The Samsung Unpacked conference is scheduled for July 9. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is expected to be announced. Xiaomi has timed its launch of the Xiaomi Mix Flip 2 just right to take the wind out of the sails of its main competitor. Building on the excellent foundations of the first Xiaomi Mix Flip (review), the Mix Flip 2 looks very promising.

A larger screen better suited to applications

The 3.5-inch external screen has been optimized to support over 500 popular applications, according to Xiaomi, as well as more specific actions such as photo import and travel bookings. The cover screen is touted as more functional because it’s larger than on the previous model.

When closed, it measures 86.13 x 73.8 x 15.87 mm, compared with 74 x 74 x 16 mm for its predecessor. The Xiaomi Mix Flip 2 isn’t quite square when folded, and for good reason. This display ratio is better suited to applications. The inner screen is a 6.86-inch Amoled slab with a resolution of 2912 x 1224 pixels) and a maximum brightness of 3200 nits on part of the screen.

Design-wise, the Xiaomi Mix Flip 2 comes in four colors: white, purple, green and gold. Each variant has a checkerboard-patterned coating. Xiaomi’s foldable smartphone is a hair heavier than its predecessor: 199g versus 192g. Unfortunately, it still lacks anIP rating for water and dust resistance.

Four Xiaomi Mix Flip 2 smartphones in different colors: mint green, beige, light purple, and folded black.
The four colors of the Xiaomi Mix Flip 2: white, purple, green, and gold. / © Xiaomi

Snapdragon 8 Elite, huge battery, and more telephoto lens?

The Xiaomi Mix Flip 2 features Qualcomm’s latest high-end chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite. This SoC is paired with 12 or 16 GB of RAM. That’s a lot of power on paper, but also a lot of potential overheating. This was one of the main problems with the first Xiaomi Mix Flip. The clamshell format doesn’t leave much room for components in the phone’s chassis. As a result, heat is poorly dissipated. Let’s hope Xiaomi has optimized this.

The fact that the Xiaomi Mix Flip 2’s battery exceeds 5000 mAh is impressive (5165 mAh vs. 4780 mAh for the Mix Flip). That’s more than some non-folding smartphones, which have much more space for their components. In addition to 67-watt wired charging, Xiaomi has added 50-watt wireless charging. This was sorely lacking in the previous model.

Finally, on the photo front, Xiaomi has made one last modification to the Leica module. We’re sticking with two 50 MP lenses each. But the wide-angle lens (f/1.7) is now accompanied by an ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2.2) rather than a telephoto lens. Versatility is lost, but the ultra-wide-angle is generally more widely used than the zoom, isn’t it?

Xiaomi Mix Flip 2: Price and availability in France

The Xiaomi Mix Flip 2 has so far only been launched in China. But its predecessor, the Xiaomi Mix Flip, was released in Europe last year. As for North America, expect to see the phone being sold through third-party marketplace sellers.

In China, the Xiaomi Mix Flip 2 is offered in three memory configurations:

  • Xiaomi Mix Flip 2 12/ 256 GB
  • Xiaomi Mix Flip 2 12/ 512 GB
  • Xiaomi Mix Flip 2 16 GB/ 1 TB

The starting price is set at 5999 RMB ($840 in a direct conversion).

What do you think of the Xiaomi Mix Flip 2 and its price/performance ratio?