Should you still buy a Xiaomi Mi A1 in 2019?

Xiaomi unveiled the Mi A1 back in September 2017. Xiaomi Mi A1 is now well over a year old now. The smartphone has now updated to Android 9.0 Pie and is getting regular security update, which is rare in the budget smartphone segment.

The company will be providing support for the device for one more year of security updates. This makes the Mi A1 one of the best-used budget smartphones to buy. But, should you go out and get yourself one?

Xiaomi Mi A1: Specifications

Xiaomi Mi A1 sports a 5.5-inch, 16:9 aspect ratio, IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset clocked at 1.3GHz. The device comes with 4GB of RAM paired with 64GB onboard storage. All of this is backed by a 3,080mAh battery.

On the optics front, there are two 12-megapixel f/2.2 aperture and f/2.6 aperture 2x zoom sensors on the back. On the front, there is a 5-megapixel sensor for taking selfies.

Xiaomi Mi A1: Design

In my opinion, the design of the Mi A1 is one of the best ever design on a budget segment smartphone. It sports a metal and glass design, which feels amazing in hand. Most smartphones in this price range still sport a plastic or a polycarbonate back instead of metal. Also, the device sports a USB Type-C port, which is rare in this price segment and is a welcomed feature.

The only issue with the design is that it sports a 16:9 aspect ratio display. The smartphone was launched back when 18:9 aspect ratio displays weren't common. Due to that, the smartphone has thick bezels all around, which make the device look dated.

Mi A1: Software

Xiaomi Mi A1 is a part of Google's Android One program. This means the smartphone was guaranteed to receive two years of major software updates and three years of security updates.

Also Read:Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro Review: Worthy successor to Redmi Note 5 Pro or not?

The smartphone currently runs Google's latest Android 9.0 Pie operating system in its stock configuration. The device was originally launched with Android 7.0 Nougat.

This makes the Xiaomi Mi A1 one of the very few mid-range smartphones that get regular updates and is now updated to the latest Android version by the manufacturer. Also, Mi A1 runs on the stock Android UI with the same elements as the Pixel devices. This makes the smartphone a little faster and I personally prefer the look and functionality of stock Android over a heavily modified version.

Xiaomi Mi A1: Camera

Xiaomi Mi A1 sports two 12-megapixel f/2.2 aperture and f/2.6 aperture 2x zoom lens on the back. For selfies, there is a 5-megapixel sensor on the front.

The rear camera on the device offers good colours with great saturation. The details aren't that good. However, the camera is still better than what you will get in this price range. The story with the front camera is the same.

Mi A1: Conclusion

Xiaomi Mi A1, being more than a year old budget smartphone still holds up great. The smartphone is available for around Rs. 8,000 in the used market. In that price range, the performance, and software, as well as the design, is better than anything you can buy in this price range.

However, you can also buy a new smartphone in this price range. Especially the metal back design as most of the smartphones in this segment sports a plastic or polycarbonate back. One thing you will miss with the Mi A1 is warranty. Also, the big bezels might be a bit troublesome.

So if you are looking to buy a great smartphone in this budget, the Mi A1 is still a great choice unless you have to have the warranty.