Xiaomi Mi Mix 3: "Killed by Software" is actually a thing
6.3.2019
Translation: machine translated
Video: Stephanie Tresch
The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 is lush green, has a gigantic screen and feels good in the hand. If only it weren't for the software, which is completely messed up.
The front is a screen. No notch, almost no edges. The back plate of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 shines out at me in green. A bold colour, because green is difficult to achieve in plastic so that it doesn't look like a bathroom from the 1970s. Dual cam, with the fingerprint sensor slightly offset to the side in the centre.
The Mi Mix 3 is heavy in the hand. At 218 grams, it is massively heavier than the competition, which is reluctant to even come close to the 200-gram limit. Because the main feature of the Chinese phone needs a little more mass.
The Mi Mix 3 is one of the slider phones.
This means that the entire front of the smartphone can be moved. That in itself is extremely cool. If only it weren't for the rest.
Click click: The slider is fun
With the slider on the front of the Mi Mix 3, it's clear that it's not about the phone's software. Historically, Xiaomi's Mix series is the series that dares to break new ground on the hardware side anyway. Above all, large screens take centre stage, because the slider does nothing other than create space that would otherwise have had to be taken up by a notch or a fat edge so that the selfie cam can be stowed away. Smartphones can no longer do without a selfie cam.
So if you want to activate the selfie cam, slide the screen down from the top of the Mi Mix 3. Don't worry, it works quite well. The slider is neither flabby nor stiff. Someone at Xiaomi must have spent a huge amount of time finding exactly the right resistance for the slider. Because this thing is fun. I find myself pushing the slider open and closed every now and then simply out of boredom and the thought of having to do something with the phone.
The slider engages with a satisfying click both when closed and open. I've been consciously paying attention to this ever since Knob Feel. I recommend you do the same.
Because it feels really good. Click click click. It's impossible for the slider to remain half-open, because the system is magnetically well solved. It's as if you're pulling or pushing the slider over a hill. At first it's hard going uphill, then it almost goes by itself when it goes downhill. Yes, yes, they did a really good job with the slider. Click click click.
The big but
The big problem arises when you want to do something with the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 that is not a "slide open slider". If you look at the phone's specs, you'll see "Android 9 Pie". That's good, because phone manufacturers tend to have a hard time updating their products. Why should they? Because if a smartphone has a life cycle of plus or minus one year - at least on the manufacturer's side - then no one needs to go to the trouble of hiring engineering manpower for the old crap. It's better to save on labour and let the engineers work on the new product. Everyone has more fun that way.
Where Xiaomi could also have saved money: The development of the Miui. Miui is Xiaomi's user interface (UI). Just like x other smartphone manufacturers, Xiaomi thought "We can do better" and changed the entire user interface. And by changed, I mean "completely messed up".
Miui would like to be something like Apple iOS, but fails because it steals the flat look of Lineage OS from OnePlus and the arrangement of the icons from Apple. Horrible, but easy to fix. Install Nova Launcher, then restore the backup.
The problem arises where Nova Launcher does not work. In particular, the notification area - the drawer you drag from top to bottom - is so messed up that I'm surprised no one saw it. Or that nobody said anything. Software on a smartphone is of the utmost importance. Hopefully, so is Miui at Xiaomi, because that's the company's flagship. How many people saw the design, tested it and then approved it before it landed on my desk? Did none of those people stop for a second and think "maybe the UI is unusable"?
Of course, visually it looks nice, with the generous white space and all that. But if you can barely get more than three notifications in the space where other phones can easily manage five, then you're doing something wrong. What's more, the animation is so damn slow and sluggish. And nobody can tell me that the Mi Mix 3 is slowed down on the hardware side. Because there is no justification for the slowness of the phone on the hardware side.
But then the slider comes back and saves the day. Or at least makes it so that it doesn't leave a bad aftertaste. Because the slider starts the selfie cam by default. Makes sense. But in the settings you will find the menu item "Slider Settings", where you can set what the slider should do when you slide it open. You can set anything there, from functions to an app of your choice. This shows that Xiaomi does understand software. Just not about UI.
The big but to the but
Is the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 beyond salvation? No. If, like me, you can't live with Miui making your top-of-the-line smartphone slow, sluggish and ugly, then there is a remedy. But before I tell you that, a few disclaimers:
- Your warranty on the device will be voided if you do this
- Neither I nor Digitec Galaxus will provide support if something goes wrong
- The whole thing is highly experimental. Therefore: Try at your own risk
- In the worst case scenario, your phone becomes a paperweight
- Parts of this method are untested as there is no standardised method
- Neither I nor Digitec Galaxus take responsibility and/or accountability for anything that happens during the whole thing
Sodala. Let's get the legal stuff out of the way. It's about freeing your phone from the currently running Android version and giving it completely new software. This process is called "flashing a ROM". Flashing makes sense if you have grabbed a non-international version of a Chinese phone and don't fancy the Chinese data octopus. Since 2016, Chinese software manufacturers have been required by law to collect metadata from their users. I have broken this down in more detail in my news article about the Meitu app.
International versions of smartphones and smart devices are generally not affected by these regulations, as Chinese companies are also aware that international customers may refrain from making a purchase if metadata is leaked. Furthermore, international data waste is of no use to anyone. This is because violations of Chinese law cannot be penalised outside of China.
ROM flashing is also a good idea if you have absolutely no desire to use Xiaomi's Miui, but actually want to utilise the performance of your hardware and don't want to settle for "killed by software".
Since the Mi Mix 3 is not particularly old and most members of the coder forum xda-developers code in their spare time, the [forum])https://forum.xda-developers.com/mi-mix-3/development) for the Mi Mix 3 is still somewhat sparsely populated. Nevertheless, there are some Android versions among them that should work on the device and that you can install on your phone. But beware: All data on the phone will be deleted and the new Android versions are very likely to contain bugs. So make a backup before you try anything you see on xda-developers. And always remember: you're on your own.
So, that's it. Hopefully my next phone will be better.
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
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