Xiaomi Mi 6 Launched With 6GB RAM and 12-Megapixel Dual Rear Cameras, Snapdragon 835

Xiaomi Mi 6, the Chinese company’s 2017 flagship smartphone, has been launched at an event in Beijing. The new Mi 6 smartphone runs on the top-end Snapdragon 835 chipset (clock speed of 2.45GHz and Adreno 540 GPU) and packs 6GB of RAM. The launch of Mi 6 smartphone ends the long wait of its fans for a smartphone that can take on iPhone 7, as well as the likes of Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG G6. Along with the Mi 6, Xiaomi is expected to launch the Mi 6 Plus and Mi Max 2 at the launch event, which is being live streamed on the Xiaomi website.

The Xiaomi Mi 6 has been priced at CNY 2,499 (roughly Rs. 23,500) for the 6GB RAM and 64GB storage variant, and CNY 2,899 (roughly Rs. 27,000) for the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant. Apart from the two regular versions, Xiaomi has also announced a third version of the smartphone, called the Mi 6 Ceramic, which sports a four-side curved ceramic body and 18K gold-plated camera rims at the back. It has been priced at CNY 2,999 (roughly Rs. 28,000) and comes with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. It will go on sale from April 28 in China.

The new flagship smartphone packs the latest octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC clocked at 2.45GHz coupled with 6GB of RAM and Adreno 540 GPU. Lei Jun, Founder and CEO, Xiaomi, at the event claimed that the Xiaomi Mi 6 with the Snapdragon 835 has better graphics performance compared to the iPhone 7 while the handset was able to beat the new Samsung Galaxy S8 in benchmark results such as AnTuTu.

It features a 5.15-inch display, but for now, screen resolution hasn't been announced yet. The Mi 6 display is said have reduced glare to reduce eye-strain.

The four-sided 3D glass feature on the Mi 6 looks premium and adds overall appeal to the handset. The phone's sides are made from stainless steel which offer high-gloss outline.

Jun stressed that the new Mi 6 has been "precisely crafted like a watch." He also claimed that the dual camera at the back has been "seamlessly integrated." The fingerprint scanner on Mi 6 is now placed under-glass at the front. He added that the Mi 6 is resistant to wear and tear, and claimed it's "splash-resistant".

The Xiaomi Mi 6 as expected comes with dual camera setup at the back which was rumoured for weeks and is the biggest highlight. The Xiaomi Mi 6 sports dual 12-megapixel rear cameras, a setup reminiscent of the iPhone 7 Plus. The phone features a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and another 12-megapixel telephoto camera for 2x lossless zoom.

Xiaomi at the event also announced a Silver Edition of the Mi 6 which will sport four-sided 3D curves and an ultra reflective mirror finish. At the keynote, Jun said the Silver Edition will "exude a totally different feel from the blue version you've seen!"

For connectivity, the Xiaomi Mi 6 supports 4G+ networks with download speed of up to 600Mbps and up to 100Mbps upload speed. The handset packs 3350mAh battery.

Xiaomi has for the first time integrated dual speakers on a Mi handset. The Mi 6 sports front firing dual speakers.

The Mi 6 also comes with NFC and the handset is compatible with the company's Mi Pay NFC-based mobile payments service.

Xiaomi confirmed that the Mi 6 comes with new MIUI optimisations which enables the Mi 6 to last up to a full day. MIUI can now restrict applications from starting up, freezes background app, and also comes with a battery saving mode.

Below are the specifications, features and approximate pricing of the Mi 6 smartphone.

Snapdragon 835 10nm processor that has a 64-bit, octa-core CPU, Adreno 540 GPU that supports 1 2x2 dual WiFi system.
Antutu score reaches 184,292.
6GBDDR4X 64 Bit memory (RAM)
Mi 6 is encased in a four-sided curved 3D glass, giving it more rounded corners.
The Mi 6 has stereo speakers on top and bottom
A dual rear camera has been confirmed on the Mi 6
under-glass ultrasonic fingerprint scanner
USB Type-C port. However, there's no headphone jack
splash-proof
5.15-inch display
There are two material options for the body – A curved 3D glass body and a "Silver Edition" stainless steel body
Colours– Red, Black, Blue, White and Silver
Low-glare 1nit ultra dark "reading mode" for browsing in dark environment.
new Wi-Fi technology, 2x2 dual Wi-Fi! This new Wi-Fi technology will increase connectivity and speed
3,350mAh battery as its power source
A 12MP Dual-camera setup, i.e 12MP wide-angle lens + 12MP telephoto lens. Mi 6 is now built in with a depth-of-field mode that allows the background to be blurred while focusing on the subject. The camera can do 2X optical zoom without losing quality and 10X digital zoom.
The camera module makes use of a 4 axis OIS system, like last year's Mi 5.
Price: 6GB + 64GB at Rs 23,436; 6GB + 128GB at Rs 27,187; 6GB + 128GB Ceramic Edition at Rs 28,125