5 Reasons I am Not Upgrading from the K20 Pro to the K30 Pro

It is no news to anyone that the K20 Pro was a device we loved using in 2019. With so many awesome features on offer, we were staggered to see what Xiaomi would have on offer for the sequel of this great device. Unfortunately, it is not always that the company’s interests and ours align, and with the recent release of the K30 Pro, we have been less than excited for what it has on offer.

The Display

Taking a step back in screen brightness is never a good idea, in fact, it’s this feature alone that makes our phones usable where we desire them the most: outside. With the K30 Pro however, Xiaomi has receded about 100 nits of brightness from its predecessor, a significant amount considering the K20 Pro’s outdoors visibility was on the line of what we would consider “visible” in outdoors situations - making the K30 Pro a phone that should just stay at home.

Lack of OIS

The triple camera setup was a great feature of the K20 Pro, and whilst we took some great photos with it throughout the year, we have always been disappointed by the lack of OIS in the video department. In our list of features we wanted to see in a potential K30 Pro, this was on top of our priorities, as we hoped Xiaomi would see the community’s positive reaction to the device’s photography abilities, and improve on it.

Sadly however, this was simply not the case, and as well featured as the K30 Pros set of cameras may be, it has still left out this very important feature, making video stabilisation less than desirable in a phone that in 2020 has some worthy competition.

Back to Plastic

With last year’s K20 Pro, Xiaomi sent a message that it cares about design just as much as it cares about performance. For a device claiming to be the K20 Pro’s successor, such downgrade in built seems a bit odd at best. Not only is glass prettier, but often times more resistant, and it allows for the addition of extra perks such as wireless charging.

Controversial Design Choices

Whilst the pop up selfie camera was a design quirk we had a range of thoughts about last year, we truly appreciated the K20 Pro’s bezel-less look, which made video-viewing experience better, and gave the phone a more futuristic look overall. Copying the design trends popularised by the Samsung S10, the K20 Pro features a camera hole that takes away from the beautiful viewing experience first brought to us by its predecessor.

Walking Backwards

As all these points may have shown, the K30 Pro takes many fundamental ideas of what made the K20 Pro a remarkable device, and deviates from it entirely. In this path, not only does the K30 Pro lose a great deal of identity, but it also creates a device that is ultimately superior to its much beloved predecessor. With this idea in mind, we do not think that the K30 Pro is a worthy purchase, and believe that many customers would be happy sticking with their K20s for the meanwhile.

Will you be picking up a K30 Pro? Let us know in the comments below!

[Opinion] Xiaomi: The Company that Made an iPhone X Clone, Now With an OnePlus7 Pro Clone

After the recent legal issues involving Huawei in the US, many have started to ask themselves to what extent Chinese smartphone companies are copying not only from one another, but also from the western world. When taking a look into this conversation however, it’s impossible to leave one major company behind: Xiaomi.

With smartphones that range from the MI8 (A blatant attempt at bringing the best of the iPhone X into the budget market), and the more recent K20 Pro (The company’s take on the One Plus 7 Pro), it is fair to say that Xiaomi has had an extensive history implementing ideas from other manufacturers into their own products.

I must make it clear however, I am in now ways suggesting that the company only has derivative ideas up its sleeve, in fact, Xiaomi has proved time and time again that it can innovate before anyone else. With the Xiaomi Mi Mix, Xiaomi not only stepped up the standards for what was then considered a premium phone, but basically started the bezeless trend that we see today. As if that wasn’t enough, with the Xiaomi Mi A2, Xiaomi brought not only an unique design, but a slew of features ranging from the capable processor to the potent cameras that were simply not seen in the price-range before.

Yet in many other ways, the company has also proven time and time again that copying the competition can be a great strategy. With the company’s most recent flagship, the MI9, Xiaomi has brought many design features that merge both the latest iPhone and the Huawei P30 Pro into a singular device. The company also has had a history with implementing certain technologies way after the competition, yet still announce them as ground-breaking. A great example of this would be the tried and true wireless charger, a technology that by the time the company finally got around to it with the Mix 2s, it had already become standard with most manufacturers.

When answering whether or not this is a good or bad thing, one must first consider the one aspect that all Chinese companies share in common: Their mission to deliver higher quality devices year by year, all whilst slowly decreasing their entry price point.

If this is to be taken from a manufacturing standpoint, it is cheaper, and safer to manufacture a technique that has already been tested by someone else, than to develop a brand new one. It’s through this strategy that companies like Xiaomi start being slowly forced to handpick what features truly matter, making cuts on areas such as the device’s uniqueness in order to meet the already established expectation for lower costs set by the Southeast Asian market.

Furthermore, in a company so focused about reaching wider audiences, as is the case with almost all Chinese manufacturers, creating unique designs may be seen as a way to distance possible consumers. Whilst technology enthusiasts may enjoy a device that doesn’t look like every other in the shelf, the average consumer may find comfort knowing that their latest budget device is somewhat similar to the latest iPhone they have most likely heard something about.

It must be made clear however, that Xiaomi is far from the only smartphone brand bringing features of its rivals into its own devices. In some cases, one may argue that a lot of Apple’s technology, from the dual camera setup to the OLED screen, were all overdone on the Android side before finally being implemented by the Cupertino giant. Even in the Chinese market, with companies like Oppo and Vivo introducing extremely similarly specced fast chargers around the same time frame, one can see what many now refer to as “ripping off” being done first handedly.

There’s also a point to be made that the politics behind this phenomena are where the issue lies. With IP infringement, and other law-breaching conducts being found in the modern smartphone industry, it’s hard to say that it is a fair game. In fact, if proper international laws, and regulations are ever to be seen in this industry, consumers may start to see more unique phones as patented technologies become harder to gain access to. This is an issue that believe it or not, impacts most modern smartphone companies, as reports of Huawei spies in Apple’s headquarters were published during February of this year.

But despite what politics may sway, this just adds more interesting flame on the technological side of things. On one hand, the extremely fast advancement of the budget market can be mostly attributed to this copying phenomena, as previously premium-exclusive features get overdone to the point where they are simply not too unique, losing value not only in the consumer’s eye, but in a manufacturing standpoint as well. Yet just as much as this loss of value can benefit the consumer, it ultimately results in products that could have been unique losing their chance due to increasingly more fierce competition - leading the smartphone industry to slow lose the innovative flair it once had.

How To Start Taking Amazing Long Exposure Shots on Your Redmi K20 Pro

Taken with K20 Pro

The Redmi K20 Pro is coming out in India July 17, and with its release date ever-approaching, users can start getting excited to have their hands on the best cameras the mid-range smartphone sector has to offer. With the best and most versatile cameras however, comes options that some of us may not be all too familiar with - one of those being the classic long exposure car shots. Here is what you can do to step up your photography game and have some fun on your K20 when the lights go down.

STEP 1: Understanding the Basics

Before diving head-first into taking amazing pictures with your K20 Pro, it is important to understand how long exposure shots work. Essentially, as photography life describes is, “A stop is the doubling or halving of the light that makes up an exposure. We can add or subtract stops by changing the aperture, shutter speed, or ISO.”

These three tools (the aperture, shutter speed and IOS), are part of any camera system. The shutter speed is how fast the camera opens and closes when taking pictures, the aperture refers to how much light the lenses allow in, and the IOS controls the brightness of the photo. Achieving a perfect mix between the values of these three can be difficult, but once learned it can allow for an unrivaled level of flexibility in photo taking.

If you’re learning on learning more about the “Photography triangle”, there is a great article by fstoppers that covers all the essentials.

STEP 2: Getting the Tools for The Job

A big part of learning any new trick is to have the right tools for the job. Since long exposure relies on keeping a sharp focus on the object in question, stability is essential, and with that, you will want some sort of tripod to place your phone on. We’ve recommended the one we use at the bottom of this post, but you’re free to find one that fits your style and budget.

When shopping for a tripod however, make sure to find one that not only fits your phone, but one that can also be extended or even bent to any scenario you may find yourself taking pictures in. You will also want to make sure that the build quality of the tripod is semi-respectable, as otherwise you will find that the lack of perfect stability will come through in your photo shooting.

STEP 3: Adjusting Your Settings

Now that you’re geared up and ready to start, head to your camera app and scroll right until you find the “Pro mode”. This mode, unlike the standard “photo mode”, will allow you to completely control each and every part of your camera in order to fit your case-scenario.

If you find yourself thinking that this entire mode looks all too complicated, don’t worry, as you’ll only be modifying the phone’s shutter speed (indicated by a S) and the ISO (indicated as ISO). Here you’ll want to set the shutter speed to 1/2s (half a second), and the to ISO to 100. This can be modified depending on your lighting conditions, but for most urban street scenarios, this setting will do you just fine.

It is also worth noting that for best results, you will want to follow through with the stability by making use of the photo countdown feature on all Xiaomi phones. To do this, simply tap your volume switch as you plan to take the photo, and a 3 second countdown will appear, ensuring that you don’t shake the camera when pressing the shutter button.

STEP 4: Having Fun

With plenty of information to digest, it can be easy to forget that the entire point of learning new cameras trick is to gain a new - and hopefully fun - perspective to every day life. We hope that with everything we’ve taught you today, that you can start to observe opportunities in previously unappealing places, and that above all, you appreciate your device for the capabilities you didn’t know it had.

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Don't Buy The "Global ROM" Of The K20 Pro

Throughout Mitchell Millenial’s years of reporting on the latest and greatest budget technology, we have amassed a wide range of viewers from a multitude of countries, all with a vast range of English literacy. It was due to this reason that the Mitchell Millenial website first came to fruition, but now, a recent Global K20 Pro fraud is making use of those with lower literacy levels to ultimately scam them of their money.

The K20 Pro has been a market-hit, with thousands of videos and articles across the web proclaiming the phone to be the next “flagship killer”. As many have come to notice however, the phone is only currently available in China - a topic that we have previously discussed in the Mitchell Millennial channel and website.

Nevertheless, this hasn’t stopped multiple Aliexpress resellers from marketing their phones as the “Global Version of the K20 Pro”. This has caused uproar online as some consumers have purchased this device, while others made it their task to speak out to this scam.

The Issues With This Scam

The “Global” K20 Pro in all its Scammer Glory

While many may fall for this being a pre-order of the Indian K20 Pro, there are many small-scale issues with these Aliexpress ads that should consumers many reasons to worry about their purchase. For starters, in the description of the device, it lists that is powered by a global ROM, which is currently not available on the K20 Pro. This could mean that the device is either running a “garage” ROM -a version of the OS that is typically poorly optimised and made by a small name, thus gaining its name - or simply a version of the Chinese ROM with the Google Apps installed by the user.

But the issue with the device’s ROM does not stop there, as Xiaomi’s bootloader app often locks a device to a certain Xiaomi account after the device is unlocked, meaning that a factory reset post purchase would not be possible. This was an issue that happened early in the Pocophone F1’s life, leaving many customers unhappy with their purchases.

What’s more puzzling is that the Indian version, which is now confirmed to come towards the end of the month, will only launch with the Chinese bands, as we discussed in our previous article. What this means is that for the next foreseeable future, there is no true global K20 Pro device.

Things You Should Know

It is important to distinguish between a Global ROM and a Global Version. A Global ROM is simply a piece of software that will include global apps such as Facebook, and Youtube. Meanwhile a Global Version implies that the device itself is difference, more often than not featuring the bands for countries outside of China.

If a Global ROM becomes available in the future, it will be possible to download that ROM and install it on a Chinese device. On the other hand, a phone “version” has to be purchased either from an importer or in your market if you live outside of China.

A last pointer to lookout for, is that Aliexpress stores do not usually have access to phone pre-orders, as Xiaomi is very quick to announce and launch their devices in China. In case a global version is ever announced, local technology shops are your best bet in purchasing a legitimate device that works as expected.

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The Redmi K20 Pro Has a Serious Display Issue

The Redmi K20 Pro has launched to worldwide success, with many quickly calling it a perfect phone. After much appraise, the Redmi K20 Pro Telegram community was quick to find that a display issue prevents the device from being all too perfect.

As a user first noticed, by holding two fingers still in the display, and then running a third finger alongside the edges of the device’s screen, an electrical stutter can be seen, creating distortion in both the still fingers despite there not being any movement.

While for the average issue this display issue may not seem like a dealbreaker, gamers, specifically PUBG fanatics, have been quick to voice their concerns. In that game, a “claw” setup - which requires more than three fingers on screen at a time - is not only ineffective but hard to pull off with the K20 Pro, driving home disappointment to the many buyers who saw gaming as the device’s forte.

To make matters worse, the Redmi K20 Telegram community was also quick to notice that this issue can be found in other Xiaomi devices, most notably the Xiaomi Mi 9, the company’s most recent flagship. To most people’s surprise, the issue becomes less noticeable when the device is either on a case or not laying flat on a table, and is completely gone as soon as the device is plugged into an outlet. This has led some to speculate that the issue may be caused by electric or shielding issue in the device’s display.

Xiaomi has not yet publicly addressed the issue, and as of this report, an official fix has not been discovered by the Xiaomi and Redmi communities.

Why India Is Stuck With the K20 Pro

In our most recently article, we discussed the idea that with the recent launch of the MI9T, the world was bound to see a Pocophone F2. After diving deeper into this topic, we made a few discoveries that while supporting our previous theory, bring unfortunate news for those living in India.

As it turns out, the Redmi K20 and K20 Pro feature the B1, B3, B5, B39, B40, and B41 LTE bands. Much to our surprise, as Kimovil shows, these bands are not only perfect for the Chinese market, but also ideal for Indian LTE reception as well.

All of the Chines Bands work perfectly in India

This is not unusual for Redmi devices, as most of their smartphone entries feature bands that are a perfect match to both the Indian and Chinese devices. On the flip side, most of Xiaomi’s mainline phones receive designated Chinese and global versions instead. This is a special case however, as the Redmi K20 and K20 Pro are one of the first Redmi devices that have taken this long to reach India - adding more mystery to our Pocophone F2 theory.

Come to think of however, it was within the Pocophone brand itself that we found the answer. Back in 2018 when the Pocophone first launched, Xiaomi tackled the device specifically to the Indian market, a region where Xiaomi, despite having a presence, never found much flagship success in. In this sense, Xiaomi’s Pocophone brand settled itself as the company’s way of bringing the Xiaomi name to new markets outside of China, and since Xiaomi now is considered the second largest smartphone seller in India, Pocophone’s mission may be done.

Furthermore, it is important to understand that the Redmi K20 and K20 Pro are one of the first Redmi phones that can truly be considered “flagship killers”. This is an important detail as for devices to be sold cheaply in India, they must be produced locally. This may not have been a big issue when Redmi devices were so cheap, but now that the Redmi K20 And K20 Pro require an extra level of craft, issues with Xiaomi’s tooling and supply chain may explain its delay in the Indian market.

Redmi’s Indian productions are very small and limited in comparison to China’s

As if that wasn’t enough, China often serves as the ground base for testing Xiaomi and Redmi devices, ensuring that stability can be achieved prior to reaching other markets. With the K20 and K20 Pro, many Youtubers and journalists have voiced their opinions about the hardware capability coupled with software that is not yet truly optimal.

Thus, with all this information in mind, we believe it makes the most sense that the Pocophone F2 will be targeted to breach another market, and that for Xiaomi’s Indian fanbase, they will receive the Redmi K20 and K20 Pro as soon as manufacturing costs have been lowered and the software is truly finalised.

What are your thoughts on India receiving the K20 And K20 Pro? Let us know down below!