Notebookcheck Logo

Xiaomi Mi6 Smartphone Review

Insider tip. Anyone looking for a powerful high-end smartphone now, should take a closer look at the Xiaomi Mi6. For about 400 Euros (~$450), Xiaomi's flagship smartphone offers quite a lot, except for LTE-band-20 support. As our test shows, the sixth generation of the Mi series also cannot keep up with the high-end competition in one respect.

For the original German review, see here.

As expected, the Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi have also updated their Mi series this year, presenting the sixth Test Xiaomi Mi6 Smartphone generation of their in-house high-end series. The biggest changes of this year's product update have been under the hood, since the outside appearance has changed very little compared to the Mi5 and Mi5s

As with its predecessor, the Xiaomi Mi6 has a 5.15-inch IPS LCD panel with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. To supply the power, a 3350-mAh battery is built-in, which gives us hope for a very good battery life considering the display size. Inside the dual-SIM smartphone a Snapdragon 835, which is currently the most powerful processor by Qualcomm, provides the necessary performance. Furthermore, there are 6 GB of RAM and up to 128 GB of UFS-2.1 memory.

For the first time, Xiaomi has built a dual camera system into one of their flagship devices. It consists of two 12-Megapixel cameras. The second camera module on the back of the device collects depth information which provides the photos with the so-called Bokeh effect. Moreover, the Mi6 is Xiaomi's first smartphone that is protected against water splashes.

The manufacturer's top model has 128 GB of internal storage and a ceramic back (~ 520 Euros/ ~$582; it currently costs around $600 in the US). For our test, we were provided with the variant of the Xiaomi Mi6 with 64 GB and a glass back (~ 400 Euros/ ~$450; starting at $440 in the US). The glass model is also available with a 128 GB of memory for an extra charge of about 70 Euros (~$78). There is no direct distribution planned for the European market, so that the Mi6 can only be purchased from importing vendors.

Possible competitors of the Xiaomi high-end smartphone and comparison devices in our test are the current smartphone elite of the Honor 8 Pro, the Samsung Galaxy S8, the LG G6, and the Huawei P10. Added are other representatives of the high-end such as the OnePlus 3T and the HTC U Ultra, which are available for similar prices. 

Xiaomi Mi 6 (Mi 6 Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (8998) 8 x 2.45 GHz, Kryo 280
Graphics adapter
Memory
6 GB 
Display
5.15 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 428 PPI, capacitive, multi-touch, LCD, IPS, 1 nit ultra-dark mode and 600 nit brightness, glossy: yes
Storage
64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash, 64 GB 
, 51 GB free
Connections
1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 Infrared, Audio Connections: USB Type-C, no 3.5 mm audio port, Card Reader: no storage expansion, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: position sensor, hall sensor, compass, barometer, distance sensor, OTG, Miracast, status LED, step counter
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0, 4G bands: FDD LTE: B1, B3, B5, B7, B8; 3G bands: WCDMA 850/1900/2100 MHz; 2G bands: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.5 x 145.2 x 70.5 ( = 0.3 x 5.72 x 2.78 in)
Battery
3350 mAh, Quickcharge 3.0
Operating System
Android 7.1 Nougat
Camera
Primary Camera: 12 MPix 4-axis OIS, telephoto lens - wide angle lens
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: onscreen, Keyboard Light: yes, modular CHN charger, EU adapter, USB cable, USB-C to 3.5-mm adapter, MiUi 8, 12 Months Warranty, SAR n. b., fanless
Weight
168 g ( = 5.93 oz / 0.37 pounds), Power Supply: 65 g ( = 2.29 oz / 0.14 pounds)
Price
400 EUR
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The Xiaomi Mi6 is available in three different color variants, black, blue and silver, and a black ceramic version with golden adornments around the camera lens. Not only has the screen diagonal of the Mi6 remained the same compared to the predecessor, but all the dimensions of the device are almost identical. The curved edges and slim form of merely 8 mm (~0.31 in) thickness make the Xiaomi device fit in the hand very well. Compared with the predecessor, the case appears even more ergonomic and of higher quality. The high weight of 168 g (5.9 oz) – the ceramic version is even 14 grams (0.49 oz) heavier is rather surprising for such a compact device. The edges around the IPS display are a little large for our tastes. At barely 72%, the Mi6 has a considerably more inefficient display-surface ratio than the 2017 high-end competition, the LG G6 or the Samsung Galaxy S8.

The keys for the volume adjustment and on/off on the right side of the case are easy to reach and have a comfortable pressure point. However, the keys are not sitting as tightly in the case as in a Samsung Galaxy S8 or the HTC U Ultra. Like Samsung, Xiaomi has also omitted a home button in these years. Instead, there is a capacitive sensor positioned in the center. 

Xiaomi Mi 6
Xiaomi Mi 6
Xiaomi Mi 6
Xiaomi Mi 6

Size Comparison

162.4 mm / 6.39 inch 79.9 mm / 3.15 inch 8 mm / 0.315 inch 170 g0.3748 lbs157 mm / 6.18 inch 77.5 mm / 3.05 inch 6.97 mm / 0.2744 inch 184 g0.4057 lbs152.7 mm / 6.01 inch 74.7 mm / 2.94 inch 7.35 mm / 0.2894 inch 158 g0.3483 lbs148.9 mm / 5.86 inch 68.1 mm / 2.68 inch 8 mm / 0.315 inch 155 g0.3417 lbs148.9 mm / 5.86 inch 71.9 mm / 2.83 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 163 g0.3594 lbs145.2 mm / 5.72 inch 70.5 mm / 2.78 inch 7.5 mm / 0.2953 inch 168 g0.3704 lbs145.3 mm / 5.72 inch 69.3 mm / 2.73 inch 6.98 mm / 0.2748 inch 144 g0.3175 lbs144.55 mm / 5.69 inch 69.2 mm / 2.72 inch 7.25 mm / 0.2854 inch 129 g0.2844 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Features

The internal UFS-2.1 storage of our test unit has a capacity of 64 GB, with only 51.6 GB remaining for the user at the time of delivery. The storage of the dual-SIM smartphone cannot be extended.

The 3350 mAh battery is charged via USB 3.0 Type-C port at the bottom of the device. With an OTG adapter, peripheral devices such as external keyboards or USB sticks can be connected to the USB port. Headphones can also be connected via the USB port - you will look in vain for a 3.5-mm audio port in the Mi6.

The other features of the Mi6 include a fingerprint sensor, stereo speakers, Wi-Fi Direct, an infrared sensor, a compass, and a status LED. The wireless transfer of the display contents to an external monitor via Miracast is also supported and worked well in our test with an Android TV by Sony.  

Software

In terms of system software, Xiaomi uses the MiUI operating system version 8.3, which is based on the current Google Android version 7.1. Since the Xiaomi-Mi devices are really only designed for the Chinese market, the in-house MiUI software does not really support Google services such as the Play Store or Google apps such as Gmail as it comes from the factory. Instead, Chinese services and Xiaomi's own services are used. However, there is a global version (Beta) which supports Google services and as well as Chinese and English, other languages (such as German) are available as the system language.

The user interface of the operating system is hardly reminiscent of stock Android. Even in its 8th version, MiUI is very colorful, which feels a little overloaded, but offers a lot of adjustment settings. The installed apps are not collected in an App Drawer, but spread over the various home screens. The design can be changed by the user to suite their individual tastes through the in-house Theme Store.

During our testing period - we used the global version (Beta 7.5.18) on our Mi6 – there were interruptions in the WLAN and some Google app crashes, particularly Gmail.  

Communication and GPS

The integrated WLAN module masters the IEEE-802.11 standard according to a/b/g/n/ac. In addition, the Mi6 knows the 2x2-MIMO technology, enabling very high transfer rates. The transfer speeds that we measured between the smartphone and our Linksys EA 8500 reference router can be called excellent at 574 MBit/s (iperf server) and 500 MBit/s (iperf client). In everyday usage, the reception is also good and the WLAN signal is mostly stable, apart from some occasional drops. In close proximity to the router (Telekom Speedport, W921V) we measured a very low damping of -28 dBm. 

The Xiaomi Mi6 supports using up to two Nano-SIM cards simultaneously. The Gigabit-LTE smartphone accesses the mobile Internet at up to 1 GB/s during downloads - this goes for both SIM card slots. However, the frequency coverage is not optimal, particularly in rural areas in Germany since the LTE band 20 is not supported. To our question, TradingShenzhen who provided our test unit responded that a global version of the Mi6 that would also cover the 800 MHz frequencies was not planned. 

For wireless near-field communication, the user has an NFC chip as well as the most current version 5.0 of Bluetooth. However, the latter can only be used to the full extent with the Android O update. 

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Samsung Galaxy S8
Mali-G71 MP20, Exynos 8895, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
651 MBit/s +30%
Xiaomi Mi 6
Adreno 540, SD 835, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
500 MBit/s
Huawei P10
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
343 (154min) MBit/s -31%
OnePlus 3T
Adreno 530, SD 821, 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
313 MBit/s -37%
HTC U Ultra
Adreno 530, SD 821, 64 GB eMMC Flash
259 MBit/s -48%
Honor 8 Pro
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
233 MBit/s -53%
LG G6
Adreno 530, SD 821, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
220 MBit/s -56%
iperf3 receive AX12
Xiaomi Mi 6
Adreno 540, SD 835, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
574 MBit/s
Samsung Galaxy S8
Mali-G71 MP20, Exynos 8895, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
329 MBit/s -43%
LG G6
Adreno 530, SD 821, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
325 MBit/s -43%
Huawei P10
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
308 (48.8min) MBit/s -46%
OnePlus 3T
Adreno 530, SD 821, 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
257 MBit/s -55%
HTC U Ultra
Adreno 530, SD 821, 64 GB eMMC Flash
247 MBit/s -57%
Honor 8 Pro
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
236 MBit/s -59%
GPS test indoors
GPS test indoors
GPS test outdoors
GPS test outdoors

To locate the position, the Mi6 uses the global GPS, GLONASS, and BeiDou satellite navigation systems. The position can even be located indoors with the high-end smartphone, however it is not very accurate. Outdoors, the results are much better and also much faster. To evaluate the accuracy of the location capabilities of our test device in practice, we record a route with Garmin Edge 500 GPS bicycle computer and our smartphone in parallel for comparison. In our GPS test, the Mi6 deviates by a mere 70 meters from the professional GPS device, although we can see some small inaccuracies as in the bridge area. Based on the measured data, we can infer an excellent accuracy in daily use. 

GPS Xiaomi Mi6
GPS Xiaomi Mi6
GPS Xiaomi Mi6
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500

Telephone and Call Quality

Telephone...
Telephone...
...App
...App

The voice reproduction and the sound and call quality of the ear speaker are quite satisfactory. The maximum volume achieved ensures that the conversation partner can be understood easily. The sound quality of the built-in microphone has also been reported by our conversation partner as clear and easily understandable. 

Cameras

The main camera in the back of the Mi6 has a Sony Exmor RS sensor with a resolution of 12 MP in the 4:3 format (3968x2976 pixels). The IMX386 CMOS image sensor of the Japanese manufacturer has pixels that measure 1.25 μm edge to edge. The camera module has a focal distance of 27 mm (~1.1 in), an aperture of f/1.8, and a 4-axis OIS for image stabilization. The second camera on the back also has a resolution of 12 MP. However, the Samsung S5K3M3 image sensor has only an f/2.6 aperture and 1.0-µm pixel edge size. The 12-MP camera records videos in a 4K maximum resolution at 30 FPS. In addition slow-motion recordings are possible at 120 FPS in 720p.

As with the Apple iPhone 7 Plus, the Xiaomi Mi6 offers a two-times optical zoom and a dual-camera mode with Bokeh effects for pictures. In bright lighting conditions, the two camera modules ensure very sharp pictures rich in detail. However, the dynamic range is considerably smaller than in the LG G6. Moreover, the recorded colors appear slightly pale, and bright areas are slightly overexposed. Compared to the predecessor, the Mi6 can take very decent photos in daylight, though. 

Despite the wide aperture of f/1.8, the Mi6 cannot really convince under dark light conditions. Even through the absolute brightness in the pictures is sufficient, the sharpness is not optimal, and a strong image noise dominates the pictures.

The Sony IMX268 image sensor of the front camera has a resolution of 8 MP. The 80-degree wide angle selfies can score with a good quality if sufficient light is available. Unfortunately, the module lacks an auto-focus for optimal image sharpness. The front camera records videos in Full HD resolution (1920x1080 pixels) at up to 30 images per second. 

Front camera
Front camera
Main camera with HDR
Main camera with HDR
Dual-camera recording with Bokeh
Dual-camera recording with Bokeh

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 and Warranty

Besides the test unit, the box contains quick-start instructions, a modular charger, and a USB charging cable. In addition, Xiaomi includes a transparent plastic protective case with the Mi6. Earphones are not included. 

Furthermore, TradingShenzhen added an EU adapter for the outlets used here; however, this is not part of the standard delivery but an additional service by the provider.

Xiaomi offers a global warranty of 12 months for their smartphones. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices and Operation

The capacitive multi-touchscreen reacts quickly and reliably up to the display edges. Moreover, the Corning Gorilla-4 glass surface has very good gliding characteristics. In terms of reliability and reaction time, there is nothing to complain.

Navigation is done with two illuminated capacitive keys below the display and a touch sensitive home button that has an integrated active fingerprint scanner. Its recognition rate is good, but often the finger has to be placed again on the sensor in order to be recognized. Overall the sensor reacts similarly fast and reliably as in Samsung's Galaxy-S models. 

Display

Subpixel arrangement
Subpixel arrangement

As already in the Mi5, the IPS display of the Mi6 offers a Full HD resolution of 1920x1080 pixels in a 5.15-inch diagonal. This leads to a 428 PPI pixel density. Whether in a 2017 high-end smartphone with this display size, a WQHD-resolution (2560x1440 pixels) is necessary, is a matter of taste. In our opinion, the contents are displayed sufficiently sharp. 

At a maximum of 620 cd/m², the panel brightness is very high. Furthermore, it is illuminated very evenly at 89%. However, the full illumination of the Mi6 (625 cd/m²) is only available when the surrounding light sensor is activated. In our APL50 measurement, which is closer to reality and simulates an even distribution of bright and dark areas on the IPS panel, it is still 598 cd/m². 

At a very low brightness level, from 20% on we could measure screen flickering in a quite high frequency of 2315 Hz.

554
cd/m²
620
cd/m²
593
cd/m²
568
cd/m²
620
cd/m²
584
cd/m²
564
cd/m²
599
cd/m²
575
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LCD tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 620 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 586.3 cd/m² Minimum: 1.24 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 620 cd/m²
Contrast: 2214:1 (Black: 0.28 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.8 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 5.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.25
Xiaomi Mi 6
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.15
Xiaomi Mi 5
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.15
LG G6
IPS LCD, 2880x1440, 5.70
Samsung Galaxy S8
Super AMOLED, 2960x1440, 5.80
HTC U Ultra
SLCD 5, 2560x1440, 5.70
Huawei P10
LTPS, 1920x1080, 5.10
Honor 8 Pro
IPS, 2560x1440, 5.70
OnePlus 3T
Optic-AMOLED, 1920x1080, 5.50
Screen
-5%
7%
20%
-16%
-13%
3%
-36%
Brightness middle
620
598
-4%
646
4%
566
-9%
470
-24%
547
-12%
541
-13%
421
-32%
Brightness
586
566
-3%
611
4%
564
-4%
445
-24%
556
-5%
514
-12%
430
-27%
Brightness Distribution
89
90
1%
89
0%
94
6%
88
-1%
86
-3%
91
2%
84
-6%
Black Level *
0.28
0.51
-82%
0.23
18%
0.22
21%
0.43
-54%
0.3
-7%
Contrast
2214
1173
-47%
2809
27%
2136
-4%
1272
-43%
1803
-19%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.8
3.5
27%
4.5
6%
2.7
44%
5.5
-15%
4.8
-0%
3.2
33%
7.1
-48%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
8.8
6.1
31%
8.3
6%
5.4
39%
11.9
-35%
8.8
-0%
7.2
18%
15.3
-74%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.3
3.5
34%
6
-13%
3.1
42%
7.6
-43%
4.5
15%
4
25%
6.8
-28%
Gamma
2.25 98%
2.29 96%
2.27 97%
2.15 102%
2.2 100%
2.39 92%
2.27 97%
2.23 99%
CCT
7473 87%
6532 100%
7996 81%
6335 103%
7454 87%
7194 90%
7120 91%
7866 83%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
67.74
81.57
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
99.05
99.87

* ... 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 2315 Hz ≤ 20 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 2315 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 20 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 2315 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 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The combination of display brightness and a black value of 0.28 cd/m² results in an excellent contrast ratio of 1:2214. However, our APL-50 measurements reduce the high contrast, since the black value in evenly distributed bright and dark areas increases to 0.48 cd/m² (contrast 1:1246). 

The display analysis with a photo spectrometer and the CalMAN software shows quite high deviations of the color (4.8) and grayscale display (5.3) compared to the competition. Moreover, the display's color temperature of 7473 Kelvin is slightly too cool, which results in a slight blue tint in practice.

CalMan color accuracy (sRGB target space)
CalMan color accuracy (sRGB target space)
CalMan color space (sRGB target space)
CalMan color space (sRGB target space)
CalMan color saturation (sRGB target space)
CalMan color saturation (sRGB target space)
CalMan grayscale (sRGB target space)
CalMan grayscale (sRGB target space)

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
20.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6.8 ms rise
↘ 13.6 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. » 39 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
36.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 12 ms rise
↘ 24.4 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 46 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

The viewing angle stability of the IPS panel is very good. Even from extremely wide viewing angles, there are no color inversions and only minimal darkening can be seen. Thanks to the bright liquid crystal display rich in contrast, the screen can be read even outdoors without any problems.

Performance

With the Snapdragon 835 (8998), Xiaomi uses one of the most powerful processors currently on the market. The Qualcomm SoC was one of the first chips manufactured in 10 nm, and it integrates 8 CPU cores of the in-house Kryo architecture with 64-Bit support.

The system performance and the browser speed of the Mi6 are excellent. Thanks to the ability to deactivate the system animations in the settings menu, the subjective system speed of the Mi6 is remarkably fast. There are no long load times or stutters, and apps also close quickly due to the fast UFS storage. In the AndroBench-3 test, the access rates are on the same level as the high-end competition. 

The performance in the synthetic benchmarks is also excellent, and the results often form a new reference in our measurements. In the AnTuTu-v6 benchmark in particular, the Mi6 achieves a very high value above 180,000 points. The integrated Adreno 540 graphics unit also sets up some records at one or the other in the graphics-heavy tests. 

AndroBench 3-5
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
25.19 MB/s
Xiaomi Mi 5
13.61 MB/s -46%
LG G6
16.58 MB/s -34%
Samsung Galaxy S8
15.25 MB/s -39%
HTC U Ultra
13.7 MB/s -46%
Huawei P10
152.3 MB/s +505%
Honor 8 Pro
151.6 MB/s +502%
OnePlus 3T
74.4 MB/s +195%
HTC U11
80 MB/s +218%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
143.5 MB/s
Xiaomi Mi 5
106.8 MB/s -26%
LG G6
95.2 MB/s -34%
Samsung Galaxy S8
127.2 MB/s -11%
HTC U Ultra
84.2 MB/s -41%
Huawei P10
168.4 MB/s +17%
Honor 8 Pro
166.4 MB/s +16%
OnePlus 3T
123.6 MB/s -14%
HTC U11
91.4 MB/s -36%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
196.7 MB/s
Xiaomi Mi 5
159.3 MB/s -19%
LG G6
122.8 MB/s -38%
Samsung Galaxy S8
193.2 MB/s -2%
HTC U Ultra
164.7 MB/s -16%
Huawei P10
189.8 MB/s -4%
Honor 8 Pro
187.1 MB/s -5%
OnePlus 3T
165.3 MB/s -16%
HTC U11
206.4 MB/s +5%
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
728 MB/s
Xiaomi Mi 5
459.6 MB/s -37%
LG G6
428.7 MB/s -41%
Samsung Galaxy S8
793 MB/s +9%
HTC U Ultra
423.9 MB/s -42%
Huawei P10
738 MB/s +1%
Honor 8 Pro
738 MB/s +1%
OnePlus 3T
436.4 MB/s -40%
HTC U11
717 MB/s -2%
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
181909 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5
116330 Points -36%
LG G6
151751 Points -17%
Samsung Galaxy S8
171884 Points -6%
HTC U Ultra
139017 Points -24%
Huawei P10
140084 Points -23%
Honor 8 Pro
146044 Points -20%
OnePlus 3T
159866 Points -12%
HTC U11
175032 Points -4%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
1938 Points
LG G6
1831 Points -6%
Samsung Galaxy S8
1997 Points +3%
Huawei P10
1899 Points -2%
Honor 8 Pro
1853 Points -4%
HTC U11
1906 Points -2%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
6714 Points
LG G6
4369 Points -35%
Samsung Galaxy S8
6711 Points 0%
Huawei P10
6521 Points -3%
Honor 8 Pro
6245 Points -7%
HTC U11
6443 Points -4%
Geekbench 4.0
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S8
1970 Points
HTC U Ultra
1643 Points
Huawei P10
1935 Points
OnePlus 3T
1881 Points
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S8
6300 Points
HTC U Ultra
3983 Points
Huawei P10
6036 Points
OnePlus 3T
4236 Points
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
41172 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5
29246 Points -29%
LG G6
29276 Points -29%
Samsung Galaxy S8
31532 Points -23%
HTC U Ultra
29668 Points -28%
Huawei P10
27692 Points -33%
Honor 8 Pro
25766 Points -37%
OnePlus 3T
30810 Points -25%
HTC U11
40014 Points -3%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
58228 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5
32613 Points -44%
LG G6
32128 Points -45%
Samsung Galaxy S8
36347 Points -38%
HTC U Ultra
33446 Points -43%
Huawei P10
35964 Points -38%
Honor 8 Pro
32243 Points -45%
OnePlus 3T
34494 Points -41%
HTC U11
55725 Points -4%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
20330 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5
21483 Points +6%
LG G6
22335 Points +10%
Samsung Galaxy S8
21543 Points +6%
HTC U Ultra
21263 Points +5%
Huawei P10
15341 Points -25%
Honor 8 Pro
15129 Points -26%
OnePlus 3T
22426 Points +10%
HTC U11
20140 Points -1%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
4978 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5
3542 Points -29%
LG G6
3282 Points -34%
Samsung Galaxy S8
4015 Points -19%
HTC U Ultra
2947 Points -41%
Huawei P10
2649 Points -47%
Honor 8 Pro
1865 Points -63%
OnePlus 3T
2577 Points -48%
HTC U11
4744 Points -5%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
6231 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5
4558 Points -27%
LG G6
4121 Points -34%
Samsung Galaxy S8
4923 Points -21%
HTC U Ultra
3807 Points -39%
Huawei P10
2816 Points -55%
Honor 8 Pro
1856 Points -70%
OnePlus 3T
3310 Points -47%
HTC U11
5877 Points -6%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
2921 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5
1976 Points -32%
LG G6
1961 Points -33%
Samsung Galaxy S8
2440 Points -16%
HTC U Ultra
1646 Points -44%
Huawei P10
2193 Points -25%
Honor 8 Pro
1896 Points -35%
OnePlus 3T
1452 Points -50%
HTC U11
2832 Points -3%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
3775 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5
2573 Points -32%
LG G6
2669 Points -29%
Samsung Galaxy S8
3194 Points -15%
HTC U Ultra
2225 Points -41%
Huawei P10
2274 Points -40%
Honor 8 Pro
1832 Points -51%
OnePlus 3T
2221 Points -41%
HTC U11
3590 Points -5%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
4072 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5
2829 Points -31%
LG G6
2980 Points -27%
Samsung Galaxy S8
3472 Points -15%
HTC U Ultra
2405 Points -41%
Huawei P10
2409 Points -41%
Honor 8 Pro
1746 Points -57%
OnePlus 3T
2418 Points -41%
HTC U11
3883 Points -5%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
3007 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5
1955 Points -35%
LG G6
1955 Points -35%
Samsung Galaxy S8
2494 Points -17%
HTC U Ultra
1763 Points -41%
Huawei P10
1902 Points -37%
Honor 8 Pro
2216 Points -26%
OnePlus 3T
1728 Points -43%
HTC U11
2841 Points -6%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
60 fps
Xiaomi Mi 5
60 fps 0%
LG G6
46 fps -23%
Samsung Galaxy S8
60 fps 0%
HTC U Ultra
46 fps -23%
Huawei P10
55 fps -8%
Honor 8 Pro
59 fps -2%
OnePlus 3T
59 fps -2%
HTC U11
58 fps -3%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
119 fps
Xiaomi Mi 5
90 fps -24%
LG G6
75 fps -37%
Samsung Galaxy S8
121 fps +2%
HTC U Ultra
74 fps -38%
Huawei P10
69 fps -42%
Honor 8 Pro
43 fps -64%
OnePlus 3T
91 fps -24%
HTC U11
91 fps -24%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
56 fps
Xiaomi Mi 5
42 fps -25%
LG G6
27 fps -52%
Samsung Galaxy S8
41 fps -27%
HTC U Ultra
23 fps -59%
Huawei P10
32 fps -43%
Honor 8 Pro
20 fps -64%
OnePlus 3T
45 fps -20%
HTC U11
29 fps -48%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
63 fps
Xiaomi Mi 5
42 fps -33%
LG G6
38 fps -40%
Samsung Galaxy S8
62 fps -2%
HTC U Ultra
26 fps -59%
Huawei P10
30 fps -52%
Honor 8 Pro
29 fps -54%
OnePlus 3T
46 fps -27%
HTC U11
51 fps -19%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
42 fps
Xiaomi Mi 5
31 fps -26%
LG G6
16 fps -62%
Samsung Galaxy S8
23 fps -45%
HTC U Ultra
12 fps -71%
Huawei P10
25 fps -40%
Honor 8 Pro
13 fps -69%
OnePlus 3T
32 fps -24%
HTC U11
15 fps -64%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
43 fps
Xiaomi Mi 5
30 fps -30%
LG G6
29 fps -33%
Samsung Galaxy S8
24 fps -44%
HTC U Ultra
12 fps -72%
Huawei P10
24 fps -44%
Honor 8 Pro
21 fps -51%
OnePlus 3T
32 fps -26%
HTC U11
33 fps -23%
GFXBench
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
26 fps
Xiaomi Mi 5
19 fps -27%
LG G6
20 fps -23%
Samsung Galaxy S8
25 fps -4%
HTC U Ultra
15 fps -42%
Huawei P10
15 fps -42%
Honor 8 Pro
15 fps -42%
OnePlus 3T
20 fps -23%
HTC U11
24 fps -8%
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
26 fps
Xiaomi Mi 5
18 fps -31%
LG G6
11 fps -58%
Samsung Galaxy S8
13 fps -50%
HTC U Ultra
8.4 fps -68%
Huawei P10
16 fps -38%
Honor 8 Pro
11 fps -58%
OnePlus 3T
20 fps -23%
HTC U11
13 fps -50%
PCMark for Android - Work performance score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
7548 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5
6873 Points -9%
LG G6
5703 Points -24%
Samsung Galaxy S8
6035 Points -20%
HTC U Ultra
5217 Points -31%
Huawei P10
7341 Points -3%
Honor 8 Pro
7356 Points -3%
OnePlus 3T
5664 Points -25%
HTC U11
8295 Points +10%
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal - offscreen Overall Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
733 Points
LG G6
647 Points -12%
Samsung Galaxy S8
1276 Points +74%
Huawei P10
664 Points -9%
HTC U11
812 Points +11%
Basemark X 1.1 - High Quality (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
38773 Points
LG G6
35449 Points -9%
Samsung Galaxy S8
42183 Points +9%
Huawei P10
37968 Points -2%
HTC U11
38752 Points 0%
Epic Citadel - Ultra High Quality (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
60.1 fps
LG G6
59 fps -2%
Samsung Galaxy S8
59.8 fps 0%
Huawei P10
60.5 fps +1%
HTC U11
60 fps 0%
Lightmark - 1920x1080 1080p (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
32.14 fps
LG G6
24.34 fps -24%
Samsung Galaxy S8
30.64 fps -5%
Huawei P10
23.56 fps -27%
HTC U11
36.58 fps +14%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
3694 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5
2392 Points -35%
LG G6
2496 Points -32%
Samsung Galaxy S8
3277 Points -11%
HTC U Ultra
2078 Points -44%
Huawei P10
2621 Points -29%
Honor 8 Pro
2985 Points -19%
OnePlus 3T
2218 Points -40%
HTC U11
3034 Points -18%
System (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
5857 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5
3638 Points -38%
LG G6
3646 Points -38%
Samsung Galaxy S8
5386 Points -8%
HTC U Ultra
2834 Points -52%
Huawei P10
3830 Points -35%
Honor 8 Pro
4029 Points -31%
OnePlus 3T
3130 Points -47%
HTC U11
5570 Points -5%
Memory (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
4054 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5
1801 Points -56%
LG G6
1930 Points -52%
Samsung Galaxy S8
3039 Points -25%
HTC U Ultra
1581 Points -61%
Huawei P10
2778 Points -31%
Honor 8 Pro
4277 Points +6%
OnePlus 3T
1954 Points -52%
HTC U11
2085 Points -49%
Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
6206 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5
4522 Points -27%
LG G6
5138 Points -17%
Samsung Galaxy S8
6096 Points -2%
HTC U Ultra
4591 Points -26%
Huawei P10
4115 Points -34%
Honor 8 Pro
4070 Points -34%
OnePlus 3T
4444 Points -28%
HTC U11
5976 Points -4%
Web (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
1263 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5
1106 Points -12%
LG G6
1073 Points -15%
Samsung Galaxy S8
1156 Points -8%
HTC U Ultra
907 Points -28%
Huawei P10
1077 Points -15%
Honor 8 Pro
1131 Points -10%
OnePlus 3T
891 Points -29%
HTC U11
1221 Points -3%
PassMark PerformanceTest Mobile V1
3D Graphics Tests (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
3409 Points
Huawei P10
1909 Points -44%
2D Graphics Tests (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
8356 Points
Huawei P10
10073 Points +21%
Memory Tests (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
15128 Points
Huawei P10
14902 Points -1%
Disk Tests (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
74793 Points
Huawei P10
47087 Points -37%
CPU Tests (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
266992 Points
Huawei P10
271402 Points +2%
System (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
13267 Points
Huawei P10
9242 Points -30%
ANDEBench PRO
3D (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
94.8 fps
Huawei P10
52.3 fps -45%
HTC U11
102.9 fps +9%
Platform (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
328.1 Points
Huawei P10
601 Points +83%
HTC U11
707 Points +115%
Storage (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
10067 KB/s
Huawei P10
32085 KB/s +219%
HTC U11
102517 KB/s +918%
Memory Latency (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
5013 KOps/s
Huawei P10
6482 KOps/s +29%
HTC U11
6072 KOps/s +21%
Memory Bandwidth (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
17196 MB/s
Huawei P10
21024 MB/s +22%
HTC U11
13891 MB/s -19%
Device Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
17330 Points
Huawei P10
19661 Points +13%
HTC U11
26076 Points +50%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
2668 ms *
Xiaomi Mi 5
2973 ms * -11%
LG G6
2464 ms * +8%
Samsung Galaxy S8
1887 ms * +29%
HTC U Ultra
4141 ms * -55%
Huawei P10
3129 ms * -17%
Honor 8 Pro
3157 ms * -18%
OnePlus 3T
2719 ms * -2%
HTC U11
2760 ms * -3%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
11909 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5
8619 Points -28%
LG G6
9113 Points -23%
Samsung Galaxy S8
12941 Points +9%
HTC U Ultra
5511 Points -54%
Huawei P10
10236 Points -14%
Honor 8 Pro
10016 Points -16%
OnePlus 3T
9798 Points -18%
HTC U11
11781 Points -1%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 6
70.5 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5
54 Points -23%
LG G6
56.6 Points -20%
Samsung Galaxy S8
65.8 Points -7%
HTC U Ultra
45.08 Points -36%
Huawei P10
57.9 Points -18%
Honor 8 Pro
58.1 Points -18%
OnePlus 3T
54.5 Points -23%
HTC U11
69.5 Points -1%

Legend

 
Xiaomi Mi 6 Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (8998), Qualcomm Adreno 540, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
Xiaomi Mi 5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
 
LG G6 Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 MSM8996 Pro, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy S8 Samsung Exynos 8895 Octa, ARM Mali-G71 MP20, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
HTC U Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 MSM8996 Pro, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei P10 HiSilicon Kirin 960, ARM Mali-G71 MP8, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
Honor 8 Pro HiSilicon Kirin 960, ARM Mali-G71 MP8, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
OnePlus 3T Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 MSM8996 Pro, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
 
HTC U11 Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (8998), Qualcomm Adreno 540, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash

* ... smaller is better

Games

Due to the 10-nm manufacturing process, the Adreno 540 graphics unit integrated into the Qualcomm SoC clocks at a frequency (710 MHz) that is about 13% higher than that of the Adreno-530 GPU. Graphically demanding games from the Android Play Store such as the “Asphalt Xtreme” or “Airborne” racing games and the “Dead Trigger 2” ego-shooter can be played and displayed smoothly on the Mi6 without any problems. The charging times are also pleasantly short. 

The operation via touchscreen and position sensor also worked very well in the test.

Dead Trigger 2
Dead Trigger 2
Asphalt Xtreme
Asphalt Xtreme
Asphalt 8: Airborne
 SettingsValue
 high30 fps
 very low30 fps
Dead Trigger 2
 SettingsValue
 high60 fps

Emissions

Temperature

The heat development of the Xiaomi Mi6 is absolutely noncritical. With surface temperatures of up to 39.3 °C (103 °F, back) in the stress test scenario (stability test > 1 h), the device hardly develops any heat worth mentioning. 

GFXBench: performance
GFXBench: performance
GFXBench: frame rates
GFXBench: frame rates
Max. Load
 39.4 °C
103 F
38 °C
100 F
40.6 °C
105 F
 
 39.5 °C
103 F
38.3 °C
101 F
39.3 °C
103 F
 
 37.6 °C
100 F
38.2 °C
101 F
38.4 °C
101 F
 
Maximum: 40.6 °C = 105 F
Average: 38.8 °C = 102 F
35.5 °C
96 F
36.6 °C
98 F
38.8 °C
102 F
35.3 °C
96 F
37.6 °C
100 F
39.3 °C
103 F
35.3 °C
96 F
36 °C
97 F
38.3 °C
101 F
Maximum: 39.3 °C = 103 F
Average: 37 °C = 99 F
Power Supply (max.)  31.2 °C = 88 F | Room Temperature 21.5 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 38.8 °C / 102 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 40.6 °C / 105 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 39.3 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.9 °C / 89 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speakers

Speaker test: pink noise
Speaker test: pink noise

With the help of one speaker next to the ear and a second at the bottom of the device, the Mi6 produces a stereo sound when playing music or videos. The two speakers together offer a pleasant quality with a maximum volume of 82 dB(A). While the speaker above the display has a volume that is slightly lower and rather conveys the highs, the speaker at the bottom of the device is louder and also more powerful. 

As expected, the sound is dominated by sounds of the mid and high frequencies. The pink noise diagram shows that the bass is hardly audible, but the mids and highs are reproduced in a very linear fashion.

Compared to the mono-speaker competition (Samsung Galaxy S8 or LG G6), the quality of the two speakers of the Mi6 ranges on a very good level. The stereo effect in particular is a great advantage in everyday life. 

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.639.12525.434.93125.332.14032.9325033.631.86331.630.48028.4281002723.912520.825.41602236.820021.344.825020.85231521.252.540019.456.550019.562.863017.766.380017.964.9100017.865.9125017.368.5160017.467.5200016.770250017.272315018.271.6400017.976.3500017.675630017.769.9800017.869.41000017.967.41250018.165.51600018.254.6SPL3082.3N1.352.8median 17.9median 65.9Delta1.48.630.929.330.926.229.126.228.627.828.629.832.629.828.826.728.82628.8262424.92424.824.724.830.722.130.729.220.829.236.120.136.141.719.841.748.72148.753.321.753.357.420.557.462.62162.662.118.462.165.71765.767.717.367.766.915.266.970.315.570.371.21571.27314.97378.515.178.581.314.681.373.914.673.973.114.673.17214.6726014.66048.214.648.28628.88657.31.257.3median 62.6median 17median 62.611.82.411.831.635.225.433.125.329.932.92533.629.231.631.228.426.9272620.833.92243.521.349.920.854.821.257.519.462.319.566.417.767.317.96417.863.217.364.917.462.516.756.317.26018.26117.963.217.662.817.760.317.861.617.962.518.164.518.255.83075.61.336.8median 17.9median 61.61.46.2hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseXiaomi Mi 6HTC U UltraHuawei P10 Plus
Xiaomi Mi 6 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 26.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.8% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 38% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 54% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 58% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 35% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

HTC U Ultra audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 27.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 12.1% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (29% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 72% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 25% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 84% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 13% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Huawei P10 Plus audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (75.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 6% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 89% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 24% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 69% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency comparison (Checkboxes selectable!)

Battery Life

Power Consumption

The power management of the Xiaomi smartphone is exemplary in idle operation as well as under load. Only the Samsung Galaxy S8 does better in our measurements. 

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.04 / 0.2 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.45 / 1.67 / 1.69 Watt
Load midlight 4.07 / 8.54 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 6
3350 mAh
Xiaomi Mi 5
3000 mAh
LG G6
3300 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S8
3000 mAh
HTC U Ultra
3000 mAh
Huawei P10
3200 mAh
Honor 8 Pro
4000 mAh
OnePlus 3T
3400 mAh
Power Consumption
-15%
-14%
6%
-57%
-42%
-55%
-28%
Idle Minimum *
0.45
0.45
-0%
0.62
-38%
0.78
-73%
1
-122%
0.83
-84%
0.98
-118%
0.61
-36%
Idle Average *
1.67
1.68
-1%
1.43
14%
1.1
34%
2.41
-44%
2.1
-26%
2.27
-36%
1.77
-6%
Idle Maximum *
1.69
1.71
-1%
1.48
12%
1.16
31%
2.46
-46%
2.18
-29%
2.36
-40%
1.81
-7%
Load Average *
4.07
6.7
-65%
5.52
-36%
4.15
-2%
6.8
-67%
6.57
-61%
6.58
-62%
6.67
-64%
Load Maximum *
8.54
9.18
-7%
10.47
-23%
5.12
40%
8.9
-4%
9.32
-9%
10.12
-19%
10.98
-29%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The built-in battery is rated at 3350 mAh. Thanks to the Quick-Charge 3.0 support, if the battery is empty, it is quickly charged again. In our practically relevant WLAN test with a brightness of 150 cd/m², the Mi6 achieves a very good value of 12 hours and 19 minutes.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
12h 19min
Xiaomi Mi 6
3350 mAh
Xiaomi Mi 5
3000 mAh
LG G6
3300 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S8
3000 mAh
HTC U Ultra
3000 mAh
Huawei P10
3200 mAh
Honor 8 Pro
4000 mAh
OnePlus 3T
3400 mAh
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3
739
504
-32%
692
-6%
719
-3%
546
-26%
966
31%
573
-22%
494
-33%

Pros

+ excellent haptic
+ bright, high-contrast IPS panel
+ 6 GB RAM
+ 64 GB UFS storage
+ stereo speakers
+ very good system performance
+ fast WLAN module
+ precise GPS module
+ powerful CPU & GPU
+ Bluetooth 5.0
+ USB 3.0
+ excellent battery life
+ price

Cons

- slightly high weight (especially the ceramic version)
- dual-camera system not at high-end level
- color and grayscale deviations slightly high
- only splash proof
- no SD-card expansion
- app and WLAN crashes (MiUI Beta)
- no LTE-band-20 support
- PWM

Verdict

In review: Xiaomi Mi6. Test device provided by TradingShenzhen.
In review: Xiaomi Mi6. Test device provided by TradingShenzhen.

With their new high-end smartphone, Xiaomi succeeds in creating a good update in the Mi-series. Compared to the predecessor, the Chinese manufacturer has turned the right adjustment screws. The display, storage, technical equipment, connectivity, and the battery life have improved. Moreover, it fits better in the hand and is relatively compact due to the unchanged dimensions. In addition, the Mi6 offers stereo sound because of the second speaker next to the ear - similar to what we see in the HTC devices. The camera continues to remain an issue where we see room for improvement, although the dual-camera is by no means bad.

Of course there are also minor complaints, such as the slightly high deviations in the color and grayscale display of the IPS panel, the weight that is quite high, the missing IP certification, or the unsupported Qi standard for wireless charging. The internal storage also cannot be expanded. However, compared to the local high-end competition, Xiaomi creates a really interesting overall package, if you consider the affordable purchase price of about 400 Euros (~$450) – during our test period it was even considerably below that at times. But an import with the connected restrictions and risks is not the right path to a new smartphone for everyone. 

It is unfortunate that Xiaomi does not offer an international version of the Mi6 with LTE-band-20 support. Because this is the only real weakness of this year's flagship – at least for using it in Germany and Europe.   

Xiaomi Mi 6 - 06/22/2017 v6(old)
Marcus Herbrich

Chassis
90%
Keyboard
67 / 75 → 89%
Pointing Device
93%
Connectivity
50 / 60 → 84%
Weight
91%
Battery
95%
Display
86%
Games Performance
66 / 63 → 100%
Application Performance
70 / 70 → 100%
Temperature
88%
Noise
100%
Audio
73 / 91 → 80%
Camera
78%
Average
81%
89%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

Read all 5 comments / answer
static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
Marcus Herbrich, 2017-06-25 (Update: 2019-04- 5)