Xiaomi Mi 3

Fantastic software ; Weekly updates ; Powerful hardware ; Relatively inexpensive

No expandable memory ; Rivals undercut it on price

Plenty of fun can be had with the Xiaomi Mi3, but the standout has to be the software. Week by week, idea by idea, Xiaomi has fleshed out its vision of Android, until it has evolved into own comprehensive solution. For people who enjoy configuring the...

For the record, these two phones are, officially, only available in China and the Asia Pacific. They can be purchased online and shipped to Europe hassle-free though and we think the build and features for the price will get enough people interested.

5" IPS 1080p capacitive touchscreen with 441pi pixel density; Corning Gorilla Glass 3 ; Android 4.4.2 KitKat with MIUI v.5 ; 2.3GHz quad-core Krait 400 CPU; 2GB of RAM; Adreno 330 GPU; Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset ; 13MP camera with dual-LED flash,...

No LTE ; No 4K video recording ; Non user-replaceable battery ; No wired TV-out connectivity option ; No microSD card slot ; Sold exclusively online

Xiaomi Mi 3 offers everything a flagship should have - premium and stylish design, a top-quality display, latest generation chipset, capable camera and snappy Android KitKat with great MIUI launcher. As it always happens there is more to the story.

Smart, unusual design, Good value, Bright, colourful and sharp screen

Hard to fully westernise, Iffy custom interface, No 4G, Inconsistent screen backlight

Superb power for the price ; Impressive camera ; Good battery life

Only available via import ; Base speaker easily muffled ; Some Chinese text

A unique design and brilliant performance, made all the better by the polished and comprehensive MIUI interface. A budget winner, if you can find one outside of China.

It’s been a great month for Indian smartphone buyers of all budgets. You have the superbly-priced and brilliantly-produced Zenfone series from Asus . Then there’s the LG G3, the best high-end Android in the market currently , and possibly the phone of...

Fantastic software ; Weekly updates ; Powerful hardware ; Relatively inexpensive

No expandable memory ; Rivals undercut it on price

Xiaomi's flagship phone has a beautiful aluminum-magnesium chassis, solid build quality, powerful performance, and a great UI for a relatively low price.

The smartphone lacks LTE connectivity, and a microSD card slot means you'll only ever have 16GB of onboard storage.

Xiaomi's Mi 3 is a showcase of how Chinese phonemakers can create quality hardware without breaking the bank. If you don't need 4G LTE, and you can get hold of it, this is one of the best smartphones you can buy in its price range.

Xiaomi's flagship phone has a beautiful aluminum-magnesium chassis, solid build quality, powerful performance, and a great UI for a relatively low price

The smartphone lacks LTE connectivity, and a microSD card slot means you'll only ever have 16GB of onboard storage

Xiaomi's Mi 3 is a showcase of how Chinese phonemakers can create quality hardware without breaking the bank. If you don't need 4G LTE, and you can get hold of it, this is one of the best smartphones you can buy in its price range.