Domestic Android Journey: Is Xiaomi 13 the first choice for brainless Android fans?

In December 2022, Xiaolei was still a dual-wielding user of OPPO Find N generation and iPhone 14 Pro. The division of labor between the two machines was also very simple: Find N was used to log in to work WeChat and was responsible for running WeChat reading. , Bilibili Comics and F1TV, while the iPhone 14 Pro is used to handle all usage scenarios except the above four scenarios.

#No way, as a cyclist with rich experience in crashes, after being hit by electric cars into the green belt again and again, Apple Watch has become Xiao Lei’s indispensable riding equipment. Coupled with my experience as a half-baked Android developer in college, I know very well what Android developers can do to ensure that the App is active or inactive.

Picture source: Lei Technology

So, I basically have no special requirements for the performance, camera and other functions of Android phones, so that I can put aside the general users’ pursuit of Android phone performance and choose mobile phones from some relatively unimportant perspectives, such as Sony Xepria The 21:9 thin and light design of 1 IV, the fourth-class narrow bezels of Samsung Galaxy S22, or the Pixel 7 with a full set of Google services.

But obviously, the domestic Android ecosystem, which is in dire straits, has really given a lot of strength to "foreign monks" like Sony, Samsung and Google. The various acclimatization of international flagships also made me realize, "I really need a Domestic Android mobile phones". At this moment, Xiao Lei got the Xiaomi Mi 13, which was still in the confidentiality stage. What surprised me even more was that I actually bought this machine after using it for a short time and still use it today.

So today, half a year later, I want to share with you this "brainless fruit fan"'s 6-month domestic Android journey.

No comparison means no harm

#Different from how most people choose Android phones, I choose Xiaomi 13 Being the main Android phone is not because of how well Xiaomi Mi 13 is done - I am not interested in most of the selling points of Xiaomi Mi 13: I am used to carrying a camera with me and rarely use my mobile phone to take pictures, and not playing mobile games also makes me dissatisfied with Xiaomi Mi 13. There are no expectations for the performance and heat dissipation of the 13, not to mention the problem of low brightness when watching HDR videos on Netflix on Android phones.

I chose Xiaomi Mi 13 because all the features of Xiaomi Mi 13 avoid my "one-vote veto line":

Xiaomi 13 adopts a fourth-class narrow-edge design that is rare in the industry. The well-proportioned frame not only brings better visual effects, but also has a thinner frame than the iPhone 14 Pro. In addition, the R-angle connection between the Xiaomi Mi 13 screen and the fuselage is smooth and natural. The flat front of the fuselage does not have the problem of scratching the hands due to the border curve like the S22. At the same time, the integrated back cover does not bring extra friction like Samsung and Sony. gap.

Picture source: Lei Technology

Although the weight of 189g is not counted It is light, but compared with flagship phones that often start at 200g, the weight of the Xiaomi Mi 13 and the clever weight distribution of the 7.98mm body jointly create the Xiaomi Mi 13 to be light and not fall in the hand. Coupled with the fact that Xiaomi Mi 13 does not use a curved screen, this alone is enough to make Xiaomi Mi 13 stand out from my purchase candidate list.

The same is true in other aspects: Xiaomi 13 does not have dual front speakers like Sony, but in exchange for a more balanced overall feel; Xiaomi 13 is not one inch larger Bottom, but in exchange for a camera "little black square" that is more durable and does not need to be solved with complicated lines; Xiaomi Mi 13 does not use ultrasonic fingerprints, but it also allows me to choose ordinary tempered film instead of cumbersome to apply and feels bad in the hand. Hydraulic film or light-curing film.

Every "compromise" in the hardware of Xiaomi Mi 13 is just within the range of what I can tolerate with a mobile phone, and it also gets more features that I like. . This "non-offensive" design is precisely the main reason why I chose Xiaomi Mi 13.

Of course, there is no end to opportunities. There are also some things I don’t like on Xiaomi Mi 13. For example, the high-gloss polished aluminum frame design cannot reflect the depth and texture of the metal middle frame, making the middle frame look like the electroplated plastic of a model display machine in a mobile phone store. . The coated glass back panel destroys the solid color design on the back of the phone. The glossy glass also makes the phone "slippery" and is more likely to leave traces of wear and use.

Picture source: Lei Technology

Fortunately, compared to uneven The bottom edge, the curved screen that affects the display effect, and the "striking" camera design make the Xiaomi Mi 13, which "does less and makes fewer mistakes", a more suitable choice for me.

It’s Android, it’s Xiaomi

If the appearance and hardware design are the driving forces that attract me to buy Xiaomi Mi 13, then it should be MIUI that keeps me using it to this day. As you may have noticed, I am a "Google service enthusiast". This is related to the fact that when I first used an Android phone, all Google services could be directly connected. In addition, many years of experience in using Android have also made me have an inexplicable requirement for Android phones:

I hope my phone is still an Android phone.

It sounds strange to have such a demand. After all, Android is about a "vibrant race for all things". Different brands of systems will more or less require Android's native components. Make some modifications. It's just that some brands, out of active or passive considerations, have made drastic changes to the system in order to firmly grasp users in their hands, and even make everyone feel that they are running a new system that is divorced from the Android ecosystem, such as Real Magic. Changed the YunOS of the Android virtual machine.

However, on Xiaomi 13, I can still find the familiar Android experience: change the desktop back to the drawer style, re-enable Google components in the system settings, and activate the Google Play Store , Xiaomi Mi 13 is still a mobile phone running the Android system, and the paid apps I purchased and unlocked in the Play Store can also be used normally. Even after changing the icon to the OneUI style and modifying the desktop wallpaper, Xiaomi Mi 13 even looks no different from the Xperia, Galaxy and Pixel that Xiao Lei used before.

But this just looks the same. As the most mature customized Android ROM in China, after years of development, MIUI no longer needs to rely on the same features as in the V4 era. The unique "magic modification" is used to retain its users. On Xiaomi Mi 13, MIUI's customization of Android is more of a "moisturizing and silent" extension.

Picture source: Lei Technology

For example, Google has not yet implemented "App clones", a more practical Xiaoai voice phone assistant, and App permission control that is "more suitable for China Mobile Ecosystem". As an iPhone user, I can no longer remember how many times I have activated shake ads for domestic apps while walking and waving my hands - everyone is aware of the problem, but only Xiaomi has taken this step.

It is undeniable that MIUI’s customization of Android has also caused a lot of “irreversible” damage. For example, MIUI’s theme has completely replaced the theme colors and customization in Android 13. Adapted to icons, MIUI’s status bar and notification page also completely replace the features of native Android.

You must know that native Android is no longer what it was in the 2.3 era. Many first-party functions from Google are becoming more and more practical, such as the front-end service added in Android 13 Manager, runtime permissions, text copy preview and media control components. Of course, there is also the "WYSIWYG" side return preview that can fundamentally solve the problem of mixing "return" and "up" in the Android system.

Picture source: Lei Technology

But obviously these functions It will not appear in MIUI. It is undeniable that MIUI's super wallpaper is indeed very interesting, and its permission management is much better than that of foreign friends like Google who are not accustomed to the local environment. But there will always be a day when you get tired of super wallpapers. The first-party Android system from Google will definitely surpass the previous version of MIUI with its new API in the future.

Besides, there is no conflict between adhering to brand characteristics and incorporating new Android features. For example, on a folding screen phone I experienced some time ago, their "OS" Android has been significantly modified, but it also leaves room for users to choose.

From this point of view, compared with the confusing statement of "In Europe it is an Android phone, in China it is a MIUI phone", the term "MIUI phone running Android" seems More suitable for Xiaomi 13.

The road to "promotion" of domestic Android

In the final analysis, the reason why Xiaomi Mi 13 can rise from the booming domestic Android Android phones attract my attention not because of what they do right, but because they "do nothing wrong." Of course, the right and wrong here are just my personal judgment based on my usage scenarios. What suits me may not necessarily suit everyone. I hope everyone can understand this.

However, from another perspective, it is difficult to choose an "unremarkable" mobile phone among domestic mobile phones. In fact, domestic mobile phones have changed according to the usage habits of domestic users. manifestation of diversity. It is this kind of diversification that liberates the market competition of domestic mobile phones from the hardware arms race that leads to the same goal, allowing manufacturers to start paying attention to things "beyond flagship configurations." For example, vivo's fingerprint recognition, Huawei's multi-platform interconnection, and Xiaomi 13 Ultra's "super-large" camera are all said to be good.

Image source: Lei Technology

After about 2014, domestic consumers began to pay attention to domestic brand mobile phones. However, due to corporate bargaining power and product positioning issues, domestic brands at that time could only engage in price wars with overseas brands. "Providing similar functions at a lower price" became the common goal of these domestic mobile phones.

But the current mobile phone market is no longer what it was 10 years ago. With higher shipments and stronger R&D capabilities, domestic mobile phone brands have improved their product positioning It is no longer "50% of the price to buy 80% of the experience", but "100% of the price to provide 200% of the experience."

Picture source: Lei Technology

Use one word to describe it , domestic mobile phone brands are fighting a "upgrade" battle. The "upgrade" here is not only the upgrade of the brand, but also the "upgrade" of the selling price of mobile phones. The "mi rush higher" that we have mentioned many times in the past is the best manifestation of Xiaomi's improvement of its products and brand image.

It is foreseeable that domestic brands will continue to make efforts to impact the high-end market in the future, thereby achieving a "dual improvement" in brand tone and mobile phone selling prices. In the future, domestic mobile phones will continue to realize the self-value of the brand in more and more places, and bring more and better products to users who support them all the way.

But no matter what the future holds, at least for now, I still think that Xiaomi Mi 13 is a mobile phone with flaws and flaws. Although it has many minor flaws and MIUI is often "informal" in some details, overall, Xiaomi Mi 13 is still a qualified sub-flagship:

小米13 does not have the same camera configuration as the Pro or Ultra, nor does it have a screen as good as the S23 Ultra. It is even slightly inferior to other Android phones in my hands in terms of quality. However, because Xiaomi Mi 13 does not adopt a radical design, Xiaomi Mi 13 is still a "one-size-fits-all" product when faced with discerning consumers with completely different purchasing needs.

Picture source: Lei Technology

Even after using it for half a year, I I can’t necessarily tell you how many advantages of Xiaomi Mi 13 impressed me. But for me, there is nothing that makes me "unable to use" Xiaomi Mi 13. This alone is enough for me to continue using it half a year later.

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