Mi A3 is an Android One phone from the Xiaomi family that launched recently in India. While the Mi A1 was a hit, the successor felt like a downgrade. It had a smaller battery, missed SD card expansion and headphone jack. This year, however, of course, the scion is back in the hope of redemption.
We understand that you might have some doubts and queries regarding the phone and want to clear them before making the purchase. So, we have curated a list of frequently asked questions and their answers down below. Let’s dive in.
Mi A3 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What are the Mi A3 specs?
A. Let’s first put specs out of our way. Here’s the full list.
Xiaomi Mi A3 Specifications
| Model | Mi A3 |
| Display | 6.01-inch, AMOLED, HD+, Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Processor | 2.0GHz Octa-core Snapdragon 665, Adreno 610 |
| RAM | 4GB/6GB |
| Storage | 64/128GB, microSD, up to 256 GB (Hybrid slot) |
| Battery | 4030mAh with 18W fast charger |
| Front Camera | 32MP, f/2.0 |
| Rear Camera | 48MP (f/1.9) +8MP (f/2.2) +2MP (f/2.4) |
| Software | Android One based on 9.0 Pie |
| Price | Rs. 12,999/ Rs. 15,999 |
Design and Display
Q. How’s the design of Mi A3? How heavy is it?
A. Mi A3 sports a U-shaped notch on the display and gradient hue at back. It weighs around 173.8g. It has a handy footprint, save for the slippery glass back.
Q. Does Mi A3 have a Glass, Plastic or Metal body?
A. The Mi A3 has a glass-metal sandwich body where the front and rear glass are framed by a metal side rail.
Q. How thick is Xiaomi Mi A3?
A. 153.5 x 71.9 x 8.5 mm (height x width x thickness)
Q. Does Mi A3 offer Gorilla glass protection?
A. Yes, Mi A3 display and back are shielded by Gorilla Glass 5.
Q. Does Mi A3 feature an in-display fingerprint scanner? How well does it work?
A. Yes, it does support an in-display optical scanner, which is a sweet feature to have at this price point. The sensor is quick to unlock, but the screen takes an extra half-second to wake up. So, not very snappy.
Q. What’s all in the Mi A3 box?
A. Here’s what you’d get in the box
- Mi A3 handset
- A USB cable (Type-C)
- 10W charging head
- Sim ejector tool
- Hard TPU case
- Documentation
Q. Do you get a USB Type-C or Micro USB port on Mi A3?
A. Yes, it has a USB Type-C port.
Q. How is the Mi A3 Display?
A. Upfront, you get a 6.01-inch, AMOLED, HD+ display that’s protected by Gorilla Glass 5.
It offers 19:5:9 aspect ratio, 80.3% screen-to-body ratio and 286 PPI pixel density. The display is one area where the Mi A3 disappoints.
For one, it’s downscaled from full HD display on the MI A2. The characteristic AMOLED advantages are still there, but overall the display quality is below average.
Q. Is the Mi A3 water-resistant?
A. No, Mi A3 is not water-resistant. But it comes with p2i nanocoating for splash resistance.
Q. Is the battery of Mi A3 removable?
A. No, the battery is sealed inside the phone.
Q. Is there a notification LED on the Mi A3?
A. Yes, the phone has a notification LED light, which blinks only when you’re charging the phone.
Q. What colors are the Mi A3 going to be available in?
A. You could pick between 3 fun and gorgeous color schemes – “Not Just Blue”, “More Than White” and “Kind of Gray”.
Performance
Q. Which mobile processor is used in Mi A3?
A. Mi A3 runs on a 2.0GHz Octa-core Snapdragon 665 chipset teamed with an Adreno 610 GPU. This is a minor upgrade over Snapdragon 660.
Q. What are the RAM and storage variants available with Mi A3?
A. Mi A3 comes in two variants: 4GB RAM+ 64GB storage as well as 6GB RAM and 128GB storage.
Q. Which Android version runs on the Mi A3? Will it get Android Q update?
A. Mi A3 runs on Android 9 Pie-based Android One platform. For those unaware, Android One is pure vanilla OS from Google. The Silicon Valley giant guarantees 3 years of monthly security updates and 2 years of Android platform updates. So yes, it is under the radar for Android Q update, as confirmed at the launch event. It would get Android R update as well.
Q. Is there any bloatware on the Mi A3? Which Xiaomi apps are present on the phone?
A. There is no junkware per se. But, you may find the core Google apps and a Mi Community app.
Q. Does Mi A3 support MicroSD card storage expansion? Is it a dedicated slot?
A. Mi A3 supports expandable storage up to 256GB via a hybrid slot.
Q. Is there Widevine L1 support on the Mi A3 for HD playback on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, etc?
A. No, the phone is missing DRM L1 certificate as of now.
Q. Which is the default launcher on Mi A3?
A. The default launcher on Mi A3 is stock AOSP Launcher which supports an app drawer.
Q. What is the battery size on Mi A3? Does it support fast charging? Is the fast charger bundled?
A. Mi A3 packs a 4030mAh battery that supports an 18W fast charging. However, Xiaomi ships it with a 10W charger.
ALSO READ: Realme 5 review with Pros and Cons – Should you buy it?
Connectivity and Others
Q. Does Mi A3 support Dual SIM Dual VoLTE?
A. Yes, Mi A3 is equipped with Dual SIM (nano) Dual VOLTE. So, you can use two Jio SIMs in tandem without a problem.
Q. Does Mi A3 sport a 3.5mm headphone jack?
A. Yes, you get a 3.5mm audio jack at the bottom.
Q. What sensors are there in Mi A3?
A. Mi A3 has bagged sensors like a Fingerprint (under display), infrared, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass.
Q. Is there an IR blaster on the Mi A3 that can be used to control TVs and other devices?
A. Yes, there is an IR blaster on the Mi A3. So, you can control your home appliances like TV or Ac wirelessly using an IR remote option.
However, you have to download the app from Google Play Store. It doesn’t come preinstalled.
Q. Does the Mi A3 feature FM radio?
A. Yes, FM radio is present on Mi A3.
Q. Does the handset support USB OTG?
A. Yes, you can connect external pen drive using USB OTG feature. You can enable the feature by going to Settings-> Additional Settings-> OTG connection. Simply turn on the option.
Q. Does it support NFC?
A. No, Mi A3 doesn’t support NFC.
Q. What are the connectivity options available with Mi A3?
A. Mi A3 supports these connectivity solutions – dual-band A-GPS, Dual SIM Dual VoLTE, Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, DLNA, and hotspot.
Camera
Q. Can you click 48MP photos on the Mi A3?
A. By default, the rear camera output is 12MP employing pixel binning technology. However, it comes with a dedicated 48MP mode to utilize the full capacity of that sensor.
Q. Does Mi A3 has face unlock?
A. Yes, you get Face Unlock in Mi A3. However, we won’t advise to use it as facial recognition is considered less secure than other means in general.
Q. Does the Mi A3 front camera support Portrait shots?
A. Yes, the Mi A3 front camera feature portrait shots to capture beautiful bokeh snaps.
Q. Can you record slow-motion videos on Mi A3?
A. Yes, you can record slow-mo videos @240fps.
Q. What are the camera modes available in Mi A3?
A. Mi A3 camera app features HDR, 48MP mode, Portrait, Night, and Slow Motion.
Q. Can you record 4K videos on the Mi A3?
A. Yes, you can shoot 4K@30FPS videos.
Pricing and Availability
Q. What’s the price of Mi A3?
A. The two variants of Mi A3 are priced as follows in India –
• 4GB RAM + 64GB storage – Rs. 12,999
• 6GB RAM + 128GB storage – Rs. 15,999
Q. Where and when can you buy Mi A3?
A. Xiaomi Mi A3 sale starts on Amazon India from 12 PM on August 23. It will also hit the shelves of Mi.com and Mi Home stores. It will be soon available via Mi Studios, Mi Stores, Mi Preferred partners, and offline stores.
Mi A3 FAQ
We have answered some of the most asked Mi A3 related questions. If you have a particular question in mind, you can ask us in the comment section below and we will try and get back to you as soon as possible.
Can I input external audio direct by any wire from my sound system into Mi A3 while streaming live music show on Face Book??? At present, the inbuilt mic of the phone is receiving the Audio from speaker but the Audio Quality is not up to the mark as per my listeners. Please help if you can…Thanks..