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Xiaomi Mi A3 vs Mi A2 specs comparison: Closer than you think
August 01, 2025
Announced in July, theXiaomi Mi A3is the company’s latestAndroid Onesmartphone. That means the Mi A3 runs a clean version ofAndroid 9 Pieand should get monthly security updates, with updates toAndroid Qand R also guaranteed.
Even though the Mi A3 is the new kid on the block, that doesn’t mean you should ignore its predecessor. A little over a year old at this point, theMi A2still packs enough grunt to warrant a purchase in 2019. The Mi A2 is also an Android One smartphone and should get at least another year of monthly security updates, along with Android Q.
To that end, let’s see how the Mi A3 compares vs the Mi A2.
Xiaomi Mi A3 vs Xiaomi Mi A2 specs
Starting with the display, the differences boil down to the type and resolution. The Mi A3 goes withAMOLED, though the HD+ resolution is lower than the Mi A2 display’s Full HD+ resolution. That said, the Mi A2’s display is IPS LCD. That means colors won’t be as vibrant and they are on the Mi A3’s AMOLED display.
It’s as if Xiaomi took a step forward, then took a step backward when it comes to the display. The RAM situation is also a bit perplexing. The Mi A3’s base variant features double the storage of the Mi A2’s, but RAM is stuck at 4GB. Meanwhile, you can get up to6GB of RAMif you get the 128GB version of the Mi A2.
Moving to the processor, the Mi A3 features theSnapdragon 665chipset. The Mi A2’sSnapdragon 660is slightly older, but you won’t notice much of a difference in the real world. The biggest advantage the Snapdragon 665 features is support for 48MP images, which brings us to the cameras.
On the Mi A3, we have a 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 2MP depth sensor. According to Ryan’s impressions in ourXiaomi Mi A3 review, this setup is quite decent, resulting in plenty of good shots in a variety of conditions. Moving to the A2, we were pleasantly surprised with its primary 12MP sensor and disappointed with its secondary 20MP sensor meant for low-light situations.
Also read:Xiaomi Mi A2 review|Xiaomi Mi A3 review
Shifting to the battery, the Mi A3 features a large 4,030mAh battery. The capacity almost dwarfs the 3,000mAh battery inside the Mi A2, though both phones feature 18W fast wired charging. Finally, the Mi A3 sports anin-display fingerprint sensor, which is really not that good. The Mi A2 features a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.
At the end of the day, you won’t go wrong with either phone. The Mi A3 is the newer phone, so you’ll be more future-proofed than you would with the Mi A2. That said, the older phone holds up surprisingly well against its successor.
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