As affected users grapple with the deadlock of not having a functioning handset after Samsung whisked away all of its Galaxy Note 7 devices, several smartphones have risen up to the challenge of being admirable and worthy replacements for the ill-fated and explosive Note 7.
Those who want to wait it out can bide until next year, as Samsung's set to offer an exchange program that will replace Note 7 devices with the company's upcoming flagships, the Galaxy S8 and the Note 8.
However, it's still largely speculated whether the exchange program will cross over to the U.S. market, as the company has so far only promised for it to be administered in its home country, South Korea.
For those in dire need of a stopgap, let's take a quick look at two possible alternatives: Xiaomi's upcoming curved display-rocking Xiaomi Mi Note 2 and Google's best-camera-on-a-phone flagship, the Google Pixel XL. How does the two fare as worthy replacements for the time being or in the long run? Let's try to parse it down to the littlest details.
Design
The Xiaomi Mi Note 2 bears a striking resemblance to the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 with its curved display. It has a 3D curved back and a metallic frame finish. The phone sports thin bezels, resulting in a slightly smaller handset than the Pixel XL.
Meanwhile, the Pixel XL looks arguably more like Apple's iPhone 7 Plus, but the suave curves that the Mi Note 2 readily boasts are absent on the Pixel XL. It has a thick bezel around the screen and no physical buttons. At the back is a metallic cover with a glass panel at the upper part, covering one-third of the whole back cover.
Camera
The Pixel XL is touted as having the "best camera on a smartphone ever," sporting a 12.3-megapixel rear-facing camera with laser autofocus and HDR+ support. 4K recording is also possible with the Pixel XL. Google is flaunting the DxOMark Mobile test as a formidable testimony of its smartphone's camera capability.
On the other hand, the Mi Note 2 has a 22.56-megapixel rear-facing camera with laser autofocus, HDR support, 4K recording and the usual bells and whistles of a camera on a premium smartphone. Not much has surfaced to account for the camera's quality because the device has just been unveiled.
Processor, Memory And Storage
Powering the Mi Note 2 and the Pixel XL are the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processors, with Pixel XL running at 2.15 GHz compared to the Mi Note 2's slightly higher 2.35 GHz. The Pixel XL comes with 4 GB of RAM while users can opt for either 4 or 6 GB of RAM for the Mi Note 2.
The base Pixel XL model comes with 32 GB of internal storage, going up to 128 GB variants. The Mi Note 2, on the other hand, can come with 64 GB of internal storage with 4 GB of RAM or 128 GB of internal storage and 6 GB of RAM.
Both phones don't have expandable memory.
Display
The Pixel XL rocks a 5.5-inch display while the Mi Note 2 rocks a 5.7-inch display. Both feature OLED panels, with the Pixel XL protected by Gorilla Glass 4. Xiaomi hasn't announced if the Mi Note 2 has protective glass technology.
Mi Note 2 has a Full HD display while the Pixel XL has a QHD display. Initially, the Pixel XL's screen seem to be the better one because of its higher resolution, but the Mi Note 2's screen remains to be tested once it's out.
Pricing
The Mi Note 2 is significantly cheaper at CNY 2,799, or about $413 compared to the Pixel XL at $769. For what seems to be smartphone with very similar features, the Mi Note 2 is arguably a worthier bang for the buck at its price point.
Other Things We May Have Missed
The Mi Note 2 has a 4,070 mAh battery, holding more capacity than the Pixel XL's 3,450 mAh battery.
Mi Note 2 is backed up by Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0 fast-charging technology, while Google boasts seven hours of battery life in just 15 minutes of charging.
It's clear that users who have a little more cash to shell out could go for Google's flagships, but Xiaomi's offering something very attractive here, loaded with features akin to premium smartphones already out in the market, at a fairly inexpensive price for what you're getting.
