Build & design
To be honest, the design language of the phone reminded us of Xiaomi's big-screen budget phone, Redmi Note, perhaps more so because of the white polycarbonate back. However, this one's a much more compact device measuring just 138.1x69.6x7.8mm, just marginally wider and thicker than the Apple iPhone 6. Keep in mind that this one houses a 5-inch display while the iPhone 6 sports a 4.7-incher.
Also, the Mi 4i has a unibody form factor which means the polycarbonate back isn't removable making the device feel more durable. The back is slightly curved around the edges and wraps around the phone in a snug manner. Despite being made of plastic, it feels thick and strong and looks pleasant, thanks to the matte finish. The finish also makes it less susceptible to smudges and Xiaomi claims it doesn't stain easily. In our use, we found this claim to be true.
Unarguably the best part about the phone is how it's perfect for one hand use( better than the Mi 3 and Mi 4) and feels nice to hold. The thin bezels and placement of the power and volume rocker keys( placed at the right edge) all play a role in aiding this. Inserting a connector in the micro-USB port( placed at the bottom edge) was a little tricky and takes some effort though The 3.5mm headset act sits at the top edge. The keys offer good tactile feedback.
We really like how the rear camera( placed towards the top left) is flush with the back of the phone and doesn't protrude out. One of our other gripes is that the speaker outlet is still at the back. Although there's a lip to raise the phone slightly, sound gets muffled when the phone is placed on a soft surface or inside the pockets of skinny jeans. The left edge sports a sim card tray that has two micro sim card slots.
The front of the phone is dominated by the sharp and vibrant full-HD display flanked by three capacitive navigation keys at the bottom and the front-camera lens at the top.
Overall, we feel the Xiaomi Mi 4i is a pleasant looking, compact smartphone that will appeal to people who prefer devices that can be easily used with one-hand.
Display
The Mi 4i sports a 5-inch full-HD( 1920x1080p) IPS display made by Sharp or JDI. Kudos to the company for including a bright and vibrant, full-HD panel at this price point. We found the display to be really sharp packing in 441 pixels per inch.
Xiaomi has used Corning's Concore One Glass Solution to ensure protection against scratches at the same time making the screen thinner and more sensitive. The app icons and UI elements do appear to float on the screen enhancing the interaction. Xiaomi claims the abrasion resistance is similar to that offered by Gorilla Glass 3. We found that it was less susceptible to smudges and even minor scratches.
Xiaomi uses a special technology called Sunlight Display to ensure the display renders graphics well even under direct sunlight. It lights up the darker pixels through a smart algorithm and hardware-based processing so that the pictures, videos and UI elements including keyboards look as good as they would in normal light. We were impressed by this feature during our use. It's also helpful while clicking pictures under sunlight.
Software
Xiaomi Mi 4i runs Android 5.0 Lollipop-based MiUI 6, the latest operating system from the company.
The Mi 4i doesn't explicitly feature Android Lollipop's UI tweaks. Even the app switcher is the one featured in MiUI and system apps don't feature Material design.
Xiaomi has added support for 6 Indian languages and Visual IVR for India in beta. Visual IVR allows users to navigate through Interactive Voice Response Systems in a menu-driven fashion. Currently, Visual IVR is in beta and supports three services( IRCTC, Cleartrip and Indigo) . Our review unit did not come with the feature.
The new OS boasts of a flatter design, smoother transition effects, better multitasking and notifications interfaces and gestures, among other features.
MIUI resembles Apple's iOS in design and navi
