Xiaomi Mi Max 2 review: Gentler Giant

6. Telephony, loudspeaker, notable apps

Telephony

The dialer and the phonebook share a single app, but two shortcuts bring you straight to the tab you need. The app has a pleasant flat look which feels somewhat fresh. It uses a tabbed interface - recents and dialer on the first and the contact list on the second.

Call recording is available - the files can be saved either on your device or on your MiCloud.

The Phonebook

The dialer may look rather familiar, but it's quite capable. Unfortunately, most of the new smart features are only available in the few markets where Xiaomi has an official presence.

It can automatically recognize business numbers, as well as scan contacts thanks to the Xiaomi's Caller ID database.

The Dialer

Loudspeaker test

The stereo speakers on the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 scored an Excellent mark in our speaker loudness test, up from the Average mark achieved by the Mi Max's single speaker. The sound is rich and crisp, with good bass and clean high notes. The performance of the two speakers is quite different - the top one is noticeably quieter than the other and with shallower, tinny sound. This takes a toll on the stereo effect they produce to the point where at times, the stereo sound comes through as really awkward.

Speakerphone test	Voice, dB	Pink noise/ Music, dB	Ringing phone, dB	Overall score
Huawei Mate S	66.0	65.8	66.6	Below Average
Xiaomi Mi Max	67.1	66.2	68.1	Average
Oppo F3 Plus	62.3	69.8	70.0	Average
Oppo R11	66.4	71.5	65.0	Average
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4	64.2	67.2	76.9	Good
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)	67.3	70.3	81.5	Very Good
Xiaomi Mi 6	66.1	69.0	84.1	Very Good
Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra	68.3	71.6	81.0	Very Good
Xiaomi Mi Max 2	78.4	71.7	79.2	Excellent
Sony Xperia XA Ultra	88.9	79.3	82.7	Excellent

Notable apps

The Mi Max 2 offers an excellent file managing app called Explorer, which lets you browse the files in its internal storage and group them by type.

Explorer

The MIUI v8 also offers a Security app. It can scan your phone for malware, manage your blacklist, manage or restrict your data usage, configure battery behavior, and free up some RAM. It can also manage the permissions of your installed apps.

The Security app also allows you to define the battery behavior of selected apps and applies restrictions only to the apps you choose.

Security app • Cleaner • Battery management • Managing a single app • Battery Saver

The Mi Remote uses the IR blaster to control anything from TVs (including the Mi TV, of course) to digital cameras. The setup process is relatively straightforward, and a handy option shares the remotes you've set up with others on the same Wi-Fi network. You'd have to go through the setup only once per home, assuming everybody else uses a Xiaomi phone as well.

MiRemote app

We liked the Compass app. It has a clean interface, shows the magnetic directions, and doubles as a level meter. If you lift the phone up, then you'll get a nice augmented reality view with a real-time overlay of East/West/North/South.

Compass • level • VR directions