The Mi A2 - a successor to the A1 that actually feels like a downgrade.
The A2 feels forgettably fine (again, like the A1).
On the top section, there's the secondary mic & an IR blaster, which you could use to control anything that needs a remote. I didn't really bother with this, but it's an addition nonetheless.
On the bottom, USB-C port flanked by 2 pentalobe screws, which in turn are flanked by the primary mic & speaker.
Left section contains only the dual SIM tray.
Right section is home to the volume & power buttons.
Front side is reserved for the5.99' 18:9 LCD, front camera, & earpiece. Below the screen also lies the 3 capacitive buttons - which can't be remapped & defaults to Recents > Home > Back.
The back holds rear cameras & fingerprint scanner.
For materials, Gorilla Glass 3 covers the front display, with aluminium covering the back, sides, & the buttons.
The Mi A2 is an USB-C-only device, so there's no dongle testings yet for now (mostly because I didn't receive the headphone dongle the A2's supposed to come with).
The speaker's quality is fine enough, despite being a mono.
The 5.99' 18:9 LCD display is fine enough for daily usage & is kinda visible out in the sunlight at max brightness.
The bootloader unlocking process is foolproof & simple : plug PDA to PC, enable OEM unlocking & USB debugging in stock OS' developer options & fastboot oem unlock in fastboot. No connecting to internet (if you have the adb/fastboot tools ready).
Disclaimer : I haven't actually opened up the A2 yet, so this review is based on the video linked on the bottom of this section.
The A2's repairability seems somewhat reminiscent of a metal-backed iPhone, as the display is held on by clips instead of adhesives. Once the display is off, the components are located in the back shell. The USB-C port is in the daughterboard (which is common nowadays), & the volume & power buttons connect via contact pins.
Custom ROM availability on the A2 leaves a bit to be desired, with the only ones worth using being Lineage & crDroid (and CarbonROM if they count). ArrowOS is also available, even though it's a "Community" build that won't receive Nightly / Weekly updates. In addition, the A2 is officially supported by CalyxOS, if anyone's interested in using it.
As for custom kernels, there's essentially none.
Here are some common issue I have with the A2 :
As it stands, the A2 has the worst hardware package I've used. However, there's official support for Calyx, if you're using it.
Personally, I see no reason to recommend the A2, unless you're in a desperate need of a PDA.
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