Xiaomi announces the monstrous Mi Max 2 with a 6.44" screen, 5300mAh battery, and Nougat

Android Police

By Jordan Palmer

Published May 26, 2017

Xiaomi is already off to a good start for 2017. The Mi 6 was unveiled a month ago, and now the Chinese manufacturer is back with a successor to last year's Mi Max. Pushing the limits of what one could call a "phone," the Mi Max 2 packs in a massive screen with a huge battery to match. And since this is Xiaomi we're talking about here, affordability is also part of the package.

SPECS

Screen	6.44" FHD
Software	Android 7.x Nougat; MIUI 8
SoC	Snapdragon 625
RAM	4GB
Storage	64GB/128GB, expandable via microSD
Cameras	12MP IMX386 rear, 5MP wide-angle front
Battery	5,300mAh; Quick Charge 3.0
Misc	USB Type-C, fingerprint sensor, IR blaster, stereo speakers
Measurements	174.1 x 88.7 x 7.6mm; 211 g
Colors	Gold

The hallmark features of the Mi Max 2 are, of course, the screen size and battery. Say what you will about MIUI, but its optimizations really push the limits of how long a battery can last. Xiaomi claims that the Mi Max 2 sports a "two-day" battery — something I do not doubt considering my experience with the company's other devices.

The singular color option is a bummer if you don't like gold, but it's good to see this phone launch with Nougat. Anyway, you can get all of this starting at RMB 1699 (~$248 USD) for the 64GB/4GB version or RMB 1999 (~$292 USD) for the 128GB/4GB model. However, the June 1 launch date is limited to China; global availability is unknown at this point.

PRESS RELEASE

BEIJING, CHINA, 25 May 2017 — Leading technology company Xiaomi announced today Mi Max 2 with a massive 5300mAh battery, the latest device in its large-screen smartphone category. Mi Max 2 will be available from 1 June in China starting at RMB 1699.

Mi Max redefined the large-screen smartphone category when it launched a year ago, spurring demand in this segment and crossing 3 million units sold to date.

With a 6.44-inch supersized screen, Mi Max 2 is perfect for watching movies or TV shows on the go. In addition, the stereo speakers on Mi Max 2 intelligently activate in landscape orientation, transforming it into a mobile theater with an immersive audio experience.

Thanks to MIUI optimizations, Mi Max 2 is great for use in any situation. With “One-handed mode”, which is a feature that makes the usable display smaller, users can still navigate with ease using just one hand. Furthermore, MIUI will soon introduce “Split screen”, which allows two applications to run in the foreground, making full use of the large 6.44-inch display. For instance, a user can watch a video using the top half of the screen while replying to messages in the lower half.

Mi Max 2 is powered by a massive 5300mAh two-day battery, which provides up to 18 hours of video playback, 21 hours of GPS navigation, or 57 hours of talktime. The huge battery means that Mi Max 2 can even charge other smartphones connected to its USB Type-C port. Despite the large capacity, Mi Max 2 is able to charge 68% in one hour as it supports Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0 with parallel charging, which allows fast charging while controlling temperature increase.

Mi Max 2 is an overall upgrade in terms of design, camera, and specifications. It now features a unibody metal design, a Sony IMX386 1.25-micron large-pixel camera sensor for better photos. Mi Max 2 comes with 4GB RAM and will ship with 64GB storage for RMB 1699, and 128GB for RMB 1999.

Key features of Mi Max 2: