Mi Notebook Ultra review: Xiaomi energises the boring consumer PC segment
I was planning to buy a midrange laptop and was amazed to see that
every other legacy brand in the consumer PC market had products with similar
features and specifications. Blame the oligopoly, but as a consumer I was
almost convinced that the product offerings by the legacy PC makers were the
best available in the market. And then was released the Mi Notebook Ultra by
Chinese technology company Xiaomi.
A premium laptop, the Mi Notebook Ultra
challenged the conventions set by legacy consumer PC makers by democratising
features and specifications usually seen in laptops that cost
almost twice as much as the top-end model (review unit – Rs 76,999) on offer
here. Starting with the design, the Mi Notebook Ultra boasts
a unibody made of series 6 aluminium alloy. For a laptop with 15.6-inch screen,
the Mi Notebook Ultra is appropriately built but does not meticulously fit in
the thin-and-light category. Speaking of build, the Mi Notebook Ultra is spot
on. From smooth edges to a sturdy hinge, the laptop’s build quality is nothing
short of premium.
Complementing the solid build quality is the 15.6-inch 3.2K
resolution screen of a 90Hz refresh rate with support for 100 per cent sRGB
colour gamut. The display is stretched in a 16:10 aspect ratio and is covered
with anti-glare coating. Compared with conventional 16:9 aspect ratio screens,
the Mi Notebook Ultra screen is both wide and tall. Therefore, it is suitable
for both productivity and entertainment purposes. As for the quality, the
display is not the best out there in terms of brightness, colour rendition and
viewing angles. These compromises, however, come to notice only if you work in
bright outdoor conditions. When indoors, at home or office, the screen dazzles.
While the Mi Notebook Ultra is a visual treat, the laptop’s audio leaves you
asking for more. The laptop’s bottom-facing dual stereo speakers (2W each) lack
loudness, depth and clarity. They work fine for basics but do not quite match
the viewing experience offered by a competent screen.
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