Xiaomi Mi A3 Review

Overview

Xiaomi Mi A3 is the international version of the Xiaomi Mi CC9e released in China. Both models are identical in terms of hardware. The only difference is in the software and several features that result in this software difference. The Mi CC9e arrives with MIUI 10.2 based on Android 9 Pie, while Mi A3 runs on Android One (vanilla Android 9 Pie). After its announcement, the Mi A3 has become one of the most desired and researched smartphones. Responding to the strong interest in this device from our visitors, we purchased a Mi A3 unit and put it through our usual detailed review routine. Before we get into details, let's compare Xiaomi Mi A3 and the Mi CC9e.

Xiaomi Mi A3 and Mi CC9e differences

	Xiaomi Mi A3	Xiaomi Mi CC9e
OS	Android One (Android 9 Pie)	MIUI 10.2 (Android 9 Pie)
Various display modes	No	Yes
AOD (colour and dark mode)	No	Yes
Game Turbo and Mi Turbo	No	Yes
Available RAM	4GB	4GB/6GB
Supported bands	2G GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 3G W-CDMA (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz), 4G LTE-FDD (700, 800, 850, 900, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2100, 2600 MHz), and LTE-TDD (2300, 2600 MHz)	2G GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 2.5G CDMA (800 MHz), 3G W-CDMA (850, 900, 2100 MHz), 3G TD-SCDMA (1880-1920, 2010-2025 MHz), 4G LTE-FDD (850, 900, 1800, 2100 MHz), and LTE-TDD (1900, 2000, 2300, 2500, 2600 MHz)

Specifications

Xiaomi Mi A3 is equipped with a 6.088-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 720 x 1560 pixels. It has a typical brightness of 350 cd/m² and a peak brightness of 530 cd/m². The panel covers 102.7% of the NTSC colour space and supports HDR10. The screen is protected by a 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and has a waterdrop notch where the 32MP Samsung S5KGD1 selfie camera resides. The shooter utilizes a 5-element lens with an f/2.0 aperture. There's a 7th generation under-display fingerprint sensor as well. Ther triple camera module on the back includes a 48MP Sony IMX586 primary shooter with an f/1.79 lens, an 8MP sensor with a 118-degree ultra-wide lens with an f/2.2 aperture. The 2 MP depth sensor is the third unit with an f/2.4 aperture.

Performance-wise, Mi A3 relies on a Snapdragon 665 system-on-chip built on Samsung's 11nm LPP process and features Qualcomm's 3rd generation AI engine. The CPU consists of eight Kryo 460 cores, four clocked at 2GHz and four - at 1.8GHz. An Adreno 610 GPU manages the graphics department. There are 4GB of dual-channel LPDDR4X RAM clocked at 1866MHz and the UFS 2.1 storage arrives in two versions - 64GB and 128GB. Either way, the built-in memory can be expanded with up to 256GB. The model packs a 4030 mAh battery that is paired to a 5V/2A fast charger. It supports Quick Charge 3.0 and also works with 18W fast chargers.

Mi A3 supports Bluetooth 5, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, LTE Cat. 12 with dual-4G and VoLTE. The device works with the following network bands: 2G GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 3G W-CDMA (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz), 4G LTE-FDD (700, 800, 850, 900, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2100, 2600 MHz), and LTE-TDD (2300, 2600 MHz). There are an infrared port, 3.5 mm jack and a USB Type-C 2.0 with OTG support onboard as well. The Mi A3 supports GPS, GLONASS, and Beidou and runs on Android One - vanilla Android 9 Pie.

Complete Xiaomi Mi A3 specifications.

What's in the box

Xiaomi Mi A3 is placed inside a simple rectangular box in white. There's a photo of the device on the lid with the model name on top. The usual certification data is placed on the back of the box. The contents are quite basic and in addition to the phone itself you get:

• 5V/2A charger (EU plug)
• USB Type-C data cable
• Dark grey silicone case for the back
• SIM tray pin
• Quick start guide
• Warranty card