Xiaomi’s new Android One device – the Mi A2 – checks almost all the boxes for an excellent mid-range Android device. It packs in Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 chipset, coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Unlike most other Xiaomi devices, the smartphone runs near stock Android, as it’s part of Google’s Android One initiative and it features a respectable 5.99-inch FHD+ LCD display. But, as I mentioned earlier, the Xiaomi Mi A2 (Rs. 16,999) checks ‘almost’ all the boxes, as it’s lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack, the missing microSD card slot and its relatively small 3,000mAh battery, don’t really inspire confidence among prospective buyers.
The Xiaomi Mi A2, unlike several other mid-range devices, packs in a USB Type-C port and therefore includes support for Quick Charge 4.0, however, Xiaomi doesn’t include a Quick Charge 4.0 complaint charging brick in the box. Instead, buyers will receive a standard 5V/2A charger, which isn’t able to charge the device as fast as it can be charged with a Quick Charge 4.0 compatible charger.
Battery Life
Talking about battery life, the Xiaomi Mi A2 isn’t nearly as impressive as competing mid-range devices which boast of 4,000mAh and 5,000mAh batteries. In order to get a fair idea of the Mi A2’a battery life, we put the phone through two different types of usage scenarios – one with a normal workload and one with intensive use. Here’s how the Xiaomi Mi A2 performed:
Under intensive workload, including playing a number of games, running benchmarking apps like AnTuTu and Geekbench 4 several times and all the other usual functions listed under normal workload, the Mi A2’s 3,000mAh battery drained alarmingly fast. I got a screen-on time of just about 3 hours with the device sitting at 15 percent charge. The device lasted me just over 11 hours with this kind of a workload, which is quite comparable to the performance of the Nokia 6.1 Plus, but far behind that of the Redmi Note 5 Pro and the ZenFone Max Pro M1.
In conclusion, the Xiaomi Mi A2’s battery life is just about average. For a device at this price range, a 3,000mAh battery just doesn’t cut it. Compared to the Nokia 6.1 Plus, the Xiaomi Mi A2 (Rs. 16,999) fares almost the same, however, the Nokia’s smaller display and slightly larger battery help it perform just a tad bit better. In comparison with the ZenFone Max Pro M1 and the Redmi Note 5 Pro, however, the Mi A2’s smaller battery just can’t match up to the battery life delivered by the other two devices, which post better screen-on time and standby time in all use case scenarios. So, in case you’re looking for a mid-range device which offers great battery performance, you’ll be better off going with the Redmi Note 5 Pro or the ZenFone Max Pro M1, rather than going for the Mi A2.
