I Really Bought the Xiaomi Mi A1 - My First 24h Impressions

At the beginning of December 2017 I wrote that I will buy the Xiaomi Mi A1 when it finally gets the update to Oreo. That’s exactly what I did. I’ve been using it for over 24 hours now, so my first impressions here:

Fingerprint sensors are awesome!

The Android and iOS world has had the option to unlock the mobile phone via fingerprint for years now, but only recently the whole thing has entered the budget area, which is why this is also my first mobile phone, which I can unlock with my fingerprint.

And after just a few hours I feel like I never want to miss this function again. After all, it no longer takes 5 seconds to unlock the smartphone, but only a fraction of one. In addition, I find it a great relief that it is also possible to use the fingerprint for all other password locks, such as that of the banking app.

Oreo’s autofill function is amazing

I’m a fan of password managers because on the one hand I set great store by using secure passwords, i. e. using a different password for each service, on the other hand I can’t and don’t want to remember all these passwords. Prior to Android Oreo, most password managers already offered a feature for automatic fill-in, but this was usually more of a wordaround. With Oreo, Google has finally created a system interface that makes it even easier and it’s great!

When you don’t have to carry a charger with you all the time…

With my old mobile phone, I’ve always got used to taking a charger with me to recharge it in case the battery should suddenly go for 0. A large power bank was also my constant companion. But I can finally leave these things at home, because the battery feels like it’s there forever.

The Mi A1 doesn’t have the biggest battery with a bit more than 3000 mAh, but thanks to the stock Android, Oreo and the efficient chip the battery lasts a whole day.

USB Type C is the future

I don’t want to count how many USB cables I’ve worn in the last few years, there were way too many. This could finally be a bit less, thanks to USB Type C. With USB Type C, it doesn’t matter how you plug the plug into your phone, it fits.

An inexpensive Android smartphone with iPhone look

Xiaomi has managed to imitate the iPhone design very well.

Dual camera is bullshit

I don’t take many pictures with my mobile phone, so it doesn’t bother me at all, but I don’t know how much better the dual camera in the Xiaomi Mi A1 should be than a single camera. It seems to be much more about marketing, as many potential customers will probably be amazed that you can get a dual camera at this low price.

The Xiaomi Mi A1 has been on the market for several months and soon there will be a successor, but so far my upgrade from my old Motorola Moto G (2015) has been worth it. Thanks to Android One, I’ll probably be able to enjoy Android P without having to switch back to a custom rom like LineageOS. So I don’t need to risk the legal guarantee obligation that exists in Germany.

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