Specs Review: Could Xiaomi's Mi 4 wow mid-range smartphone users in India?

Xiaomi has had a good run in India, so far. After wooing audiences with the Mi 3, Redmi 1s, and Redmi Note, the company has now entered the just-under Rs 20,000 phone range with the Mi 4. The Mi 4 will go on sale on February 10 in the usual flash sale manner on Flipkart. Xiaomi devices are known to pack in superior specs at an affordable price tag. So, is the Mi 4 worth that price tag? Let' s take a closer look at it specs, to find out more.Display - 5-inch Full HDJust like most smartphones these days, Xiaomi Mi 4 doesn't settle for a display less than 5-inches. The 5-inch IPS LCD features 1080 x 1920 pixels  of resolution, with pixel density that goes up to 441 ppi. The display is said to be scratch resistant and shatter-proof. The company has employed a high colour Sharp/JDI display with a screen thickness of 2.63mm.OS - Android-based MIUI 6The Mi 4 runs Xiaomi's latest Android 4.4.4-based MIUI 6. It brings new features like marking unknown numbers like marketing, fraudulent or sales calls, accessing free Wi-Fi with WiWide and also using the IVR system. With the new OS variant, Xiaomi claims to make everyday taks easier and faster. You can access notifications from any screen, including the lockscreen. It has also introduced floating notifications. There are over 5,000 MIUI themes and some have been localised for Indian audiences. One can also access MIUI market and life services such as MIUI Directory and Mi Life.[caption id="attachment_251969" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The plastic back cover of the Mi 4 doesn't really stand out. Tech2[/caption]The MIUI 6 focuses on features like colour, motion, customisation, security and content, according to the company. Compared to the previous iteration, it comes with small subtle differences. Icons come with motion graphics built into them.Form factor - 8.9mmAt 8.9mm, the Xiaomi Mi 4 isn't among the slimmest smartphones available in the market. In fact, the Mi 3 was sleeker at 8.1mm. It measures 139.2 x 68.5 x 8.9 mm. However, its just a few grams heavier than Mi 3 and tips the scale at 149 grams.  It will be available in white, but the company is also expected to release a black variant. We wonder if Xiaomi plans to slip in a waterproof case as it did during the Mi 3 launch in India.It  has been built using a stainless steel frame, an aluminum-magnesium alloy mid-frame and a plastic back. It also gets an anti-fingerprint coating.Processor -  Snapdragon 801, 3GB RAMTaking a step ahead of its processor, the Mi 4 comes powered by Snapdragon 801 clocked at 2.5GHz. It also includes 3GB of RAM. This makes it efficient to handle your daily tasks and applications. This puts it at par with the OnePlus One that also comes with a similar processing power. The device doesn’t have any competition in the sub-20,000 category as far as the processor and RAM are concerned. Considering the processor and price tag, its closest competitor is OnePlus One.Storage – 16GBIn terms of on board storage, the Mi 3 is available in 16GB and 64GB variants, but it has launched only the 16GB model in the Indian market. There is no room to further expand the storage due to the lack of microSD card slot. It also offers access to MIUI Cloud to store data.Camera – 13MP rear and 8MP front camerasWhile Xiaomi Mi 4 maintains the 13MP rear snapper also seen in its predecessor, the front-facing camera gets a huge bump. The Mi 4 comes with an 8MP front-facing camera for your selfies and video conferencing. The Mi 4 has a Sony Exmor RS stacked image sensor with 6-element lens, ƒ/1.8 aperture. Some other features include o.3 seconds of autofocus time, Blue glass infrared filter, Intelligent high dynamic flash, HDR, panorama and burst modes. It also supports 4K UHD video recording. It also comes with a Beauty app for the front camera.[caption id="attachment_251974" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Xiaomi Mi 4's camera allow for exposure to be adjusted as well. Tech2[/caption]Connectivity - Wi-Fi, 3G, GPS, BluetoothThe Mi 4 won't disappoint you when it comes to connectivity options. The Mi 4 is Wi-Fi-enabled and comes with support for even ‘ac’ draft along with a/b/g/n. It also supports Wi-Fi Direct and Wi-Fi Display. It supports 2G as well as 3G, however, Xiaomi has given 4G LTE support version of Mi 4 a miss in the India. It supports Bluetooth 4.0, Bluetooth HID, GPS with AGPS, GLONASS and BeiDou Navigation Satellite System.Sensors - More than the usual suspectsIt supports several sensors including barometer, electric compass, accelerometer, light, gyroscope, infrared and proximity.Battery - 3080mAhThe device is fuelled by a 3080mAh battery, which is disappointing, given that the Mi 3 came with 3050mAh. The battery life promises 280 hours of standby time. However, we will know the exact battery life only once we get the device in our labs and have conducted the loop test.VerdictWith Mi 4, Xiaomi has ticked almost all boxes and further intensified the competition in the Indian mobile market. Just under Rs 20,000, it has a good display, camera and powerful processor, at least on paper. However, Xiaomi isn't targeting the usual under Rs 15k or 10k market, but has stepped up with a price of Rs 19,999.In terms of hardware, the device comes across as a total value for money with a stellar specs sheet and the price tag. However, the question is will people cough out a higher sum for a Chinese brand that is relatively new in India? After all, Xiaomi isn't a seasoned OEM like HTC or Motorola. However, so far, the Xiaomi charm has been working and we will find out on February 10, if the company manages to hit headlines with yet another flash sale in seconds.You can also check out our first impression of the Mi 4 here.