Mi A3 vs Mi A2: What's the Difference?

Mi A3 was launched by Xiaomi on Wednesday as its latest Android One smartphone. The new Mi-series phone is designed to be a successor to the Mi A2 that the Chinese company introduced last year. In the list of major upgrades over the predecessor, the Mi A3 has an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC and features a 48-megapixel primary sensor. There is also an in-display fingerprint sensor to match with the ongoing market trends. Further, the Mi A3 has an all-new design -- with a glossy back. Not everything has been upgraded though. Xiaomi Mi A3 houses an HD+ screen, whereas the Mi A2 came with a full-HD screen. How else is the Xiaomi Mi A3 is different from Mi A2? Let's find out.

Mi A3 vs Mi A2 price in India

The Mi A3 price is set at EUR 249 (roughly Rs. 19,200) for the 64GB storage variant, whereas its 128GB storage variant is priced at EUR 279 (roughly Rs. 21,500). The phone comes in "Not Just Blue", "More Than White", and "Kind of Gray" colour options. The Mi A3 will go on sale in Spain from July 24, though its India availability and price details are yet to be revealed.

Xiaomi launched the Mi A2 in India back in August last year with starting price of Rs. 16,999. However, the phone recently received a price cut and is retailing at Rs. 11,999 for the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant. The 6GB RAM + 128GB storage model of the Mi A2, however, is priced at Rs. 15,999. The phone is available in Black, Gold, Lake Blue, Rose Gold, and Red colour options.

Mi A3 vs Mi A2 specifications, features

The dual-SIM (Nano) Mi A3 runs Android 9 Pie out-of-the-box. However, the Mi A2 was launched with Android 8.1 Oreo, though it received an update to Android Pie late last year. Both phones come under Google's Android One programme and have a vanilla Android experience -- without Xiaomi's MIUI skin on top.

Xiaomi has provided a 6.08-inch HD+ (720x1560 pixels) AMOLED display on the Mi A3 with a waterdrop-style notch and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone also has an in-display fingerprint sensor and comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on top. However, the Mi A2 features a 5.99-inch full-HD+ (1080x2160 pixels) display with 18:9 aspect ratio.

Mi A3 vs Mi A2 processor, RAM

Under the hood, the Mi A3 has the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC that comes along with 4GB of RAM. The Mi A2, on the other hand, was powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC, paired with 4GB and 6GB RAM options.

Mi A3 vs Mi A2 camera

The Mi A3 sports a triple rear camera setup that includes a 48-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.79 lens, 8-megapixel secondary sensor with a 118-degree wide-angle f/2.2 lens, and a 2-megapixel tertiary sensor for depth sensing. In contrast, the Mi A2 debuted with a dual rear camera that consists of a 12-megapixel Sony IMX486 primary sensor with an f/1.75 lens and a 20-megapixel Sony IMX376 secondary sensor with the same f/1.75 lens.

For selfies, the Mi A3 houses a 32-megapixel camera sensor at the front with a five-piece f/2.0 lens on top that comes with a field of view of 79 degrees. The Mi A2, on the other hand, has a 20-megapixel Sony IMX376 sensor with an f/2.2 lens and a soft-light flash.

The Mi A3 has 64GB and 128GB of onboard storage options that both are expandable via microSD card (up to 256GB). Similarly, the Mi A2 comes with 64GB and 128GB of internal storage variants along with microSD card support.

Connectivity options on the Mi A3 are similar to those of the Mi A2 and include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, and a USB Type-C (v2.0).

Sensors on the Mi A3 include an accelerometer, ambient light, gyroscope, infrared (IR), and a proximity sensor. These are again similar to what's available on the Mi A2. However, as we mentioned, the Mi A3 has the in-display fingerprint sensor, while the Mi A2 comes with the traditional fingerprint sensor at the back.

Mi A3 vs Mi A2 battery

The Mi A3 packs a 4,030mAh battery, while the Mi A2 has a 3,000mAh battery. There is also 18W fast charging support on both phones, though the Mi A2 comes bundled with a regular 10W charger. Dimensions of the Mi A3 are set at 153.48x71.85x8.5mm, and it weighs 173.8 grams. However, the Mi A2 measures 158.7x75.4x7.3mm and weighs 168 grams.