Xiaomi Mi 3: 10 Hidden Tips and Tricks You Can't Afford to Miss

By Prarthito

| Updated: Friday, July 25, 2014, 10:01 [IST]

Xiaomi has entered India with a lot of potential under its hood. Backed by Google's Hugo Barra, the company has already introduced us to the new Mi3 handset that looks to redefine the Android smartphone market almost single-handedly.

The new Mi3 is just among the few handsets that the company has launched alongside the likes of Redmi 1S and Redmi Note. Needless to say, all the devices come bearing the new MIUI interface that's like a fresh new entry into the already vast world of Android.

Xiaomi Mi 3: 10 Hidden Tips and Tricks You Can't Afford to Miss

Going through the device specs one more time, the new Mi3 from Xiaomi sports a 5-inch IPS display offering a full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) and 441ppi pixel density with Corning Gorilla glass protection.

It is powered by a 2.3 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 (MSM 8974AB) processor coupled with 2GB DDR3 RAM and it runs a custom interface dubbed MIUI that is a very different take on Android. The mobile phone also features a high-end camera modules.

You will find a 13MP rear camera with LED Flash, Sony Exmor BSI sensor, f/2.2 aperture, 1080p full HD video recording along with a 2MP front-facing camera with similar specs as the rear camera. The latest Xiaomi smartphone which measures 114mm×72mm×8.1mm and weighs 145g will house a 16 GB internal memory.

Connectivity options include 3G, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4/5 GHz), WiFi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and NFC and will draw its energy from a 3050mAh battery.

But while all the specs sound good, what are the real hidden features that you could take advantage of in the long run. Here is a list of the top 10 tips and tricks that are on offer with the Mi3.

The Latest Xiaomi Mi3 Smartphone Image

#1

Sure there's always the way to take a screenshot by pushing the power button and the down volume rocker together. But with the Mi3, you can also use the notification panel that opens from the top of the screen. Just tap Toggles and then Screenshot to make use of the feature. The images will then be saved as a .PNG file in the DCIM/Screenshots folder.

#2

With MIUI's data planner, expect the OS to warn you when you are about to exceed your data limit. In fact, it will even show a list of apps that are eating away most of the data. Here's where you will find the feature.

#3

If you're bored with the default font on your Mi3, you can change it. The way to change font is very much similar to the way you change the theme on your Mi 3. Just head over to the Themes app, tap on Category, then Component and followed by Font. Then, just tap the font you want and it will be downloaded.

#4

With the dial pad-based note taking ability in the Mi3, expect all your notes to be accumulated in a single place under the friend's contact who passed it on to you in the first place. Here's how you get it

#5

The Mi3 has an additional capability (compared to other Xiaomi devices) to let you operate its touch screen with gloves on. In order to enjoy this feature, you have to turn on Glove mode in the Settings menu. Just head over to Settings, then General Settings, and followed by Display. After that, just slide the Glove mode switch to the right to turn it on.

#6

Sure apps and games will flow by now with the device only being a new unit just out of the box. But this one will be required in the long run. And with that in place, expect the phone to be as good as new with apps never slowing down due to the overcrowding of apps.

#7

Did you find your Mi3 offering all the details in Chinese? Fear not as there's the option to change the language from Chinese to English on your phone. Just launch the Settings menu, then General Settings, and followed by Language and Input. Tap Language and select English.

#8

There are a host of themes that you could choose from with the MIUI at your disposal. And happily, the list keeps increasing everyday. So expect more new themes on the long run.

#9

You can quickly turn your Mi 3's camera flash into a flashlight when you're in the dark. On your Mi 3, find and launch the Torch app (find it in the Tools folder), and that's all you need to do.

#10

Remove all the unnecessary apps from your phone with this one simple tool. Just plain drag and delete the number of apps you want deleted, and your will shall be done without even touching other apps that are there in the window.