Biggest Phablets Review: Mi Max vs Galaxy A9 2016
We put two latest, biggest phablets in their respective series into a full comparison and review. Between the Xiaomi Mi Max and Samsung Galaxy A9, which is a better buy? Find out in our in-depth review and comparison.
Design and build
The Mi Max borrows the design of the Mi 5 and the Redmi Note 3 with its metal back and plastic caps on top and bottom. It easily dwarfs the Galaxy A9 and feels thinner because of the tapered back that starts near the edge. Both feel solid and heavy but the Galaxy A9 with its Gorilla Glass back and smaller profile gives a better impression.
By looks, Xiaomi is using a quite boring exterior here which is true to other Chinese brands. Samsung has managed to keep the entire 2016 A series sleek and premium as with their more expensive Galaxy S flagships.
In terms of ports, there’s a microUSB on the bottom along with the single loudspeaker. The two supports dual SIM slots and microSD card expansion while the Galaxy A9 has a dedicated space for each card whereas Mi Max flaunts a hybrid design.
See also: Lenovo Vibe K4 Note vs Redmi Note 3 Pro
Overall, Samsung really made a standout phablet here in the form of glass and metal-built Galaxy A9. Don’t get us wrong, the Mi Max is a solid phablet with just a dated design.
Display and viewing experience
Beneath the Gorilla Glass on the Mi Max is a 6.44-inch Full HD IPS LCD that produces accurate colors. However, it is dimmer in max brightness in comparison to Galaxy A9 with 6-inch FHD Super AMOLED thus, the latter has better viewing angles and sunlight legibility outdoors.
As always, the Super AMOLED beats the LCD in vivid colors and contrast level. Also, there’s no noticeable difference in sharpness despite the Galaxy A9 has technically more pixels per inch.
Camera in selfie, HDR, video
The main camera on Mi Max is a 16MP f2.0 paired with a 5MP selfie shooter. It handles the dynamic range well but is beaten by the 13MP f1.9 of the Galaxy A9 in sharpness and brightness. The latter overblown the highlights and crushed the shadows in daylight.
See also: Galaxy J7 2016 vs Galaxy A5
In night shooting, it is where the Galaxy A9 continue to trump the Max. Photos on the former show brighter exposure and retained colors without the over sharpening and great loss in detail whereas the Mi Max struggled in these last two.
For selfie, the 5MP of Mi Max produces more naturalistic shot than the bland photos from the Galaxy A9 using its 8MP.
Both shoot 1080p full HD video with OIS. The video quality is more saturated on the Max while the Galaxy A9 lacks the natural colors.
Despite the bland video and selfie quality on the Galaxy A9, it still shows an edge over the Mi Max in overall camera quality.
Performance and benchmarks
The Xiaomi Mi Max is the first to run on the MI UI 8.0 with Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS. Under its hood is a hexacore Snapdragon 650 and 3GB of RAM, though you can go up to 4GB RAM with 64GB memory. It’s a pretty solid performer and slightly behind the Galaxy A9 with octa-core Snapdragon 652 and 3GB of RAM in benchmark and actual speed test. Both could handle graphics-intensive games without apparent stuttering or lagging.
Antutu benchmark scores
- SGA9 – 70,011
- XMM – 68,200
Battery and charging
Packing a 4850mAh battery, the Mi Max secures the 2nd spot in our Battery Endurance Rating with 50.3 hours continuous rating and up to 7 hours screen-on time. This easily beats the Galaxy A9 with 4000mAh and 36 hours endurance and maximum of 5 hours screen-on time. Nonetheless, the latter has still a solid, above average battery life.
Mi Max Battery
Galaxy A9 Battery
The downside of the 4850mAh capacity of the Mi Max is the slow charging time of 3 hours and 30 minutes using its 2A power adapter. It doesn’t support faster charging while the Galaxy A9 does.
Speaker and audio
There is no rich or high-res audio features found on either of the phablet. Only a mono speaker along with a 3.5mm audio jack. Quality and loudness, however, are considerably good and loud for their respective size.
Pricing and Verdict
Right now, only online stores offer the Xiaomi Mi Max which retails at P14k / $300 for 3GB RAM model. The same goes for the Samsung Galaxy A9 and Galaxy A9 Pro priced for P20k / $430 and P24k / $520, respectively.
If you care for the premium design, sharper camera, and punchy Super AMOLED display then I think the Galaxy A9 is worth it. The Mi Max, on the other hand, is an Android Marshmallow phablet with really good specs for its budget price.
| Specs, PH Price | Samsung Galaxy A9 | Xiaomi Mi Max |
| Display | 6-inch 1080p Super AMOLED, 367 ppi, Gorilla Glass 4 | 6.44-inch 1080p IPS LCD, 342 ppi, Gorilla Glass 4 |
| Size | 7.4m thick, 200g weight | 7.5mm thick, 203g weight |
| Design | 2.5D Curved Glass + Metal | Metal |
| Colors | Pink, Gold, White, Black | Gold, White, Black |
| Chipset & CPU | Snapdragon 652 octa-core | Snapdragon 650 octa-core |
| Graphics | Adreno 510 graphics | Adreno 510 graphics |
| Memory | 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, microSD up to 128GB | 3/4GB RAM, 32/64/128GB storage, microSD up to 128GB |
| Camera | 13MP main, f1.9 lens, Optical Stabilization, 1080p video, LED flash | 16MP main, f2.0 lens, Optical Stabilization, 1080p video, LED flash |
| Selfie | 8MP selfie front-facing | 5MP selfie front-facing |
| Connectivity | 4G dual LTE nano SIM (dedicated), WiFi ac, Bt 4.1, GPS, fingerprint scanner | 4G dual LTE nano SIM (hybrid), WiFi ac, 4G LTE, Bt 4.1, GPS, fingerprint sensor |
| Software | Android 5.1 Lollipop, up to Marshmallow | Android 6.0 Marshmallow, up to Android 7.0 Nutella |
| Battery | 4000mAh, fast charging | 4850mAh |
| Ports, quick charge | microUSB | microUSB |
| Release date | March 2016 in the Philippines | May 2016 in the Philippines |
| Price | Php 20k / $430 USD | Php 14k / $300 |
Where did you buy the xiaomi mi max? Will wait for your full review of the mi max
Amazing
The Xiaomi Max does support fast charging, it just doesn’t come with the box. You’ll have to buy it separate, all 650/652 chipsets support that. Too bias on Samsung. With that price difference, Mi Max offers more value for money, even with that size.
We tried charing Mi Max with other 2A chargers but it doesnt change the charging time. Maybe you specifically needing a certified quick charge adapter if there’s really a fast charging feature.
Android 6.0 Marshmallow, up to Android 7.0 Nutella :D:D:D:D:D