Xiaomi and Google Revive the Android One Program with Mi A1, a Mi 5x Clone Running Stock Android

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Published 5 Sep 2017

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Xiaomi Mi A1

Xiaomi and Google today announced a new smartphone under the Android One brand dubbed the Xiaomi Mi A1. The partnership sees Google bring back its Android One program from the dead and Xiaomi ditching MIUI 9 for one of its devices.

Based on the Mi 5X which launched in China almost two months ago, the Mi A1 features a dual-camera setup at its rear. The handset features a full metal unibody design, with plastic inserts at the top and bottom edges for improved network reception.

At the front, the Mi A1 features a 5.5-inch 1080p LCD display that is protected by a 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass. Inside, the device features Qualcomm’s popular Snapdragon 625 chipset running at 2GHz, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, and a hybrid microSD card slot. The 165g heavy handset also features a 3080mAh battery with fast charging, an IR blaster, a fingerprint sensor at its rear, and a USB-C port.

Xiaomi A1

Apart from its beautiful design, the dual-camera setup of the Mi A1 is also one of its highlights. The setup features two 12MP sensors: one wide-angle and one telephoto. This allows the A1 to offer 2x optical zoom and a background blurring Portrait mode similar to what we have seen on the likes of the iPhone 7 Plus and OnePlus 5. At the front, the device features a 5MP selfie shooter.

On the software front, the Mi A1 runs on Android 7.1.2 Nougat. It does come with Xiaomi’s camera app, IR remote, and Mi Store app preloaded but otherwise, it runs on completely stock version of Android. The handset will receive the Android 8.0 Oreo update before the end of this year and will be among the first devices to receive Android P next year.

The Mi A1 will be available in India starting from September 12 on Flipkart and Mi.com for Rs 14,999. It will be available in Black, Gold, and Rose Gold colors. In addition to India, Xiaomi and Google will also be making the Mi A1 available in 12 other countries including parts of Europe, America, Russia, Thailand, and other markets.