Xiaomi Mi Note review: Striking the right note

Contacts and telephony

The dialer and the phonebook share a single app although there are two shortcuts. The app has been updated with the new flat looks, but everything else is the same. The app uses a tabbed interface - recent with dialer on the first and the contact list on the second.

The Phonebook

Contact info is displayed as a list of all available details. Custom ringtones can be selected for each contact and duplicate contacts can be merged into a single entry.

The dialer supports Smart dialing and works great - it's looking up both names and phone numbers so you always find what you need.

Xiaomi Mi Note supports voice call recording and it can do it automatically on each call if you like. You can also assign an answer gesture, pre-define quick responses upon reject, there is even support for internet calling.

The Dialer

There are even more call settings if you dig deeper into the menu - flip to mute the ringer, turn on/off the proximity sensor, lock automatically once slipped in a pocket, it can even mute calls from unknown numbers.

The Xiaomi Mi Note scored an Excellent mark on our loudspeaker tests, meaning you'll never miss any calls and notifications. The loudspeaker sound quality seems great and Xiaomi has definitely improved its work since the Redmi Mi 3 and Mi 4.

Speakerphone test	Voice, dB	Pink noise/ Music, dB	Ringing phone, dB	Overall score
Xiaomi Mi 4	62	62.1	66.6	Below Average
Sony Xperia Z3	69.7	66.6	67.2	Average
Motorola Moto X (2n Gen)	66.1	66.2	72	Average
HTC One (M8)	65.8	64.7	75.7	Average
LG G3	70.2	66.6	80.2	Good
Xiaomi Redmi 2	70.8	70.9	77.4	Very Good
Xiaomi Mi Note	75.9	68.9	83.3	Excellent
OnePlus One	74.8	73.5	80.2	Excellent
Samsung Galaxy Note 4	74.7	73.5	81.6	Excellent

Messaging and email

The messaging department is pretty standard - there's a list of all bubble-styled conversations organized in threads, with New Message and Search keys at the bottom and a settings button next to it.

Messaging

Attaching multimedia to a message will automatically turn it into an MMS. You can add everything from photos, videos, audio to general files. There's even a full blown slide editor if you want to make full use of the MMS standard. The Attach location option is pretty nice too.

There is no Gmail app pre-installed, but you can opt for Gmail or Inbox, if you prefer, from the Play Store. There generic Mail app is capable of handling all kind of mail accounts, including Gmail, and it can handle multiple Exchange, POP or IMAP inboxes. You have access to the messages in the original folders that are created online, side by side with the standard local ones such as inbox, drafts and sent items.

Email

MIUI offers Google keyboard by default - it has always been pleasure to use and is one of the most preferred Android keyboards out there. On this screen the keys are comfortably large in both portrait and landscape mode. There is support for gesture typing, handwriting and voice input. Themes are available, too.

Google keyboard