Despite a few hardware issues, bugs, and very late updates, Xiaomi's Mi A1 has been a great success for the company. Now, Xiaomi is ready to unveil its two successors: the Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite. Both will be announced at an event in Spain on July 24.

Following numerous leaks, the Mi A2 will likely be based on the Mi 6X, which was announced in April. That means a 5.99 FHD display (2:1), Snapdragon 660, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, dual 12MP+20MP rear cameras, 20MP front cam, and USB Type-C with QC 3.0. The Mi A2 Lite might have a notched display and worse cameras.

Both Corbin and I were very impressed when we reviewed the Mi A1, and I even said it offered the best value of any Android phone at the time. For the diehard Android fans, the late updates have been a letdown, but they didn't stop me from recommending the phone to my brother-in-law and dad. I knew they'd be getting good hardware at an excellent price point, with software that would cause me (as the designated mobile tech support person) as little trouble as possible. I was right; I've only had to answer a couple of questions from my dad over several months, which is less than any of his previous smartphones.

But in the time since I've recommended the Mi A1, Nokia has risen in my esteem and has provided other great midrange options at compelling prices. I hope the lessons learned by Xiaomi with the A1 will be used to improve the follow-up's experience, otherwise there'd be little reason to keep recommending its Android One smartphones.