Xiaomi Mi A1 first impression: Premium Android One we've all been longing for

Android One made its debut in 2014 beginning with India and was Google's ambitious project to bring pure Android experience to the masses, but it failed mainly for lack of proper marketing strategy and also the good quality hardware was conspicuously missing in the affiliated mobile phones.

Co-incidentally, Xiaomi too entered India around the same time and was a runway hit; both the debutant phones: mid-range Mi 3 series and the budget Redmi 1S series, took Indian smartphone market by storm.

Since then, Xiaomi had a roller coaster ride with some road bumps in the middle, including the patent dispute with Ericsson, data centers in China (they have shifted to Singapore & US) and the recent wave of #BanChineseProducts online. But despite that, Xiaomi has recorded steady growth than any other brand in India and is in the slipstream of marker leader Samsung.

Also read: Pure Android-powered Lenovo K8 Plus with dual-camera launched in India; price, specs

Believe it or not, Xiaomi was not even close to the top 5 brands a year ago, but the Redmi Note 4, soon followed by the Redmi 4 series, changed the fortunes of the company in quick time and is currently the second biggest smartphone maker in the country.

Now, both the Xiaomi and Google's Android One have come together for the Mi A1, which we believe is a marriage made in heaven. Both the brands are set to benefit from this partnership. Xiaomi will be able to propel Android One series with stock OS in India.

In return, Android One will help Xiaomi bring pure Android enthusiasts into its fold, before which they depended on Motorola and Nokia, and also help build global consumer confidence on Xiaomi brand, and thereby help it grow in international markets.

The new Mi A1 will be the first Xiaomi-branded phone to be sold in more than 40 different countries including India. This, we believe will eventually lead to Xiaomi entering the developed markets such as UK and US.

We had an opportunity to get our hands on the Xiaomi Mi A1 at the launch event in New Delhi on September 5 and here's our initial impression:

Xiaomi Mi A1 Android One: Design and build quality

Xiaomi Mi A1 is undoubtedly a gorgeous phone from the house of Xiaomi. It has full-metal body design with curvaceous edges, which is not only visually appealing but also fits comfortably in hand. The metal body looks to be of superior quality and much better than the Redmi Note 4.

On the back, it features smooth metallic shell with a simplistic design with dual-camera on the top left corner and a fingerprint sensor below it. Further down, the phone features Mi branding and Android One engraving.

Mi A1's front-panel is refreshingly clean with no branding and a 2.5D curved glass cover add value to its exterior looks. It also houses an additional layer of Corning Gorilla Glass on the front and a dual pyrolytic graphite sheet on the back, which will help reduce the thermal performance by up to 2-degrees Celsius.

Xiaomi Mi A1 Android One preview: Processor, OS, RAM and storage

Xiaomi Mi A1 houses Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, making it the strongest Android One series to date. With stock Android, users can be guaranteed of a smooth functioning. There are no pre-loaded third-party apps. It comes with three Xiaomi apps: Mi Store, Mi Remote (for smart devices connectivity) and Mi Camera.

Pure Android enthusiasts will be happy to know that the Mi A1 will be getting the Google's latest Android Oreo soon and Android P in 2018.

During our brief time with the Mi A1, it showed quick responses in terms of app launching, but more tests need to be conducted to check its capability, which we will be detailing them in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

Xiaomi Mi A1 Android One preview: Camera

Xiaomi Mi A1 boasts top-notch dual camera. It houses 12MP wide-angle camera + 12MP Telephoto camera having OV series sensor, dual-tone LED flash, optical zoom, full HD video recording, optical zoom, Bokeh effect via Portrait mode.

On the front, it comes packed with 5MP selfie camera with beautification features.

During the launch event, we took some snaps and they were stunning, but we will reserve judgement, as it needs to tested in other light conditions. 

Xiaomi Mi A1 Android One preview: Battery

Xiaomi Mi A1 comes with a 3,080mAh battery, which is more than enough to last one full day. Interesting thing about the phone particularly of the Indian variant is that it comes with the custom 380V charger, which the company claims will help device handle the frequent power spikes.

Xiaomi Mi A1 Android One: Initial verdict

We were really impressed with the gorgeous metal-body design, the camera and stock Android with a clean interface. It is a marvellous phone in the mid-range class and we believe, will give a serious challenge to the popular Moto G5 series, Oppo V5, Oppo F3 and the recently launched Lenovo K8 series.

We will be posting the complete review in coming weeks. Stay tuned.

Follow us @IBTimesIN_Tech on Twitter for latest news Xiaomi products.

Key specifications of Xiaomi Mi A1: