Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 Review: Thinner Design and Performance
The mobile market is ever-evolving, with manufacturers constantly pushing the boundaries of design and technology. Xiaomi, known for its innovative approach, has once again set a new benchmark with its latest foldable phone, the Xiaomi MIX Fold 4. In this comprehensive review, we delve deep into the features, performance, and user experience of this cutting-edge device, examining whether it truly stands out in the competitive landscape of 2024.
Foldable phones have been gaining momentum in recent years, offering users the versatility of a large screen in a compact form factor. The Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 aims to perfect this concept, boasting an incredibly thin design, powerful performance, and a host of advanced features. But does it live up to the hype? Let’s find out.
Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 Design and Build Quality
One of the most striking aspects of the Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 is its design. At less than 5mm thick, it is one of the thinnest foldable phones on the market. This remarkable feat of engineering does not come at the expense of durability or functionality.
Unprecedented Thinness
The MIX Fold 4’s thinness is a testament to Xiaomi’s innovative engineering. To put it into perspective, the phone is thinner than many charging cables and even comparable to the thickness of a key. This design achievement is not merely for aesthetics; it significantly enhances the phone’s portability and usability.
Materials and Craftsmanship
The phone features a carbon fiber version, which adds a certain texture and finish to the hinge area, making it silky smooth and visually appealing. The hinge itself has been upgraded with better materials and craftsmanship, ensuring smoother opening and closing actions. However, this extreme thinness does introduce some challenges, such as the phone being incredibly slippery and the hinge becoming smaller, which deepens the creases on the screen.
Portability and Ergonomics
Despite its thin profile, the MIX Fold 4 manages to include a large battery, wireless charging, and a robust camera system. It feels very close to using a normal phone when folded, offering a familiar experience with the added benefit of a larger display when needed.
Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 Display Quality
The display is a crucial aspect of any smartphone, especially for a foldable device. The Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 does not disappoint in this area, offering two excellent screens with a few notable characteristics.
Inner and Outer Screens
The MIX Fold 4 features both an inner and outer screen, both of which are well-designed and functional. The outer screen is protected by Xiaomi’s latest Dragon Ceramic Guard Glass, providing enhanced durability. Both screens are curved at the top and bottom, ensuring a seamless look and feel.
Screen Performance
In terms of performance, the screens offer good clarity and color accuracy. The inner screen, while impressive, does have more noticeable creases due to the smaller hinge size. This might be a concern for users who are particular about screen uniformity. However, these creases are not very noticeable during regular use and are more apparent when viewed from certain angles.
Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 Camera System
Xiaomi has equipped the MIX Fold 4 with a versatile camera system, although there are some trade-offs compared to its predecessor.
Camera Specifications
The MIX Fold 4 boasts a four-camera setup, including a main sensor, ultra-wide lens, and a 2x standard lens replacing the previous 3.2x telephoto lens. While the reduction in focal length coverage might be seen as a downgrade, the improved pixel count and AI enhancements ensure excellent imaging quality.
Imaging Performance
In good lighting conditions, the MIX Fold 4 produces clear and vibrant photos, with the AI helping to enhance details. The macro zoom feature allows for stunning close-up shots, adding versatility to the camera system. However, the lack of optical image stabilization on the 2x lens can result in blurry photos in low-light conditions, which might be a drawback for photography enthusiasts.
Video Capabilities
The phone supports high-resolution video recording with good stabilization, thanks to electronic image stabilization. The overall video quality is impressive, making the MIX Fold 4 a capable device for capturing both photos and videos.
Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 Performance and Hardware
Under the hood, the MIX Fold 4 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, which offers solid performance across various tasks.
Benchmark and Real-world Performance
In benchmark tests, the MIX Fold 4 performs slightly below other devices with the same processor, primarily due to thermal constraints imposed by its thin design. However, in everyday use, it handles multitasking, app launches, and general navigation smoothly.
Gaming Performance
For gaming, the MIX Fold 4’s thinness becomes a double-edged sword. While the phone heats up quickly during intensive gaming sessions, it also cools down rapidly thanks to efficient heat dissipation. This results in fluctuating frame rates during extended gameplay. Therefore, if gaming is a priority, this phone might not be the best choice.
Battery Life
The MIX Fold 4 includes a larger battery than its predecessor, but this does not translate into significantly better battery life. Heavy users, especially those who frequently use the inner screen, may still need to charge the phone twice a day. The 67W wired charging ensures quick top-ups, though the charging speed appears slower due to the increased battery capacity.
Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 Software and User Experience
The software experience on the MIX Fold 4 is polished, though it does not offer many new features over the MIX Fold 3.
User Interface
The phone runs on Xiaomi’s MIUI, which is optimized for foldable devices. The interface is smooth, and intuitive, and offers various customization options. However, some apps and features still lack optimization for the foldable form factor, which can be a minor inconvenience.
Multitasking and Productivity
The foldable design enhances productivity by allowing users to run multiple apps simultaneously on the larger inner screen. This is particularly useful for professionals and multitaskers who need to switch between tasks seamlessly.
Connectivity and Extras
The MIX Fold 4 includes all the necessary connectivity options, such as 5G, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2. Additional features like an IR emitter, NFC, and side-mounted fingerprint recognition add to the overall convenience.
Pros and Cons
To summarize, here are the key strengths and weaknesses of the Xiaomi MIX Fold 4:
Pros:
- Incredibly Thin Design: At less than 5mm thick, it is one of the thinnest foldable phones available.
- Versatile Camera System: Excellent photo quality in good lighting, with a versatile set of lenses.
- Efficient Heat Dissipation: Quick cooling during high-performance tasks.
- Smooth User Experience: Polished software and seamless multitasking capabilities.
Cons:
- Thermal Constraints: Limited gaming performance due to overheating.
- Low-Light Camera Performance: Lack of optical image stabilization on the 2x lens.
- Frequent Charging: Battery life requires frequent top-ups for heavy users.
- Noticeable Screen Creases: More prominent creases on the inner screen due to the smaller hinge size.
The Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 is a remarkable achievement in smartphone design, pushing the boundaries of how thin a foldable phone can be while maintaining robust performance and functionality. It caters to users who prioritize portability and cutting-edge design, offering a premium experience with a few trade-offs.
For those looking for a foldable phone that combines elegance, versatility, and advanced features, the MIX Fold 4 is a compelling option. While it may not be the best choice for intensive gaming or low-light photography, its overall performance, and user experience make it one of the top contenders in the foldable phone market.
In conclusion, Xiaomi continues to innovate and refine its products, and the MIX Fold 4 stands as a testament to its commitment to pushing technological boundaries. Whether it becomes the best foldable phone of 2024 remains to be seen, but it undoubtedly sets a high bar for competitors to follow.
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