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The Mi Mix 4 becomes the most expensive non-foldable Xiaomi phone to fix out of warranty

The Mi Mix 4: be careful with this one. (Source: Xiaomi)
The Mi Mix 4: be careful with this one. (Source: Xiaomi)
The Mi Mix 4 is Xiaomi's latest super-premium non-flexible smartphone. It is also the first of this category to rock an under-display selfie camera. Unfortunately, it now seems this upgrade has helped pushed its repair costs skyward, even compared to the Mi 11 Ultra with its higher-resolution display.

The Mi Mix 4 has really racked up the sales for Xiaomi on its release to the Chinese market, a process probably not hindered by its ground-breaking hidden selfie shooter (or camera-under-panel (CUP), as the OEM puts it). However, MyDrivers has some sobering advice for fans swept up in this initial wave of enthusiasm: don't let your shiny new purchase come to any harm that a warranty won't cover.

The blog claims to have discovered Xiaomi's schedule of charges for various Mi Mix 4 repair types. Of these, the most eye-catching is probably the out-of-warrany cost of replacing that new CUP panel, set at no less than 1,550 yuan (~US$238).

This would be an stratospherical ask for an FHD+ AMOLED display - one of a normal type, that is. For context, a similar repair for the Mi 11 Ultra, which has a higher-res 2K screen, has been found to go up to 1650 yuan (~$254). On the other hand, fixing this super-flagship's rear panel would cost 450 yuan (~$69), whereas Xiaomi will now charge a relatively whopping 680 (~$105) for that of the Mi Mix 4.

Both the Ultra and the Mix 4 are finished in ceramic; however, the OEM claims to have developed a new and costly process to leave the newer model with a unibody chassis and a "jade-like" (in terms of texture and surface temperature) finish. The rear panel is touted to be up to 30% lighter than the next comparable mass of the same material, and has had to be custom-engineered to optimize its wireless signal reception.

It should also be noted that Xiaomi also tacks ~40 yuan on per repair type, for the labor involved. All in all, this renders the 4 the second-most expensive phone from this OEM to repair out of pocket, second only to the Mi Mix Fold.

Its immediate successor has started at an actually surprisingly reasonable 4,999 yuan (~$769) for its specs; however, any sense of a bargain left in buying one might be knocked out by this level of first-party support in the long term. On the other hand, its construction, not to mention the Gorilla Glass Victus that protects that display, might help hold this contigency back for a good part of its working life.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2021 08 > The Mi Mix 4 becomes the most expensive non-foldable Xiaomi phone to fix out of warranty
Deirdre O'Donnell, 2021-08-20 (Update: 2021-08-20)