Xiaomi just launched the Mi A3 – their new best-in-class Android One smartphone. It promises to offer a big upgrade over last year’s Mi A2 smartphone.
Let’s take a look at what Xiaomi upgraded in the new Mi A3, and see how much has changed from the Mi A2!
The Xiaomi Mi A3 Smartphone
Let’s start with the official Xiaomi Mi A3 tech briefing by Allen An, Xiaomi Country Manager for Malaysia and Singapore.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 AIE Platform
The Xiaomi Mi A3 (MY | US | UK | AU) uses a newer, upgraded Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 mobile platform. Despite its name, it actually has slightly slower CPU performance than the Mi A2‘s Snapdragon 660.
However, it boasts a faster Adreno 610 GPU, and is fabricated on the 11 nm process, which means it is smaller, runs cooler and is more power-efficient.
The Mi A3 also comes with UFS 2.1 flash storage, which is much faster than the eMMC 5.1 flash storage used in the Mi A2.
HD+ AMOLED Display
Xiaomi swapped out the Mi A2‘s Full HD+ IPS display, for a HD+ AMOLED display in the Mi A3.
It has a lower resolution, but offers a much better colour gamut of 102.7% NTSC, with a higher contrast ratio of 60,000:1.
Front Camera : 32 MP With Super Pixel
Xiaomi swapped out the Mi A2‘s 20 MP front camera with f/1.75 aperture and LED flash for a 32 MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture.
To ensure great low-light performance, this 32 MP front camera supports Super Pixel technology, which combines four pixels, creating a large 1.6 μm pseudo-pixel.
Triple Rear Cameras : Dual Cameras + Depth Sensor
The Mi A2 paired a 12 MP Sony IMX486 camera with a 20 MP Sony IMX376 low-light camera. Xiaomi took a different direction with the Mi A3.
The Xiaomi Mi A3 (MY | US | UK | AU) boasts a 48 MP main camera with a large ½” sensor size and bright f/1.79 aperture. It supports Super Pixel technology, so that takes care of low-light performance.
The main camera is paired with a 2 MP depth sensor, which does not take any photos. Its sole function is to obtain depth data so the Mi A3 can create accurate software bokeh effects.
The second camera is now an 8 MP ultra-wide angle camera, with f/2.2 aperture. This offers more creative photography options than the Mi A2.
The Audio Port + microSD Slot Returns!
Xiaomi also listen to pleas from their fans and reintroduced the 3.5 mm audio port, and the microSD slot. So you can now use your wired earphones, and add more storage!
34% More Battery Capacity!
The Mi A2 was criticised for its relatively small 3,000 mAh battery, which did not last long with the power-hungry Snapdragon 660 processor.
Xiaomi fixed that with a much larger 4,030 mAh battery in the Mi A3 (MY | US | UK | AU). Coupled with the more power-efficient Snapdragon 665 processor, it should deliver a much longer battery life.
Xiaomi Mi A3 vs. Xiaomi Mi A2
Here are the specifications of both smartphones compared!
| Specifications | Xiaomi Mi A3 | Xiaomi Mi A2 |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.088-inch IPS display - 720 x 1560 pixels | 5.99-inch IPS display - 1080 x 2160 pixels (403 ppi) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Operating System | Android 9.0 Pie | Android 8.1 Oreo |
| System Platform | Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 |
| Processor | 4 x Kryo 260 Gold (2.0 GHz) 4 x Kryo 260 Silver (1.8 GHz) | 4 x Kryo 260 Gold (2.2 GHz) 4 x Kryo 260 Silver (1.84 GHz) |
| Graphics Processor | Qualcomm Adreno 610 | Qualcomm Adreno 512 |
| Memory | 4 GB LPDDR4x SDRAM | 4 GB LPDDR4X SDRAM |
| Storage | 64 / 128 GB internal storage microSD card slot | 64 GB internal storage No microSD card slot |
| Front Camera | 32 MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture - 1080p @ 30 fps video | 20 MP IMX376 sensor with f/1.75 aperture - single LED flash - 1080p @ 30 fps video |
| Rear Camera | Triple Lens Camera - 48 MP Sony camera (f/1.79) - 8 MP ultra-wide angle camera (f/2.2) - 2 MP depth sensor (f/2.4) - Dual-tone LED flash - 2160p @ 30 fps video | Dual Lens Camera - 12 MP Sony IMX486 camera (f/1.75) - 20 MP Sony IMX376 low-light camera (f/1.75) - PDAF capability - Dual-tone LED flash - 2160p @ 30 fps video |
| Connectivity | WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (dual band) Bluetooth : BT 5.0 USB : USB-C | WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (dual band) Bluetooth : BT 5.0 USB : USB 2.0 Type C |
| Radio | No | No |
| GPS | With A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou | With A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou |
| Infra-red Emitter | Yes | Yes |
| Fingerprint Sensor | Yes, In-Display | Yes, Rear Mounted |
| Other Sensors | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Compass, Ambient Light | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Compass |
| Battery | 4,030 mAh lithium-ion | 3,000 mAh lithium-ion |
| Dimensions | 71.85 mm wide 153.48 mm tall 8.475 mm thick | 75.4 mm wide 158.7 mm tall 7.3 mm thick |
| Weight | 173.8 g | 166 g |
| Available Colours | More than White, Not just Blue, Kind of Grey | Black, Gold, Blue, Red, Rose Gold |
Xiaomi Mi A3 Colour Comparison
The Xiaomi Mi A3 (MY | US | UK | AU) comes in three colour options – More than White, Not just Blue and Kind of Grey.
SERIOUSLY. They are adopting the cutesy Google Pixel colour naming system.
Check out this colour comparison, and let us know which colour YOU prefer! 🙂
Xiaomi Mi A3 Price + Availability
Xiaomi is making it available in two models, at these price points starting 3 August 2019.
- 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage : RM 899 / US$259.99 / £259.41 / A$429.99
- 4 GB RAM + 128 GB storage : RM 999 / £272.59
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