
  • Clean Android One — no MIUI, fast updates.
  • Dual 12 MP camera with 2× zoom.
  • Efficient Snapdragon 625.
  • microSD + jack + IR blaster.
What doesn't
  • Mono speaker.
  • Slow 10 W charging.
  • IPS LCD (no AMOLED).
  • 5 MP selfie.
Cross-shop it against
Nokia 7 Plus
$429 · score 70/100

How this review is built: every section score, spec row and comparison on this page comes from SpecEagle's tracked catalogue — scores weight measured specs against the 63-phone cohort of mid-range devices released around the same time. We don't publish invented lab anecdotes. Spot an error? .