X

Xiaomi Mi 3 brings aluminum style to Android (pictures)

Clad in a magnesium-aluminum alloy, this 5-inch smartphone oozes style and a stand-out industrial design. At just $270, it's a bargain if you can get hold of one.

Aloysius Low
Aloysius Low is a Senior Editor at CNET covering mobile and Asia. Based in Singapore, he loves playing Dota 2 when he can spare the time and is also the owner-minion of two adorable cats.
Aloysius Low
xiaomimi301.jpg
1 of 10 Aloysius Low/CNET

The 5-inch Xiaomi Mi 3 comes clad in aluminum, with a quad-core 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 13-megapixel camera and 16GB of onboard storage.

xiaomimi302.jpg
2 of 10 Aloysius Low/CNET

Unlike some other Chinese phones, the Mi 3 has a beautiful metal body.

xiaomimi303.jpg
3 of 10 Aloysius Low/CNET

The 13-megapixel camera has a dual-LED flash.

xiaomimi304.jpg
4 of 10 Aloysius Low/CNET

This is the international version of the phone and comes with Google Apps pre-installed.

xiaomimi305.jpg
5 of 10 Aloysius Low/CNET

The micro-USB port has a symmetrical design.

xiaomimi306.jpg
6 of 10 Aloysius Low/CNET

Its old-fashioned full-size SIM-card slot will require an adaptor if you have a newer micro- or nano-SIM.

xiaomimi307.jpg
7 of 10 Aloysius Low/CNET

The Mi 3 is a mere 8.1mm thick.

xiaomimi308.jpg
8 of 10 Aloysius Low/CNET

The power button is easy to find.

xiaomimi309.jpg
9 of 10 Aloysius Low/CNET

It runs Xiaomi's MIUI version of Android. That screen? Full HD.

xiaomimi310.jpg
10 of 10 Aloysius Low/CNET

The Mi 3 has three physical touch-sensitive keys.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos