While we were in Beijing for the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 launch, we were passed a review unit to put the phone through its paces. Before we left the city, I took the phone out and managed to snap some shots with the Mi Mix 2.
Before we get into the samples, here’s a quick refresher on the Mi Mix 2’s camera specs. It’s a single 12MP sensor that’s the same as the primary shooter on the Mi 6, with f/1.8 lens and four-axis optical image stabilisation. Because the Mi Mix 2 does not have a dual-sensor setup, there is no Portrait Mode option.
For the most part, the Mi Mix 2 is a decent shooter, but it does struggle quite a bit in low-light conditions. Here are some sample images we took while in Beijing.
Note that our unit of the Mi Mix 2 is still running on a beta build of MIUI 9; the camera performance may be different from the final retail unit.
Click on each image to view in full resolution.
Although this image looks good at a glance, there are some loss of details on the leaves. HDR would definitely make this image look better, but that’s the thing: the Mi Mix 2 doesn’t offer auto HDR. It’s still a option that you’ll have to enable manually.
This looks like a good shot, but perhaps because of the number of objects in the foreground and background, the Mi Mix 2 wasn’t able to get the focus right. Notice how blurry the bushes on the left are.
Surprisingly enough, this is a pretty impressive shot. For context, the lighting in this room is pretty dark, and the projection seen here moves rather quickly. Evidently, the Mi Mix 2’s shutter speed was quick enough to capture this shot.
This was taken right before the sun was setting, and it’s a decent shot. Details are quite well-preserved, the exposure is just right, and it balances the bright “Paris Baguette” sign well.
In low light, the Mi Mix 2 starts to show its limitations. Colours are pretty washed out here, and noise is an issue too.
Again, the Mi Mix 2’s low-light camera performance isn’t great here. The details are overblown on the bottom left of the image, and the picture as a whole…isn’t exactly bright enough. Enabling HDR would alleviate some of these issues, but I can’t hold the phone still enough: there’s a good two to three seconds pause in between shots with HDR enabled.
The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 isn’t a bad shooter by any stretch of the word. In fact, under ideal conditions, it can take some great-looking shots. However, the flagship market is filled with smartphones that boast impressive cameras, and the Mi Mix 2 doesn’t exactly stand out. That is, in terms of camera performance alone.
We’ll definitely explore the Mi Mix 2’s camera performance (and other aspects) more thoroughly in our full review. Until then, check out our first impressions of the device here.
