Xiaomi Mi Play has finally been announced by the Chinese smartphone maker and while it was first teased around a couple of weeks back, the Xiaomi Mi Play is the first smartphone from the company in the ‘Play’ series. Earlier, it was expected that the Mi Play might be the first offering of a whole new lineup from Xiaomi, apart from the Redmi and Mi series, however, it has been introduced as a more affordable offering in the Mi series of smartphones.
The biggest highlight of the Xiaomi Mi Play is the introduction of CPU/GPU Turbo technology, which is also a first from the maker in the budget segment. Moreover, Xiaomi has surprised everyone from the industry by launching the Mi Play with the Octa-Core MediaTek Helio P35 12nm Processor, which is yet to be announced officially.
This means that despite its affordable price tag, the Xiaomi Mi Play will be offering power-packed performance credentials to users who love to play heavy games on their smartphones. On the other hand, it is also worth noting that while the Xiaomi Mi Play has not been announced in India for now, it is expected to be launched early next year in the country as well.
Once launched in India, the Mi Play will be taking on the likes of Nokia 5.1 Plus and Asus Zenfone Max M2, which are two of the already established smartphones in the same price segment. In order to compete with the Nokia 5.1 Plus and Asus Zenfone Max M2, the Xiaomi Mi Play will also bring features such as artificial intelligence for the camera, dual rear cameras, a big display with waterdrop notch design and more.
On this note, here we take a look at how the Xiaomi Mi Play stacks up against the Nokia 5.1 Plus and Asus Zenfone Max M2 and why buyers in this price segment and going to be more confused once the new smartphone from Xiaomi is launched in India.
Xiaomi Mi Play vs Nokia 5.1 Plus vs Asus Zenfone Max M2: Specifications and features compared
Xiaomi Mi Play vs Nokia 5.1 Plus vs Asus Zenfone Max M2: Display
Xiaomi Mi Play: 5.84-inch Full HD+ (2280×1080 pixels) display with 19:9 aspect ratio, 2.5D curved glass, 1500:1 contrast ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection
Nokia 5.1 Plus: 5.86-inch HD+ IPS LCD display with 2.5D curved glass, 19:9 aspect ratio, 84 per cent screen-to-body ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass protection
Asus Zenfone Max M2: 6.26-inch HD+ (1520×720 pixels resolution) with 19:9 aspect ratio, 2.5D curved glass and an unspecified screen protection.
Also Read: Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 vs Asus Zenfone Max M2
Xiaomi Mi Play vs Nokia 5.1 Plus vs Asus Zenfone Max M2: Processor
Xiaomi Mi Play: ARM Cortex A53 Octa-Core MediaTek Helio P35 12nm Processor clocked at 2.3GHz and paired with IMG PowerVR GE8320 GPU for graphics as well as CPU/GPU Turbo.
Nokia 5.1 Plus: 64-bit Octa Core MediaTek Helio P60 12nm SoC clocked at 2GHz and paired with 800MHz ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU
Asus Zenfone Max M2: Qualcomm Octa-Core Snapdragon 632 14nm SoC clocked at 1.8GHz and paired with Adreno 506 GPU for graphics
Xiaomi Mi Play vs Nokia 5.1 Plus vs Asus Zenfone Max M2: RAM and Storage
Xiaomi Mi Play: 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM with 64GB of internal storage, expandable up to 256GB with microSD card
Nokia 5.1 Plus: 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM with 32GB of internal storage, expandable up to 400GB with microSD card
Asus Zenfone Max M2: 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM with 32GB of internal storage and 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM with 64GB of internal storage, expandable up to 2TB with microSD card
Xiaomi Mi Play vs Nokia 5.1 Plus vs Asus Zenfone Max M2: Software
Xiaomi Mi Play: Android 8.1 (Oreo) out of the box with MIUI 10 on top
Nokia 5.1 Plus: Stock Android 8.1 (Oreo) out of the box which is upgradable to Android 9.0 Pie
Asus Zenfone Max M2: Stock Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box
Xiaomi Mi Play vs Nokia 5.1 Plus vs Asus Zenfone Max M2: Cameras
Xiaomi Mi Play: 12MP primary rear camera with f/2.2 aperture, 1.25μm pixel size, LED Flash, Phase detection autofocus (PDAF), Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) and a 2MP secondary rear camera with AI scene detection and depth effect for portrait mode. At the front, there is an 8MP camera with f/2.2 aperture, autofocus, 80.4-degree wide-angle lens, AI beauty and AI Portrait.
Nokia 5.1 Plus: 13MP primary rear camera with LED Flash, Phase detection autofocus (PDAF), f/2.0 aperture and a secondary 5-megapixel rear camera with f/2.2 aperture, Portrait mode, Panorama, depth effect. At the front, there is an 8MP camera with f/2.2 aperture and 80.4-degree wide-angle lens
Asus Zenfone Max M2: 13MP primary rear camera with f/1.8 aperture, EIS, Phase detection autofocus (PDAF), Pro mode, LED flash and a secondary 2MP rear camera. At the front, there is an 8MP front camera with LED flash and f/2.0 aperture.
Xiaomi Mi Play vs Nokia 5.1 Plus vs Asus Zenfone Max M2: Biometrics
Xiaomi Mi Play: Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and Face Unlock
Nokia 5.1 Plus: Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner
Asus Zenfone Max M2: Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and Face Unlock
Xiaomi Mi Play vs Nokia 5.1 Plus vs Asus Zenfone Max M2: Battery
Xiaomi Mi Play: 3000mAh battery with no support for fast charging
Nokia 5.1 Plus: 3060mAh battery with no support for fast charging
Asus Zenfone Max M2: 4000mAh battery with no support for fast charging
Xiaomi Mi Play vs Nokia 5.1 Plus vs Asus Zenfone Max M2: Other features
Xiaomi Mi Play: Dual SIM (nano + nano) connectivity with a dedicated microSD card slot, 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio, Dual 4G VoLTE and USB Type-C.
Nokia 5.1 Plus: Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) connectivity, 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio, Dual 4G VoLTE and USB Type-C.
Asus Zenfone Max M2: Dual SIM (nano + nano) connectivity with a dedicated microSD card slot, Dual 4G VoLTE, 3.5mm audio jack, 5-magnet speaker and NXP Smart Amp.
Xiaomi Mi Play vs Nokia 5.1 Plus vs Asus Zenfone Max M2: Price in India compared
The Xiaomi Mi Play has been launched in Black, Twilight Gold and Dream Blue colour options. While the smartphone is priced at 1099 yuan (Rs. 11,155 approx.) for the 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage version and is only available in China for now. Interestingly, the Xiaomi Mi Play is available in China with an additional 10GB data per month for 12 months if you buy a SIM from Xiaomi itself. Coming to its availability in India, rumours have highlighted that Xiaomi will be launching the Mi Play in India early next year.
The Nokia 5.1 Plus has been made available in Black, White and Blue colour options in India. While the smartphone is available in only the GB of LPDDR3 RAM with 32GB of internal storage version, it is priced at Rs. 10,999.
The Asus Zenfone Max M2 has been made available in Black and Blue colour options. The price for the smartphone starts at Rs. 9999 for the 3GB RAM / 32GB internal storage version while the 4GB RAM / 64GB internal storage version is priced at Rs. 11,999.
| Specifications | Asus Zenfone Max M2 | Nokia 5.1 Plus | Xiaomi MI Play |
| Display | 6.26″ (15.9 cm) HD+ (1520×720 pixels resolution) | 5.86″ (14.88 cm) HD+ IPS LCD display | 5.84″ (14.83 cm) (2280×1080 pixels) |
| Performance | Octa core | Octa core | Octa core |
| Operating System | Android v8.1 (Oreo) | Android v8.1 (Oreo) | Android v8.1 (Oreo) |
| Camera | 13 MP + 2 MP | 13 MP + 5 MP | 12 MP + 2 MP |
| RAM | 3 GB | 3 GB | 4 GB |
| Storage | 32 GB | 32 GB | 64 GB |
| Expandable Storage | Upto 2 TB | Upto 400 GB | Upto 256 GB |
| Battery | 4000 mAh | 3060 mAh | 3000 mAh |
| Biometrics | Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and Face Unlock | Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner | Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and Face Unlock |
| Sim Slot(s) | Dual SIM, GSM+GSM, Dual VoLTE | Dual SIM, GSM+GSM, Dual VoLTE | Dual SIM, GSM+GSM, Dual VoLTE |
| Sim Size | SIM1: Nano SIM2: Nano | SIM1: Nano SIM2: Nano (Hybrid) | SIM1: Nano SIM2: Nano (Hybrid) |
| Network | 4G: Available (supports Indian bands) 3G: Available, 2G: Available | 4G: Available (supports Indian bands) 3G: Available, 2G: Available | 4G: Available (supports Indian bands) 3G: Available, 2G: Available |
| Fingerprint Sensor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Quick Charging | No | Yes | No |
| Architecture | 64 Bit | 64 Bit | 64 Bit |
| Processor | Octa core (1.8 GHz, Quad core, Kryo 250 + 1.8 GHz, Quad core, Kryo 250) | Octa core (1.8 GHz, Quad core, Cortex A73 + 1.8 GHz, Quad core, Cortex A53) | Octa core, 2.3 GHz, Cortex A53 |