Xiaomi Mi A1, The First Google Android One Phone With Dual Cameras

Chinese phone maker Xiaomi has announced the Mi A1, it's first smartphone running stock Android. The Xiaomi Mi A1 is also the company’s first smartphone to be part of Google’s Android One initiative.

The Xiaomi Mi A1 features metal body, a 5.5-inch 1080p full HD display and a set of dual cameras on the back. Most importantly, the Mi A1 is a Google Android One smartphone, meaning it is low-cost and runs stock Android.

The Xiaomi Mi A1 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage and a 3,080mAh battery. With that kind of chipset, it should perform well enough for most everyday use especially since the phone is running stock Android Nougat, with Google Assistant onboard.

Google says that the Mi A1 will also be upgraded to Android Oreo before the end of 2017. Additionally, the Mi A1 will be one of the first few devices that will get Android P sometime in 2018, according to Android Police.

Xiaomi says that it’s using pyrolytic graphite sheet to improve thermal dissipation in the phone. The company claims that this will reduce the Mi A1’s temperature down by 2°C. For those who’re planning to get the black model, that also comes with a fingerprint resistant coating. The Xiaomi Mi A1 is also available in gold and rose gold color options.

Xiaomi says that the Mi A1 is equipped with a “flagship dual camera” setup. Although the device itself isn’t as powerful as other high-end phones out there, it does come with a pair of cameras that’s comparable to those on other flagship smartphones.

First up, the Mi A1 features a set of dual cameras on its back. Both are equipped with 12-megapixel sensors, but one comes with a wide-angle lens, while the other has a telephoto lens. This kind of setup is similar to Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus. Like on the iPhone 7 Plus, the Mi A1’s telephoto lens offer up 2x optical zoom.

The dual-camera module on the Mi A1 also has some software features, like natural color correction and Xiaomi’s own Beautify 3.0. Up front, the Mi A1 also has a capable 8-megapixel camera. Also on the back of the Xiaomi Mi A1 is a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. The device also comes with a USB Type-C connector at the bottom.

For those who’ve already forgotten, Android One started in 2014 and was Google’s way of bringing affordable smartphones in developing markets, particularly India. This year however, Google is bringing the Xiaomi Mi A1 phone to more markets. The Android One phone will hit 40 countries including India, Russia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico.

The Xiaomi Mi A1 only costs 14,999 Indian Rupees, which roughly converts to around $235. The device will be available first in India starting on Sept. 12. The Mi A1, like previous Android One phones, isn’t expected to arrive in the U.S. or the U.K., according to CNET. That, of course, won’t stop some curious folks from importing it one way or another.

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