TechTalk: Xiaomi Mi2/M2 First Impressions

The background info, yada, yada, yada.

Being rather nerdy and being someone who takes massive enjoyment out of this rapidly moving era of technology, I've had my sights on a new phone for quite a while. My old and trusty BlackBerry Torch 9800 [bought after a bit of luck on a bingo game] blinked its last LED notification, and I was forced to use my dad's old phone, a BlackBerry Curve, as my temporary daily driver. Despite the fact that I love BlackBerry devices [and my excitement for the BlackBerry 10 devices that are due to come out next year], I figured it was time for a change, and a time to really calm this Android envy that I've had for quite a long time.

After months [well... actually, days. Okay, fine, hours] of looking around on the internet, I finally decided that my next phone would be a phone from China. Now, usually, the phrase 'phone from China' should be met with a little bit of caution. Scout around in some of the dark and dank corners of the web, and you'll usually be offered a selection of dual-sim, cheaply-built iPhone rip-offs, all running a version of Android that was designed and built around the time of the Stone Age, with names such as ePhone, or SciPhone, or SkyPhone, or any other rhymes or puns that a Sun journalist would be pleased to churn out.

My new phone, however, and I've stressed this many times to my roommate, is a proper Chinese phone. It's made by Xiaomi, a manufacturer that is quickly but proficiently climbing up the ranks, and generating a huge amount of press around the globe. Their first offering, the Xiaomi M1/Mi1 was a massive success, and earlier this year they launched the Xiaomi M2/Mi2, a phone with a quad-core processor, and a new version of their Android-based MIUI [pronounced Me-Yoo-Eye] operating system. The rather impressive specs, coupled with a cheap price, ensured that this was going to be my next, shiny, new device.

Receiving the phone [the pre-main bit].

After waiting for the phone for months on end [and having pre-ordered from quite a few sources - some more reliable than others], my Xiaomi M2 finally arrived, courtesy of ibuygou.com. Naturally, I had been a bit scared. Some Chinese traders not only clone iPhones, but also clone Xiaomi's phones too, conning foreigners out of hundreds of pounds or dollars into buying a device that wasn't real. Thankfully, I received the real deal.

As the phone doesn't come with expandable storage via MicroSD card [but does offer USB-OTG support], I opted for the 32GB model, rather than the 16GB model, which I was anxious about filling up so quickly. In the box, as agreed with a sales rep from ibuygou, I also received a screen protector and cover for the device - I'm notorious for being a bit tough on my phones, and didn't want to see it live such a short life.

After a quick setup [though there was a bit of faffing about with keyboard settings that wouldn't let me type originally], the phone was on, working, had already put a smile on my face, and was kitted out with my tradition Christmas live wallpaper.

First Impressions [the actual main bit]

From the back, the phone looks like it's taken and mixed design cues from the Samsung Galaxy SIII, and the Meizu MX. From the front, people keep telling me that it looks like an iPhone. I personally hate that comparison, but if it helps you visualise it [why would you need to? There are pictures!] then go ahead.

Pictures and videos tend to make it seem as though it's flimsy, but in the hand it feels well-built, and has a bit of weight to it.

In short, performance wise, this phone is FAST. The graphics are smooth, games work flawlessly, the camera is unsettlingly good [I'm considering plastic surgery because the HD quality of the video is showing me up], and the customisation options within the MIUI rom are fantastic. I've had a little trouble with the keyboard, but that's more of an issue with me adapting to a fully-touchscreen device, and I'm getting better and better by the day. The one downside I have seen so far, though, is battery life. Whilst Xiaomi is going to release [or has released?] a bigger battery for the phone, the stock battery is just so easily drained with moderate usage - it's like taking a machine gun into a war to find out that you've only got three bullets to use. Still, though, the M2 has a major point in its favour for having a removable battery, in contrast with the Nexus 4, which, in my mind, is its major competitor.

Hopefully, if time permits, I'll update all of this with a full review video before the Christmas holiday ends. But they do say that you should never need a second chance at a first impression, and this phone certainly doesn't.

Acknowledgements and notes

• Thanks to ibuygou for being awesome when it came to selling and shipping this phone. 
• I've installed the MIUIAndroid rom onto the device. MIUIAndroid are a team of developers that translate the MIUI rom into flawless English [the stock rom is a bit dodgy when it comes to their translation], and their rom works fantastically, and they have a great community! Go check them out!

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