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Xiaomi Mi Max 2 Smartphone Review

China import for phablet fans. The Xiaomi Mi Max 2 has a screen size of over 6.4-inches - which you may or may not like. But if you do go for the XXL smartphone, you will find that it has quite a lot to offer for $370.

For the original German version, click here.

The XXL smartphone from the manufacturer Xiaomi is a lower mid-range device with very good technical specifications. The 6.44-inch phablet has a Snapdragon 625 SoC, 4 GB of RAM, stereo speakers, an IPS display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, a 5300-mAh battery with Quick Charge technology that can be charged via a USB Type-C port as well as dual-SIM capability and a fingerprint sensor. The mid-range smartphone has 64 GB of internal storage that can be expanded via a hybrid slot. A version with 128 GB is also available for a few dollars more.

Due to its very large display, the Mi Max 2 does not have any real direct competition - at least not in this price range. That is why we have primarily chosen other mid-range smartphones with smaller displays, such as the LG X Power 2, Asus ZenFone 3 Max ZC520T and the Nokia 5 and ZTE Blade V8. The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro would be a real alternative as it also has a 6.4-inch screen, but it costs $500.

Xiaomi Mi Max 2 (Mi Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 8 x 2 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
4 GB 
Display
6.44 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 342 PPI, capacitive, LCD, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
64 GB eMMC Flash, 64 GB 
, 51.54 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 1 Infrared, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm audio jack, Card Reader: microSD, up to 128 GB (uses SIM 1 slot), 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: gyroscope, Hall sensor, accelerometer, proximity sensor, compass, Miracast, OTG, Status LED
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2, 4G network standard : FDD LTE - 1800 / 2100 / 2600 (Bands 1, 3, 7); 3G network standard : WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100MHz; 2G network standard : GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz, Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.6 x 174 x 88.7 ( = 0.3 x 6.85 x 3.49 in)
Battery
5300 mAh Lithium-Ion, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 57 h
Operating System
Android 7.1 Nougat
Camera
Primary Camera: 12 MPix f/2.2 aperture, large 1.25μm pixels, two-tone flash, PDAF autofocus, enhanced low-light photography, HDR adjustment technology, Panorama Mode, Burst Mode, facial recognition, real-time camera filters
Secondary Camera: 5 MPix Beautify with 36 smart beauty profiles, f/2.0 aperture, 85° wide angle, real-time video chat filters, selfie timer, facial recognition
Additional features
Speakers: dual speaker, Keyboard: virtual, Keyboard Light: yes, modular power supply (for China), USB cable, MiUi 8, 12 Months Warranty, fanless
Weight
211 g ( = 7.44 oz / 0.47 pounds), Power Supply: 34 g ( = 1.2 oz / 0.07 pounds)
Price
360 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The Xiaomi Max 2's aluminum unibody case gave us a very good impression. The curved back is mainly made of the metallic material with only the top and bottom area of the back made of plastic due to the antenna technology. You can hardly feel where one material ends and the other begins. We tested the gold version, but the device is also available in black.

Due to the large screen, the device is a little difficult to handle and not really suitable for users with small hands. The good display-to-surface ratio of 73.2% cannot change this. The weight of 211 grams (~7.4 oz) is fine considering the size of the device.

The device has a very good feel for its price. The volume rocker and on/off button are well made and have a noticeable pressure point. The device appears rather stable and did not warp.

Size Comparison

179.8 mm / 7.08 inch 88.6 mm / 3.49 inch 10.7 mm / 0.4213 inch 259 g0.571 lbs174 mm / 6.85 inch 88.7 mm / 3.49 inch 7.6 mm / 0.2992 inch 211 g0.4652 lbs154.7 mm / 6.09 inch 78.1 mm / 3.07 inch 8.4 mm / 0.3307 inch 164 g0.3616 lbs149.5 mm / 5.89 inch 73.7 mm / 2.9 inch 8.55 mm / 0.3366 inch 148 g0.3263 lbs149.7 mm / 5.89 inch 72.5 mm / 2.85 inch 8.05 mm / 0.3169 inch 148 g0.3263 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 72 mm / 2.83 inch 8 mm / 0.315 inch 142 g0.3131 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

The Xiaomi smartphone offers 64 GB of internal eMMC storage, which is a lot of space for this price range. After the first set up, users still have 51 GB available. You can also expand the internal memory with an SD card. According to the manufacturer, the microSD-slot supports memory cards with up to 128 GB. However, the SD cards cannot be configured as internal storage.

The USB port has the Type-C build with a USB 2.0 connector, which is used to charge the device. It also offers USB OTG, with which external storage devices and input devices can be connected to the phone.

The mid-range device also offers Wi-Fi Direct, an FM radio, an LED for notifications, an infrared transmitter and a fingerprint sensor. The wireless transmission of display content to external monitors via Miracast worked well with a Sony Android TV.

Software

Xiaomi has chosen to stick to the usual MiUI operating system, version 8.6, which is based on the current Google Android version 7.1.1. Because the Xiaomi Mi devices are produced with the Chinese market in mind, the manufacturer's software does not support Google services such as the Play Store or other Google apps such as Gmail ex-works. Instead, the phone comes with Chinese services and Xiaomi's own apps. There is a global version that supports Google services and other languages other than Chinese and English (including German). Should you buy a device without Google services, however, there is a way of installing the apps after purchase.

The operating system's interface looks very different from stock Android and there are a lot of options and settings. Installed apps are not collected in an App Drawer but distributed among the various home screens.

The MiUI design can be adapted individually in the manufacturer's Theme Store. However, most of the alternative themes are similar to the standard MiUI layout.

Communication & GPS

The Mi Max 2 uses HSPA+ (max. 42 MBit/s downstream) or LTE cat. 4 (max. 150 MBit/s downstream and 50 MBit/s upstream) to connect to mobile data. It has good frequency coverage but does not support LTE Band 20. The dual-SIM smartphone has two slots for a Nano-SIM and a Micro-SIM card, which both support the LTE network.

Bluetooth 4.2 deals with wireless communication. The device does not have an NFC chip.

The integrated Wi-Fi module supports the IEEE 802.11 standards a/b/g/n/ac. The Mi Max 2 also supports MIMO technology, which makes very high transfer rates possible. The transfer rates we measured between the XXL smartphone and our reference router Linksys EA 8500 were very good at 344 MBit/s and 253 MBit/s. Not even our test reference, the Huawei Mate 9, could keep up with these rates. Reception is good in everyday situations and the Wi-Fi signal is stable. We measured a small loss of -35 dBm in direct vicinity to the router (Telekom Speedport, W921V).

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Lenovo Phab 2 Pro
Adreno 510, 652 MSM8976, 64 GB eMMC Flash
261 MBit/s +3%
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
Adreno 506, 625, 64 GB eMMC Flash
253 MBit/s
Huawei Mate 9
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
165 MBit/s -35%
Nokia 5
Adreno 505, 430, 16 GB eMMC Flash
112 MBit/s -56%
ZTE Blade V8
Adreno 505, 435, 32 GB eMMC Flash
53.2 MBit/s -79%
LG X power2
Mali-T860 MP2, MT6750, 16 GB eMMC Flash
51.2 MBit/s -80%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6737, 32 GB eMMC Flash
49.7 MBit/s -80%
iperf3 receive AX12
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
Adreno 506, 625, 64 GB eMMC Flash
344 MBit/s
Lenovo Phab 2 Pro
Adreno 510, 652 MSM8976, 64 GB eMMC Flash
313 MBit/s -9%
Huawei Mate 9
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
259 MBit/s -25%
Nokia 5
Adreno 505, 430, 16 GB eMMC Flash
122 MBit/s -65%
ZTE Blade V8
Adreno 505, 435, 32 GB eMMC Flash
54.5 MBit/s -84%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6737, 32 GB eMMC Flash
47.4 MBit/s -86%
LG X power2
Mali-T860 MP2, MT6750, 16 GB eMMC Flash
45.7 MBit/s -87%
GPS test: outdoors
GPS test: indoors

The Mi Max 2 uses the satellite systems GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou for positioning. The GPS module is reliable outdoors and locates the phone quickly within about six meters. Indoors, the smartphone was not able to locate us.

In order to get a better idea of the GPS capabilities, we took the Mi Max 2 on a bike ride. The Xiaomi smartphone had to compete with the bicycle computer Garmin Edge 500 over a distance of about 12 km (~7.5 mi). The difference between the measured routes is very small at 90 meters and the GPS can be considered more than sufficient for everyday needs.

Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
Xiaomi Mi Max 2

Telephone & Call Quality

The call quality of the Mi Max 2 was good on both sides in the German Vodafone network. Sound from the earpiece is easy to understand, although maximum volume could be higher. Our caller was sometimes difficult to understand in louder surroundings.

Voices sound natural and the microphone's quality was described as very good by our contact.

Cameras

main camera
front camera

The 12-MP main camera has a resolution of 3968x2976 pixels and a 4:3 format. The camera module has an aperture of f/2.2 and phase detection autofocus. The 1/2.9-inch Sony CMOS image sensor (IMX386) is also used in the current flagship device Mi 6. The pixel edge length is a lot smaller than in other high-end Sony sensors at 1.25 micrometers, but it is good for a mid-range device.

The 12-MP camera records videos at a maximum resolution of 4K and 30 fps. It can also record in slow motion with 120 fps at 720p. If you use the front camera, you will have to make do with 1080p.

The quality of the photos is comparatively high - at least in good lighting. In bad lighting, the Sony sensor has a lot of image noise, which was to be expected due to the small edge length of the pixels and small aperture. In good lighting conditions, the back camera can make convincing pictures with good dynamics, little image noise and good sharpness. Remarkable for this price range.

The front camera has 5 megapixels and an aperture of f/2.0 with an 85 ° wide-angle radius. The quality is good considering the price and is suitable for selfies, although the quality is not as good as that of the main camera.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

Accessories & Warranty

Apart from the Mi Max 2 itself, the box of our test unit also contained a user's manual in Chinese, a USB cable and a modular power supply for Chinese sockets. It also came with an EU adapter for European sockets, but this is not part of the standard scope of delivery. It is a special addition from Trading Shenzhen, which every buyer receives.

The warranty period is 12 months. Our test unit, provided by Trading Shenzhen, can be sent to a German address in the case of a warranty claim. We do not know if a similar service exists in the US or UK. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Handling

optional one-hand mode

The capacitive touchscreen can register up to 10 inputs simultaneously and works fine in all areas. The surface is very sensitive and responds to the lightest touch.

There are three illuminated, capacitive keys for navigation below the display. Should the 6.44-inch screen become a little inconvenient in some situations, you can switch to one-hand mode by touching the capacitive keys from left to right. This worked very well in the test and was a nice little feature.

The active fingerprint reader on the back of the Mi Max 2 works reliably, but it is not the fastest sensor around.

Display

subpixel array

The IPS LC display of the Mi Max 2 has a screen diagonal of about 6.4-inches. This, and a resolution of 1080p, results in a pixel density of 342 ppi. This makes text, especially when the writing is small, appear a little blurry, but the pixel structure is hardly noticeable from a normal viewing distance. Considering the price, the "low" display sharpness of the Mi Max 2 is acceptable and is only noticeable compared to panels with higher resolutions.

The X-Rite i1Pro2 measured a maximum brightness of 542 cd/m². We measured a brightness of 496 cd/m² with APL 50, which looks at the luminosity with an even distribution of light and dark areas. Both these results are good for a mid-range device. We also measured a very low minimum brightness of below 2 cd/m². However, this is accompanied by PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation). It has a frequency of 2232 Hz at about 20% display brightness, which can lead to discomfort for sensitive users.

510
cd/m²
530
cd/m²
532
cd/m²
516
cd/m²
530
cd/m²
537
cd/m²
500
cd/m²
510
cd/m²
542
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LCD tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 542 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 523 cd/m² Minimum: 1.28 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 530 cd/m²
Contrast: 1262:1 (Black: 0.42 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.9 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.1 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.28
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
IPS, 1920x1080, 6.44
Nokia 5
IPS, 1280x720, 5.20
ZTE Blade V8
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.20
LG X power2
IPS, 1280x720, 5.50
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
IPS, 1280x720, 5.20
Lenovo Phab 2 Pro
IPS, 2560x1440, 6.40
Huawei Mate 9
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.90
Screen
-6%
-5%
-7%
-5%
-21%
14%
Brightness middle
530
630
19%
482
-9%
237
-55%
507
-4%
472.4
-11%
696
31%
Brightness
523
635
21%
448
-14%
237
-55%
474
-9%
479
-8%
680
30%
Brightness Distribution
92
90
-2%
79
-14%
92
0%
85
-8%
93
1%
93
1%
Black Level *
0.42
0.57
-36%
0.64
-52%
0.13
69%
0.53
-26%
0.482
-15%
0.42
-0%
Contrast
1262
1105
-12%
753
-40%
1823
44%
957
-24%
980
-22%
1657
31%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.9
5
15%
4
32%
5.5
7%
4.7
20%
7
-19%
4.3
27%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
10.6
8.7
18%
6.5
39%
12.7
-20%
7.2
32%
11
-4%
9.4
11%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.1
6.9
-68%
3.4
17%
6.1
-49%
4.8
-17%
7.9
-93%
4.8
-17%
Gamma
2.28 96%
2.37 93%
2.13 103%
2.07 106%
2.25 98%
2.34 94%
2.33 94%
CCT
7129 91%
8736 74%
6774 96%
7943 82%
6441 101%
7826 83%
7255 90%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 2232 Hz ≤ 17 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 2232 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 17 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 2232 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17900 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The interplay of display brightness and a black value of 0.42 cd/m² results in a very good contrast ratio of 1:1262. However, our APL 50 measurement changed this good impression a little, as the black value increases to 0.67 cd/m² with evenly distributed light and dark areas, which in turn changes the contrast ratio to 1:713.

The photospectrometer and CalMAN software measured a color space deviation of 5.9 (colors) and 4.1 (grayscales), which is normal for this price range. The color temperature of the display is rather cool at 7129 Kelvin, but we did not see a blue cast in practice.

If you do not like the standard settings of the display, you can adjust the saturation and color temperature.

color accuracy (sRGB)
color space (sRGB)
grayscales (sRGB)
color saturation (sRGB)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
16.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 9.2 ms rise
↘ 7.6 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 33 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
22.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 10.8 ms rise
↘ 11.6 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 28 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms).

The display is easy to read outdoors thanks to the bright liquid crystal display. The Mi Max 2 also does well concerning viewing-angle stability - the IPS panel has no inverted colors and brightness hardly decreases even at a very wide viewing angle.

Performance

The Mi Max 2 is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 (SD625). The mid-range SoC is produced in a 14 nm FinFET process and integrates a processor with eight Cortex A53 cores from ARM. The integrated Qualcomm Adreno 506 graphics card supports modern programming interfaces such as Vulkan and OpenGL ES 3.1.

The cooperation between octa-core SoC and 4 GB of RAM ensures a mostly smooth system and browser performance in everyday use. There are a few minor judders during multitasking. Thanks to the system animations that can be deactivated in settings, the system runs well subjectively. 

The Mi Max 2 gets good results in the benchmarks as well and can position itself at the top of the comparison field thanks to its GPU and CPU power.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
62488 Points
Nokia 5
45274 Points -28%
ZTE Blade V8
45868 Points -27%
LG X power2
38547 Points -38%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
30365 Points -51%
Huawei Mate 9
124087 Points +99%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
5361 Points
Nokia 5
5060 Points -6%
ZTE Blade V8
4978 Points -7%
LG X power2
4157 Points -22%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
2517 Points -53%
Huawei Mate 9
7403 Points +38%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
4734 Points
Nokia 5
3807 Points -20%
ZTE Blade V8
3815 Points -19%
LG X power2
3191 Points -33%
Huawei Mate 9
6299 Points +33%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
1236 Points
Nokia 5
958 Points -22%
ZTE Blade V8
928 Points -25%
LG X power2
773 Points -37%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
588 Points -52%
Huawei Mate 9
2772 Points +124%
System (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
3150 Points
Nokia 5
2154 Points -32%
ZTE Blade V8
1562 Points -50%
LG X power2
1758 Points -44%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
1041 Points -67%
Huawei Mate 9
3616 Points +15%
Memory (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
931 Points
Nokia 5
788 Points -15%
ZTE Blade V8
812 Points -13%
LG X power2
693 Points -26%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
780 Points -16%
Huawei Mate 9
3850 Points +314%
Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
1004 Points
Nokia 5
740 Points -26%
ZTE Blade V8
787 Points -22%
LG X power2
489 Points -51%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
210 Points -79%
Huawei Mate 9
3939 Points +292%
Web (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
792 Points
Nokia 5
671 Points -15%
ZTE Blade V8
744 Points -6%
LG X power2
601 Points -24%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
703 Points -11%
Huawei Mate 9
1076 Points +36%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
877 Points
Nokia 5
671 Points -23%
LG X power2
593 Points -32%
Huawei Mate 9
1866 Points +113%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
4190 Points
Nokia 5
2849 Points -32%
LG X power2
2297 Points -45%
Huawei Mate 9
6445 Points +54%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
13710 Points
Nokia 5
9529 Points -30%
ZTE Blade V8
9932 Points -28%
LG X power2
8156 Points -41%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
3827 Points -72%
Huawei Mate 9
27364 Points +100%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
13193 Points
Nokia 5
9684 Points -27%
ZTE Blade V8
10271 Points -22%
LG X power2
8140 Points -38%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
3369 Points -74%
Huawei Mate 9
35626 Points +170%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
15887 Points
Nokia 5
9023 Points -43%
ZTE Blade V8
8905 Points -44%
LG X power2
8213 Points -48%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
7298 Points -54%
Huawei Mate 9
15104 Points -5%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
838 Points
Nokia 5
581 Points -31%
ZTE Blade V8
613 Points -27%
LG X power2
442 Points -47%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
157 Points -81%
Huawei Mate 9
2367 Points +182%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
720 Points
Nokia 5
503 Points -30%
ZTE Blade V8
542 Points -25%
LG X power2
379 Points -47%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
128 Points -82%
Huawei Mate 9
2448 Points +240%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
1964 Points
Nokia 5
1268 Points -35%
ZTE Blade V8
1127 Points -43%
LG X power2
1053 Points -46%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
741 Points -62%
Huawei Mate 9
2123 Points +8%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
465 Points
Nokia 5
298 Points -36%
ZTE Blade V8
318 Points -32%
LG X power2
306 Points -34%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
103 Points -78%
Huawei Mate 9
2240 Points +382%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
382 Points
Nokia 5
245 Points -36%
ZTE Blade V8
263 Points -31%
LG X power2
254 Points -34%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
83 Points -78%
Huawei Mate 9
2294 Points +501%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
1976 Points
Nokia 5
1227 Points -38%
ZTE Blade V8
1214 Points -39%
LG X power2
1074 Points -46%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
699 Points -65%
Huawei Mate 9
2117 Points +7%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
22 fps
Nokia 5
27 fps +23%
ZTE Blade V8
9.7 fps -56%
LG X power2
22 fps 0%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
10 fps -55%
Huawei Mate 9
60 fps +173%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
23 fps
Nokia 5
17 fps -26%
ZTE Blade V8
11 fps -52%
LG X power2
13 fps -43%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
5.9 fps -74%
Huawei Mate 9
80 fps +248%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
9.9 fps
Nokia 5
14 fps +41%
ZTE Blade V8
4.5 fps -55%
LG X power2
11 fps +11%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
4.7 fps -53%
Huawei Mate 9
37 fps +274%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
9.7 fps
Nokia 5
7.2 fps -26%
ZTE Blade V8
4.6 fps -53%
LG X power2
5.3 fps -45%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
2.2 fps -77%
Huawei Mate 9
34 fps +251%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
6.4 fps
Nokia 5
10 fps +56%
ZTE Blade V8
4.9 fps -23%
LG X power2
8.6 fps +34%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
3.4 fps -47%
Huawei Mate 9
28 fps +338%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
6.5 fps
Nokia 5
4.6 fps -29%
ZTE Blade V8
2.4 fps -63%
LG X power2
3.5 fps -46%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
1.4 fps -78%
Huawei Mate 9
24 fps +269%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
3.1 fps
Nokia 5
5.2 fps +68%
ZTE Blade V8
2.7 fps -13%
LG X power2
4.3 fps +39%
Huawei Mate 9
14 fps +352%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
3.5 fps
Nokia 5
2.5 fps -29%
ZTE Blade V8
2.1 fps -40%
LG X power2
1.9 fps -46%
Huawei Mate 9
fps -100%

Legend

 
Xiaomi Mi Max 2 Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, Qualcomm Adreno 506, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Nokia 5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Qualcomm Adreno 505, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
ZTE Blade V8 Qualcomm Snapdragon 435, Qualcomm Adreno 505, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
LG X power2 Mediatek MT6750, ARM Mali-T860 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL Mediatek MT6737, ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei Mate 9 HiSilicon Kirin 960, ARM Mali-G71 MP8, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash

The web performance appears to be good, too. The Chrome benchmarks confirm this impression and the Mi Max 2 beat all the comparison devices.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Huawei Mate 9 (Chrome 54)
68.6 Points +176%
Xiaomi Mi Max 2 (Chrome Version 60)
24.84 Points
Nokia 5 (Chrome 56.0.2924.87)
21.48 Points -14%
ZTE Blade V8 (Chrome 57.0.2987.132)
17.52 Points -29%
LG X power2 (Chrome 59)
16.74 Points -33%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL (Chrome 55)
16.47 Points -34%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Huawei Mate 9 (Chrome 54)
11897 Points +180%
Xiaomi Mi Max 2 (Chrome Version 60)
4250 Points
Nokia 5 (Chrome 56.0.2924.87)
3138 Points -26%
ZTE Blade V8 (Chrome 57.0.2987.132)
2826 Points -34%
LG X power2 (Chrome 59)
2712 Points -36%
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL (Chrome 55)
2534 Points -40%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL (Chrome 55)
14983 ms * -60%
LG X power2 (Chrome 59)
13763 ms * -47%
ZTE Blade V8 (Chrome 57.0.2987.132)
12297 ms * -31%
Nokia 5 (Chrome 56.0.2924.87)
10396 ms * -11%
Xiaomi Mi Max 2 (Chrome Version 60)
9383 ms *
Huawei Mate 9 (Chrome 54)
2734 ms * +71%

* ... smaller is better

Xiaomi has given the Mi Max 2 an eMMC storage with 64 GB. The speed of this internal storage is quite fast both in sequential reading and writing - at least for an eMMC storage. The microSD-card slot also had reliable transfer rates with our reference card, the Toshiba Exceria Pro M501. The results were average but definitely not bad.

Xiaomi Mi Max 2Nokia 5ZTE Blade V8LG X power2Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TLHuawei Mate 9
AndroBench 3-5
-13%
4%
-24%
-43%
27%
Sequential Read 256KB
265.7
255.6
-4%
278.1
5%
243.8
-8%
174.2
-34%
594
124%
Sequential Write 256KB
139.6
74.9
-46%
77.7
-44%
41.7
-70%
65.2
-53%
142.9
2%
Random Read 4KB
37.1
40.54
9%
39.89
8%
25.3
-32%
20.9
-44%
94.7
155%
Random Write 4KB
12.81
8.39
-35%
12.69
-1%
10.7
-16%
9.1
-29%
8.77
-32%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
83.6 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
83.9
0%
96.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
15%
76.6 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-8%
47.67 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-43%
54 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-35%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
62.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
62
-1%
87.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
39%
58.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-7%
29.59 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-53%
29.53 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-53%

Games

The integrated graphics unit Qualcomm Adreno 506 manages to display demanding 3D games smoothly (mostly), despite its comparatively low performance capacity. Current Android games such as Dead Trigger 2 or the racing game Asphalt could be played without any problems during our test. Our benchmark showed that the Adreno 506 GPU managed 30 fps or more in similarly equipped smartphones. The touchscreen responds very well and the sensors are reliable.

Dead Trigger 2
Asphalt Xtreme

Emissions

Temperature

The surface temperature was rather low in our measurements. Temperatures did not surpass 29.7 °C (~85.5 °F, back) while idling, and the Mi Max 2 reached a maximum of 33.9 °C (~93 °F) under continuous load. Temperature development is no problem during everyday use.

Max. Load
 35.4 °C
96 F
35 °C
95 F
35 °C
95 F
 
 35.1 °C
95 F
33.5 °C
92 F
35 °C
95 F
 
 34.6 °C
94 F
34.6 °C
94 F
34.7 °C
94 F
 
Maximum: 35.4 °C = 96 F
Average: 34.8 °C = 95 F
32.2 °C
90 F
32.9 °C
91 F
33.7 °C
93 F
32 °C
90 F
32.9 °C
91 F
33.9 °C
93 F
32.1 °C
90 F
32.6 °C
91 F
33.6 °C
92 F
Maximum: 33.9 °C = 93 F
Average: 32.9 °C = 91 F
Power Supply (max.)  31.4 °C = 89 F | Room Temperature 21.5 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.8 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 35.4 °C / 96 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 33.9 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.5 °C / 89 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speakers

speaker test: Pink Noise

The sound quality of the stereo speakers is very good for this price range. They offer balanced acoustics, which, combined with the stereo effect and large display, are destined for playing YouTube videos.

We measured a maximum volume of just under 84 dB(A) during our test. This is a good value which is easily loud enough for everyday use. As expected, highs are very present while the sound image lacks bass completely. The Pink Noise diagram shows that very high tones over 9 KHz are underrepresented while low frequencies between 250 and 700 MHz are very audible. 

The 7.9-mm thick case of the Mi Max 2 also has an audio jack, which means that all conventional headphones can be plugged in for a better sound experience.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.635.42525.4283125.328.34032.932.35033.632.56331.6368028.431.81002730.812520.832.11602241.920021.353.325020.858.231521.260.240019.465.250019.566.763017.768.480017.969.8100017.870.7125017.373.2160017.471.7200016.774.2250017.275.3315018.273.3400017.971.3500017.671630017.774.1800017.873.61000017.972.41250018.166.81600018.254.5SPL3084N1.361.8median 17.9median 69.8Delta1.47.431.636.525.43325.333.432.932.233.634.331.631.128.426.22728.520.829.42229.421.33020.831.521.231.719.437.619.544.917.754.917.964.217.87317.377.917.477.116.778.117.276.518.273.917.977.317.676.617.779.917.884.417.980.918.172.218.262.33089.41.372.3median 17.9median 72.31.416.9hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseXiaomi Mi Max 2LG X power2
Xiaomi Mi Max 2 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 8% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 86% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 27% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 65% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

LG X power2 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 42.2% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (1.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 13.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.2% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (31.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 78% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 19% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 88% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 9% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency diagram in comparison (checkboxes can be turned on/off!)

Battery Runtime

Power Consumption

The power consumption of the Mi Max 2 is surprisingly efficient for a 6.44-inch device. It is more or less on the same level as those of our comparison devices, but they all have significantly smaller displays and less powerful SoCs.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.09 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.6 / 1.75 / 1.87 Watt
Load midlight 2.76 / 4.51 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
5300 mAh
Nokia 5
3000 mAh
ZTE Blade V8
2730 mAh
LG X power2
4500 mAh
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
4100 mAh
Huawei Mate 9
4000 mAh
Power Consumption
-4%
-18%
-30%
-41%
-48%
Idle Minimum *
0.6
0.52
13%
0.98
-63%
0.63
-5%
0.74
-23%
0.78
-30%
Idle Average *
1.75
1.78
-2%
1.76
-1%
1.42
19%
2.04
-17%
2.13
-22%
Idle Maximum *
1.87
1.96
-5%
1.79
4%
1.47
21%
2.22
-19%
2.17
-16%
Load Average *
2.76
3.23
-17%
2.89
-5%
5.89
-113%
5.57
-102%
6.32
-129%
Load Maximum *
4.51
4.88
-8%
5.62
-25%
7.85
-74%
6.59
-46%
6.49
-44%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

The 5300-mAh battery lasted over 18 hours during our Wi-Fi surfing test with adjusted brightness. This is a very long time. The Mi Max 2 recharges very quickly thanks to Quick Charge 3.0 and the provided 18-watt power supply (9V/2A).

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
18h 11min
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
5300 mAh
Nokia 5
3000 mAh
ZTE Blade V8
2730 mAh
LG X power2
4500 mAh
Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL
4100 mAh
Huawei Mate 9
4000 mAh
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3
1091
713
-35%
700
-36%
982
-10%
814
-25%
758
-31%

Pros

+ bright IPS display
+ fast Wi-Fi
+ good workmanship
+ good camera
+ stereo speakers
+ very long battery runtimes
+ performance

Cons

- import (no LTE Band 20)
- APL 50 value
- PWM
- same SoC as predecessor

Verdict

Reviewed: Xiaomi Mi Max 2. Test unit provided by Trading Shenzhen.

Xiaomi has put an interesting smartphone on the market. If you accept the enormous size of the 6.44-inch Mi Max 2, you will get a decent package for about $360. Considering its price, the mid-range device has hardly any noteworthy weaknesses.

Hats off to Xiaomi! We can definitely recommend the Mi Max 2 to anyone who appreciates smartphones with large displays and can accept the restrictions of an imported device.

Unfortunately, the Chinese manufacturer has missed out on updating the second generation of the Mi Max series with a more up-to-date SoC and a modern (borderless) design.

Xiaomi Mi Max 2 - 09/04/2017 v6(old)
Marcus Herbrich

Chassis
88%
Keyboard
72 / 75 → 95%
Pointing Device
91%
Connectivity
48 / 60 → 80%
Weight
88%
Battery
100%
Display
85%
Games Performance
28 / 63 → 44%
Application Performance
50 / 70 → 71%
Temperature
91%
Noise
100%
Audio
68 / 91 → 74%
Camera
70%
Average
75%
84%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Marcus Herbrich, 2017-09- 7 (Update: 2020-05-19)