Xiaomi Announces Mi A2 and A2 Lite Android One Phones

Xiaomi is one of the biggest Android device makers on the planet with phones like the Redmi Note selling in unfathomable numbers all across Asia. One of Xiaomi’s most popular phones of last year was created in partnership with Google, though. The Mi A1 led the charge for a revitalized Android One program, and now Xiaomi has announced the successors: the Mi A2 and A2 Lite.

The Android One program started back in 2014 to give OEMs a way to launch low-power inexpensive phones with Google’s clean version of Android. The idea was to make these phones similar enough that updates would be a straightforward matter. Android One was initially aimed at developing markets, but sales were lackluster. The future of this project was uncertain when Google announced Android Go as its new platform for developing markets.

In 2017, a new wave of Android One phones launched in various countries, and they weren’t all ultra-budget hardware. One of those was the Mi A1, which won accolades for a slick design, capable hardware, and pure Google software. Xiaomi’s heavily modified MIUI build of Android is a deal breaker for some people, so having a phone that combines stock software with Xiaomi’s hardware was a hit.

The Mi A2 builds on that success with upgraded internals featuring a Snapdragon 660, a dual-camera array, a 6-inch 1080p display, and up to 6GB of RAM with 128GB of storage. As an Android One phone, it runs a completely stock version of Android and will get quick updates to new versions of the platform for at least two years.

Alongside the A2 is the A2 Lite. This cheaper variant uses an older Snapdragon 625, but it has a very trendy 5.8-inch notched display. You can get up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage in this one. However, it has a headphone jack whereas the A2 does not. It’s also Android One, so the same software situation applies.

Xiaomi hasn’t announced which countries will get the new A-series phones yet. Pricing for the Mi A2 starts at €249 (around $290) for the 4GB/32GB variant, but it’s more if you want the versions with more RAM and storage. The A2 Lite starts at just €279 (around $325). The launch will kick off with later this month and will eventually branch out to 40 nations. Xiaomi doesn’t operate in the US, so it’s unlikely the A2 or A2 Lite will show up on this side of the world.

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