[pconline review] Dual cameras and full-screen displays are increasingly becoming focal points for consumers. The market for large-screen smartphones seems to have been less favorable compared to previous years. The bulkiness and high power consumption of these devices have kept many users at arm's length from large-screen models. However, just as the summer rains approached, Xiaomi Max 2, the successor to the Xiaomi Max, arrived swiftly. In a niche market segment where many manufacturers have shown little interest, Xiaomi Max 2 appears to be leading the charge for big-screen smartphones.
The Xiaomi Max 2 comes in 4GB+128GB configurations. The reference price is loading... For image reviews, quotations, and parameters, check the overview section below.
Configuration-wise, the Xiaomi Max 2 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor, equipped with 4GB of RAM, and offers storage options of 64GB and 128GB, with support for microSD card expansion. The camera setup includes a front-facing 5MP lens paired with a 12MP (IMX386) rear shooter. The battery has been upgraded from 4850mAh to 5300mAh, and it also supports 9V/2A QC3.0 fast charging and reverse charging. The system runs MIUI 8.2 based on Android 7.1.1.
The impressive sales figures of the Xiaomi Max naturally paved the way for the arrival of the Xiaomi Max 2. Thus, the Xiaomi Max 2 continues the affordable big-screen strategy in terms of pricing, with the 64GB version priced at 1699 yuan and the 128GB version at 1999 yuan. Both prices are under 2000 yuan, making the Xiaomi Max 2 one of the most competitive options in this size and category.
Appearance: Improved Details, Better Texture
The Xiaomi Max 2 inherits the 6.44-inch large screen from its predecessor. When the screen size approaches the limit, how does it perform? Let’s find out.
The minimalist design on the packaging reveals Xiaomi's language. The front of the package features only simple capacity information and the Xiaomi logo, with minimal modifications. The contents inside are also straightforward, consisting of the Xiaomi Max 2 body, manual, and charging peripherals, forming the user's initial impression of the device.
First, looking at the front of the device, the 6.44-inch screen size is certainly not for the faint-hearted. The bright screen offers an ultra-wide visual experience, appearing almost like a "small screen" compared to 5.5-inch models. The 1080P resolution screen still delivers a delicate display with good brightness levels, sufficient for large-screen entertainment needs.
The elements above the device are simple and neatly arranged, with distance sensors, earpiece, and a front-facing 5MP camera aligned sequentially. There are also hidden notification lights beneath the panel. Notably, the Xiaomi Max 2 is equipped with a speaker, contributing to a stereo sound experience with the bottom-mounted speaker, offering a fairly good audio experience.
At the bottom of the device, the common Android three-button design is present, relatively simple. From the front, the screen-to-body ratio of the Xiaomi Max 2 has significantly improved compared to its predecessor, with narrower upper and lower bezels, and the touch screen doesn't appear to have a large black border. Additionally, the 2.5D curved glass enhances the front's premium feel.
On the sides, the Xiaomi Max 2 remains fully equipped. The bottom features a Type-C interface supporting 9V/2A fast charging and reverse charging, while the top includes a 3.5mm headphone jack and an infrared transmitter module for remote control of household appliances. In a time when headphone jacks are being phased out, it remains crucial for a large-screen device to still offer this functionality.
The body material also sees a significant upgrade. Unlike the previous generation's plastic-metal hybrid design, the Xiaomi Max 2 now sports a full-metal unibody design, elevating the texture closer to that of high-end models. The touch feels equally satisfying.
Similar to Xiaomi's flagship models, the back of the Xiaomi Max 2 features a curved surface with slightly rounded edges, providing better grip for this large-screen device. However, given its size, one-handed operation remains challenging. The fingerprint recognition is fast, but the placement is slightly high, requiring you to hold the device with another hand, which can lead to accidental touches.
The antenna section adopts a more elegant U-shaped dome design, enhancing the overall integration of the device. The camera uses a Sony IMX 386 sensor, the same as the flagship Xiaomi 6, featuring a dual-color temperature flash and rounded corners, helping to create a sleek appearance.
The power and volume buttons are located on the right side of the device, with firm and responsive feedback. Lastly, the thickness stands at 7.6mm, which is quite slim for a phone with a 5300mAh battery. This contributes to the Xiaomi Max 2's lack of bulkiness despite its 6.44-inch screen.
In terms of appearance, the Xiaomi Max 2 didn't bring a groundbreaking design like the MIX, but compared to its predecessor, every detail and craftsmanship has seen significant improvement. Given its size, it may only appeal to a niche audience, but shedding its clunky image might be a prerequisite for big-screen devices to gain broader acceptance.
System: Comprehensive Features, But Too Much Advertising
When it comes to the MIUI 8 system, we’re sure you won’t be unfamiliar with it. In the domestic smartphone market, whether in terms of functionality or optimization, it ranks among the top. Daily usage takes into account user needs appropriately.
Firstly, looking at the main interface of the system, there isn’t much difference between the MIUI system of the Xiaomi Max 2 and other Xiaomi models. From the flagship Mi 6 to the budget Redmi 4X, MIUI’s recent iterations haven’t shown significant changes in visual elements, which might cause user fatigue over time.
The negative one-screen design integrates global search and relevant life reminders on one screen, allowing users to access related information via card-like previews by swiping right. This is particularly convenient for integrating express delivery information from shopping apps, a useful feature for busy individuals.
The double-app functionality has better support for commonly used social software and online games. The multi-app performance on 4GB storage shows no obvious lag, indicating that MIUI is still effective in background optimization. Similarly, the phone split-screen function also appears on the Max 2.
As part of the Xiaomi ecosystem, today’s phones from Redmi to Mi essentially come with an infrared emitter module as standard. This allows you to control household appliances entirely through a Xiaomi phone. If you’re also a Xiaomi TV user, having the big screen in your hand becomes even more impressive.
The benefits of a large screen are difficult to convey through text alone. If you’re a mobile bookworm or a fan of binge-watching series, the Xiaomi Max 2 will surely offer a better experience than many other models.
In general, MIUI as a mature custom system doesn’t require users to worry about the experience. However, the important split-screen function arrived late and lacked a reasonable plan for large-screen space, making the Xiaomi Max 2 feel like a larger Redmi 4, plus "system-level" ad placements. A system that is both loved and hated, where some love it while others despise it.
Photo Section: Flagship-Level IMX386 Sensor
The Xiaomi Max 2 is quite sincere in its camera configuration, featuring the same Sony IMX386 sensor as the flagship Mi 6. With 12 million pixels and a single pixel size of 1.25 μm, it ensures sufficient light intake in low-light environments. The front-facing 5MP wide-angle camera also adds to the Max 2’s photographic capabilities.
The camera operation interface follows the Mi style, simple and convenient with a comprehensive set of shooting modes. With excellent hardware and phase detection autofocus (PDAF), the focusing speed and shutter response are satisfactory.
In actual imaging, the Xiaomi Max 2’s rear 12MP sensor provides detailed visuals with vibrant colors, properly balanced white balance. Whether it’s detail or color, it performs commendably for a model in this price range.
However, in low-light conditions, the tuning still showed some shortcomings, noticeable in smudging and room for improvement in noise reduction. Nevertheless, under most lighting conditions, the Xiaomi Max 2’s camera performance remains solid.
Performance Section: Saving God U + Large Battery
Performance-wise, the Xiaomi Max 2 is equipped with a 14nm process Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, featuring 8 A53 cores clocked at 2.0GHz. Standard 4GB RAM and storage options of 64GB and 128GB are available.
In terms of the processor choice, the previous generation Xiaomi Max used the Snapdragon 650, a mid-range chip. However, the Snapdragon 625 on the Xiaomi Max 2 might seem like a step back, but it’s not. The 14nm process used by the Snapdragon 625 is more power-efficient, with better multi-core switching efficiency than the Snapdragon 650’s 2×A72+4×A53 architecture. Additionally, the Snapdragon 625 has built-in X9 LTE modems, supports QC 3.0 fast charging, and is the current mainstream configuration.
Benchmark-wise, the Xiaomi Max 2 performs as expected for a Snapdragon 625 device. AnTuTu scores 63,687 points, Geekbench scores 881 points for single-core and 4339 points for multi-core, with 4K read speeds of 60.32MB/s and write speeds of 14.06MB/s. Considering the performance of similar models, it’s quite satisfactory, and with 4GB of storage, it meets the demands of most online games and applications.
The biggest highlight of the device is undoubtedly the 5300mAh large-capacity battery. Based on current market reputation, the combination of the "energy-saving god" Snapdragon 625 with a large battery results in excellent endurance. Even with intensive screen usage, the Xiaomi Max 2 can handle a day of heavy use. For everyday tasks like WeChat chatting and web browsing, it can easily last two days.
From the performance experience, the Xiaomi Max 2 excels in meeting the entertainment needs of any large-screen device. At the same time, its marathon-like endurance, coupled with fast charging capabilities, makes this phone very strong and stable as the main model.
In-Depth Experience: Some Minor Regrets
If criticism is free, praise is meaningless. During our in-depth experience with the Xiaomi Max 2, we also identified some minor regrets, partly due to MIUI 8 across the Xiaomi ecosystem and partly due to the unique hardware specifications of the Xiaomi Max 2 itself. These are for reference only.
System Advertising is Ubiquitous
Internet brands operate like long-line big fish. It seems that they don't make money from hardware, but instead shift profit pressure to software and services. Users are initially acquired with low-priced products, and once hardware control is achieved, ads are placed at the software level.
While advertising marketing and user experience aren't necessarily contradictory, it's undeniable that precise and refined content are positive external benefits of advertising. However, considering the domestic app development environment, app download diversion and unrestricted marketing still dominate the mainstream.
For instance, the theme of Mi, Mi Video crashes due to open-screen ads, although it's a rare occurrence, the violent ad interruptions can be frustrating for users.
In balancing user experience and advertising revenue, MIUI has always lacked stability. You might wonder if system apps often add illogical things, such as forcing app recommendations in weather apps or inserting popular videos in file apps.
Of course, MIUI does offer some options to disable ads, but a few don't have this option and even require searching through a search engine for "Mi XX app + ad off."
For example, the app recommendations in the weather app cannot be canceled; the entry to disable app recommendations in the desktop folder is hidden within the folder rename. We believe that consumer upgrades mean quality upgrades, and it's not wise to retain users through smart intelligence.
What makes people laugh and cry is that MIUI's ad placement seems to be everywhere, making people lament, "Is such an operation possible?" Recommendations appear on the music playback interface and app installation interface, and even the same app gets recommended multiple times a day. You may also like? Unfortunately, I don't like it.
Big, It's Too Big
Although the Xiaomi Max 2 is called a "one-handed grip large-screen smartphone," its physical size lies between a phone and a tablet. In fact, the screen-to-body ratio of the Xiaomi Max 2 hasn't improved, and its body size and weight have slightly increased compared to its predecessor.
In its current form, the portability of the Xiaomi Max 2 is poor – comfortable for the eyes, but too heavy for the pocket. Therefore, the ultimate big screen is the trade-off for the Xiaomi Max 2, but Xiaomi hasn't developed a moat for it. Its core users can only be:
Big screen enthusiasts.
This means that while enjoying the wide field of vision, ample power, and refreshing operation of the 6.44-inch screen, you must accept the price you pay for it. Besides one-handed holding, it's almost impossible to complete other operations, and it's better for the user to carry a small bag with them when traveling.
Split-screen Function, Not Very Smooth
The large screen of the Xiaomi Max 2 also implies some minor regrets. MIUI 8 seems to be late in optimizing for this screen. The system interface is only a simple zoom, and the split-screen function demonstrated at the conference hasn't been pushed to the stable version of the system.
Therefore, our visual impact on video and reading only stays at a smaller and larger level, rather than improving content acquisition and usage efficiency.
The Snapdragon 625 processor is based on 14nm process technology. Due to its low heat generation and high energy efficiency, it is highly praised by users and its performance is sufficient to drive the Full HD screen smoothly. However, the Xiaomi Max 2 doesn't offer a cloud-like experience. It might be due to the lack of optimization due to MIUI 8's excessive bloat. Hopefully, it will improve in subsequent version updates.
Take "King of Glory" as an example. The Max 2 can make your hands and eyes open the plugin, and whichever you call. The traditional 16:9 screen can't expand the horizontal visual space, and the frames are slightly dropped under complex scenes. The Xiaomi Max 2 is a big-screen gaming console, yet it can't reach artifacts.
Conclusion
For the Xiaomi Max 2, it can't be discussed with other models in general. A large-screen phone must have large-screen standards. On the hardware side, the Xiaomi Max 2 is quite good as a big-screen performer: its slim and stylish appearance, excellent stereo sound experience, and long-lasting endurance performance can all make it stand out from the crowd. However, in software, MIUI experience and ubiquitous ads similar to other Xiaomi phones have become a bit of an embarrassment and regret.
That said, the entry price of 1,699 yuan for the 64GB version can buy a large-screen smartphone that works quite well. What do you think?
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