Equipped with a third-generation Snapdragon 8 processor and a 4.01-inch large external screen, Xiaomi’s first clamshell phone, the Xiaomi MIX Flip is quite powerful. Then, how is the actual performance? Will this very large extra screen bring a different experience? We received this new product early; let’s take a closer look.
Design
On the Xiaomi MIX Flip, the external screen is full-screen and 4.01 inches in size. Its configuration is almost as good as the main screen, even though it is the secondary screen. Resolution reaches 1392×1208, almost matching the pixels of the internal main screen—1224 pixels. The other is that both rely on the same luminous material, C8+, and both support a refresh rate of 120Hz, which basically gives both the external and internal screens almost the same appearance, allowing Xiaomi to design more features for the Flip’s external screen to suit different usage scenarios.
It comes in four colors: black, white, phantom purple, and the Xiaomi Phoenix Fiber Fiber Edition. We received the stylish Phantom purple version. On the back cover, there is glass with an AG sandblasting process that makes it very delicate to the feel and resistant to fingerprints.
The fingerprint recognition module is located on the right side of the device, easily accessible by the thumb whether the cover is open or closed. If it were built in the power button, then the fingerprint recognition would have been much easier to use compared to under the screen.
When the external screen of the Xiaomi MIX Flip is turned off, it seamlessly resembles a flat, deep obsidian. The decoration is rather minimal at the camera region, with the upper lens protection ring colorless black, which reduces the lens bulge visually and downplays the camera module.
Perfect hinge and more
The hinge of the Xiaomi MIX Flip features the LEICA logo, “VARIO-SUMMILUX,” and details of the two rear lenses. Noticeable more specifically is the small microphone hole close to the hinge, which, combined with the micro-slit receiver above the external screen, makes or receives a call even in a closed state—an uncommon feature among phones with small folding screens, which generally supports only hands-free calling in a closed state.
Unfolded, the Xiaomi MIX Flip carries a 6.86-inch flexible OLED main screen with a 21.4:9 ratio and a resolution of 2912×1224; it holds pretty excellent display specifications and UTG ultra-thin flexible glass to ensure flatness and durability.
At the front, there is a 20-megapixel wide-angle supporting PDAF; the hole size and position turn out pretty harmonious with the design.
Measured, the Xiaomi MIX Flip folds back to a thickness of 7.6 mm and folds forward to a thickness of 15.99 mm, weighing 192 grams. The Xiaomi Phoenix Feather Fiber Edition is 2 mm thicker due to the high molecular nylon material but is lighter in weight at 190 grams. When unfolded, it’s almost 7 inches—light in terms of its lines of sight but not light in feel. When folded, the clear weight is in the palm of the hand, a bit heavy.
External Screen Gameplay
The external screen of the Xiaomi MIX Flip is 4.01 inches, slightly bigger than the first-generation Xiaomi phone. If one excludes the camera hole, there will be quite a lot of control area left. Fundamentally, it is divided into two parts: to the left is where users can view and control applications—it’s comparable in size to the 3.5-inch screen of iPhone 4S, which should be enough to manage most daily apps. On the right are fixed widgets, with an area and layout similar to a sports bracelet.
For core system applications like phone, clock, and calendar, the functions on the external screen are basically consistent with the internal screen. The Xiaomi MIX Flip supports over 200 third-party apps, covering most daily needs. Here are some notable apps and their performance:
TikTok” is extremely suitable for watching short videos, while “Tomato Novel” is very apt for reading high-quality articles. All apps are the same as on the internal screen, except in size, but it is still very good, especially when reading a novel, since the small screen may be more power-saving compared to an internal screen.
On the other hand, an external screen on the Xiaomi MIX Flip will indicate the status of your car and even lock your car or open the trunk in case you have a Xiaomi SU7.
AI Function
Equipped with the HyperOS system, this generation of Xiaomi MIX Flip will have much enhanced AI functions. Many core applications are integrated with AI enhancements, including Xiao Ai, photo album, notes, and recorder. For example, by telling Xiao Ai to trim a video, it will seek and select some photos to create a video in the style one wants. Besides, users can select templates and background music on their own to further refine the video. In this way, video editing is realized and is attainable for middle-aged and elderly people who are not familiar with computers.
Not only are the AI functions of the Xiaomi MIX Flip practical, but also quite interesting. For instance, the AI image tool available in Album-Edit-Creation can be used to generate images in different styles through AI. Although such images have a distinct AI-made look, they are fun anyway.
Additionally, the voice recorder in the Xiaomi MIX Flip supports AI voice-to-text conversion and AI summaries. This applies to normal recordings and third-party applications, such as call recording and WeChat voice recording. With it, users will be able to record the conversations with customers and colleagues, and then make summaries so omissions or errors are minimal.
The upgraded Notes of the Xiaomi MIX Flip is also very practical. It integrates four AI functions: summary writing, typesetting, error checking, and translation, which can help a lot in article writing. All of these functions were tested using an article from our website newsletter.
Photography
It has a dual rear camera: a 50-megapixel main camera and a 50-megapixel floating telephoto lens. The main camera has an equivalent focal length of 23mm and uses the Xiaomi self-developed Light Hunter 800 image sensor. The sensor size is 1/1.55 inches, supporting pixel fusion technology to make a single-pixel area of about 2μm after fusion. In bright daylight conditions, the colors from the main camera are more realistic, with no overly bright hues.
The level of detail is impressive: in one photo of a sculpture, the camera catches textures ranging from scratches in the high-gloss paint nearby to intricate patterns on a plastic floor far away.
The telephoto is equivalent to 47mm, thus twice that of the main camera, with close focusing as close as just 9cm, so it’s excellent for close-ups. One downside: given that the body is thick due to the external screen, there isn’t an ultra-wide-angle lens on the Xiaomi Mi MIX Flip. That said, if one had to choose between telephoto and ultra-wide-angle, the telephoto lens would generally be used for the compositional flexibility it allows.
This high-contrast evening photo has the Xiaomi Mi MIX Flip holding up the natural colors. The sky, outside of the window, and an excavator, are exposed correctly, though the shadows of the chairs inside still retain some details.
What else
The main camera in this coffee shop food photo represents rich color capture and enticing textures of the coffee and ice bubbles. There’s moderate background blur, very well-balanced, enhancing the general atmosphere.
The 50-megapixel telephoto lens retains rich details even after quadruple zoom. One can clearly view fine details like silvery hair and wooden texture on a bench.
The Xiaomi Mi MIX Flip supports four classic portrait focal lengths: 23mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 75mm. It has further upgraded a Master Portrait algorithm guided by chief consultant Zhang Yimou, therefore giving more close-to-life looks of portraits. PortraitLM portrait model increases the realistic blurring in the background.
It has added Classic Leica Portrait mode to the Xiaomi Mi MIX Flip. This means pictures have much less beauty effect, are rich in color, and look realistic.
Performance
The Xiaomi Mi MIX Flip features the third-generation Snapdragon 8 processor. The model received for review includes 12GB of LPDDR5X memory and 512GB of UFS 4.0 flash storage. Given the compact internal space of folding phones due to components like hinges, it is rare for manufacturers to include the latest flagship processors, considering heat dissipation and product positioning.
To optimize the performance of the third-generation Snapdragon 8 processor, Xiaomi employs a three-dimensional step cooling system. This system consists of three layers: a large-area VC heat spreader, a large-area graphene layer, and thermal insulation aerogel. The first two layers accelerate SoC heat dissipation, while the aerogel reduces heat conduction to the screen, preventing high temperatures from affecting the user experience. The Xiaomi Mi MIX Flip is one of the only two small folding phones on the market using VC heat spreaders.
Tests results
In performance tests, we removed the phone case, and activated the performance mode. Using AnTuTu Benchmark V10, the Xiaomi Mi MIX Flip scored 1,712,479 points, with 417,373 points for the CPU and 615,141 points for the GPU. Due to its size, the performance is somewhat conservative in comparison to other 8Gen3 models.
In GeekBench 6 tests, the single-core score was 2,108 points, and the multi-core score was 6,273 points. Compared to the AnTuTu Benchmark, GeekBench 6 has a shorter test duration and is less demanding on the device’s heat dissipation, resulting in scores closer to other 8Gen3 models.
AnTuTu testing showed the Xiaomi Mi MIX Flip achieved a storage performance score of 231,348 points. The sequential read speed was 4019.7 MB/s, the sequential write speed was 3631.47 MB/s, and the random read and write speeds were 1794.0 MB/s and 1186.0 MB/s, respectively, meeting UFS 4.0 performance standards.
You’re right. Here’s the revised sentence in active voice:
We tested gaming performance with “Honor of Kings,” and the Xiaomi MIX Flip handles up to 120FPS in high-definition settings. After a ranked game, the average frame rate was 119.2FPS, with a 1% low frame rate at 96FPS, demonstrating smooth gameplay and an average power consumption of about 3.6W.
Charging and Battery Life
The Xiaomi MIX Flip features a 4780mAh battery, thanks to the higher energy density of the Xiaomi Jinshajiang battery, making it larger than the battery in the Xiaomi Mi 14 candy bar phone. The Xiaomi MIX Flip comes with a 67W Xiaomi Pengpai wired fast charger for charging. Based on tests, it charges from 0% to 14% in 5 minutes, reaches 23% in 10 minutes, hits 59% in 30 minutes, and fully charges to 100% in approximately 58 minutes.
Xiaomi MIX Flip Portable Camera Kit
For the MIX Flip, Xiaomi has prepared a portable camera set consisting of three main parts: an Internet leather bag, a bag strap, and a Mi Pocket Photo Printer 1S.
To use this, load photo paper into the pocket photo printer, then place both the Xiaomi MIX Flip and the Mijia Pocket Photo Printer 1S into the interconnected leather bag. Long press the power button on the Mijia Pocket Photo Printer 1S until it turns on.
Once you open the camera app on the Xiaomi MIX Flip, it switches to portable shooting mode. Then you press the shutter button to take a photo and print it.
The portable camera kit offers versatility to your photography, like selfies or photos of friends. Folding the Xiaomi MIX Flip in half and lowering the viewfinder, one can use the waist-level screen and take photographs of friends and landscapes in a very similar way to using a medium format film camera.
Also on the back of the Internet wallet is a card holder, which could be convenient for keeping subway cards or printed photos during travel. A minor inconvenience is that you must remove the official protective case from the lower half of the Xiaomi MIX Flip to fit it into the Internet wallet. Therefore, this portable camera set especially appeals to people who love traveling and taking photos of interesting experiences.
Conclusion
As Xiaomi’s first small folding product, the MIX Flip excels in its choice of materials, functional design, and peripheral accessories. Despite the heat generated by the third-generation Snapdragon 8, its energy efficiency at low loads and high peak performance significantly enhances daily use. The 4.01-inch external screen lets users perform many tasks usually done on the internal screen, reducing the need to open the lid and enhancing convenience.
Additionally, the integration of AI has further enriched HyperOS, particularly with AI-supported Xiao Ai, offering more solutions for users. Starting at 5,999 yuan ($825), the Xiaomi MIX Flip offers a cost-effective option compared to other small folding phones with similar configurations.