The smartphone market is abuzz with new launches, mostly pleasing the budget conscious buyers in India. And we must say that there are now plenty of good options for the buyers who look for a smartphone with good specs and features under an affordable price tag. Today, we are comparing three smartphones belonging to the same segment. We are comparing the Xiaomi Mi A1, Xiaomi Mi A2, and the Honor 9 Lite. While the Mi A1 and Honor 9 Lite are already up for sale in India, the Mi A2 is still under the rumour cloud and may soon be made official by Xiaomi. Let’s take a look at what devices have to offer.
Xiaomi Mi A2 vs Xiaomi Mi A1 vs Honor 9 Lite: Price in India
As we mentioned above, the Xiaomi Mi A2 is yet to release, so we do not have any information regarding its pricing. However, given the pricing of its predecessor one can expect Xiaomi to price it around Rs. 15,000.
The Xiaomi Mi A1 launched in India in September 2017 and currently retails at Rs. 13,999. While the Honor 9 Lite debuted in January 2018 and is priced at Rs. 14,999 for the 4GB RAM/64GB storage variant and Rs. 10,999 for the 3GB RAM/32GB storage model.
Xiaomi Mi A2 vs Xiaomi Mi A1 vs Honor 9 Lite: Display, Design
The Xiaomi Mi A2 is rumoured to come with a 5.99-inch FHD+ display bearing 18:9 aspect ratio. The phone could feature a metal unibody design, which will be a lot similar to its predecessor, the Mi A1.
The Xiaomi Mi A1 features a slim metal unibody giving it a sturdy yet premium feel. The phone comes with a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display at 1080×1920 pixels resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, and a pixel density of 403ppi. The screen has Gorilla Glass protection to protect it from dust and scratches.
The Honor 9 Lite has a 5.65 inch full-HD+ IPS display with 18:9 aspect ratio, 1080×2160 pixels resolution and 428ppi of pixel density. It also features a plastic body with a glass panel on the rear, that gives it a comfortable grip, but the rear glass panel attracts a lot of smudges. It lacks Gorilla Glass protection.
While not much can be said about the Mi A2, the other two phones are pitting against each other quite aggressively. The Honor 9 Lite offers a bigger screen, better resolution and a wider aspect ratio but lacks in Gorilla Glass protection. So, if you are not afraid of scratches then the Honor 9 Lite comes up as a better choice.
Xiaomi Mi A2 vs Xiaomi Mi A1 vs Honor 9 Lite: Hardware, Software, Battery
Concerning hardware, the chipset on the Mi A2 is still unknown, but on the software front, the phone is expected to run Android One and pack a 2910mAh battery.
The Mi A1 comes powered by a Snapdragon 625 SoC with 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage. The phone runs Android 8.0 Oreo-based Android One, which means one gets stock Android experience on the phone without the MIUI custom skin. A 3080mAh battery backs the device.
Lastly, the Honor 9 Lite comes powered by Huawei’s in-house Kirin 659 octa-core SoC (4×2.36GHzand 4×1.7GHz) with 3GB/4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB storage, depending on the variant. It runs Android Oreo-based EMUI 8.0 out of the box and is backed by a 3000mAh battery.
The Xiaomi Mi A1 takes the cake in the segment with its powerful SoC and stock Android experience without any overbearing interference of custom UI. However, if you like have used any Honor device before and are satisfied with the performance of Kirin chipsets topped with EMUI, then the Honor 9 Lite is an equally good option for you.
Xiaomi Mi A2 vs Xiaomi Mi A1 vs Honor 9 Lite: Camera
In the camera segment, the Mi A2 is expected to come with a dual camera setup on the rear, just like the Redmi Note 5 Pro.
On the other hand, its predecessor, the Mi A1 sports 12MP+12MP dual camera setup on the rear with dual-tone dual-LED flash, phase-detection autofocus (PDAF), and support for 4K video recording. On the front, it bears a 5MP selfie camera.
Unlike the Mi A1, the Honor 9 Lite packs a quad camera setup, which means it has dual cameras on both front and rear. The phone has 13MP+2MP dual camera combination for primary and secondary cameras. The rear camera also packs LED flash and PDAF autofocus.
Well, this segment is clearly won by the Honor 9 Lite as it offers dual camera setup for both the cameras. The Mi A1 does not lose by a big margin and it packs a better lens combination for the rear camera than the Honor 9 Lite. So, if you are one of those who take more selfies than the rear camera shots, then the Honor 9 Lite should be your ultimate pick in this comparison.
Xiaomi Mi A2 vs Xiaomi Mi A1 vs Honor 9 Lite: Verdict
Given the pricing and specifications of the three devices, we can call the Mi A1 the winner of the comparison. The phone offers similar specs as the high-end variant of the Honor 9 Lite but at a lesser pricing. If you are looking for a device that comes with a premium build, powerful specs, and an affordable price tag then the Xiaomi Mi A1 should be your pick.
