Weekly poll: would you buy an HTC U12+? news

In day-to-day use this phone flies; it feels snappy in general operation, launches things quickly and is happy jumping between apps and multitasking – everything you’d expect of a flagship phone. But something isn’t quite right under the hood. When gaming, performance takes a notable hit after just a few minutes, with frame drops that the phone can only recover from if I leave the application, or at the very least pause the game for a few moments. As the results above show, it would seem that Xiaomi just hasn’t optimised the hardware and software as well as on the likes of the OnePlus 6T, with the phone consistently scoring lower than most other top devices currently on the market.

Related: Best Mid-range Smartphones Beyond base performance, the phone’s earpiece is well equipped to dole out clean audio during phone calls, while the single loudspeaker is again clean and loud, albeit only capable of delivering mono sound. I’ve already mentioned the innovative but sluggish fingerprint sensor – the available face unlock functionality on hand is snappier and more reliable, provided you’re comfortable with a less-secure unlock method. There’s also the matter of dual GPS, one of the other standout features of the phone that only a few other handsets, like the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, can boast right now. It simply means more reliable and snappier GPS location services and as such, I have no complaints on its inclusion. Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro – Software Xiaomi’s phones sport a heavy-handed skin called MIUI that offers a wealth of customisation and control over the experience on hand, but it features some notable departures from stock Android, to the point that a little retraining might be required for some users.

Weekly poll: would you buy an HTC U12+? news - A Spotlight On Straightforward accessories for smartphones Programs

The company has confirmed an OTA (over-the-air) update to MIUI 10 is inbound, which brings with it Android 9.0 Pie, adding face unlock support (which isn’t currently available when the phone’s region is set to ‘UK’), as well as more advanced selfie features too. In the meantime the Mi 8 Pro as I tested it comes running Android 8.1 with MIUI 9.6. You have the standard on-screen navigation keys here, but there’s also the option of what MIUI calls ‘full-screen gesture’ navigation, which instead relies on swiping in from the edges of the display, not unlike iOS as it appears on every home button-free iPhone since last year’s iPhone X. It takes some getting used to but once you get your head around it, it makes for satisfying and fluid operation. Xiaomi’s dropped in some nice touches that add an extra level of polish to the MIUI experience, like animated icons for popular services such as Instagram and Facebook, which play each time you close a supported app. The shred and explosion animation that occurs each time you delete an app is also sure to put a smile on your face. There’s also a one-handed mode, which is appreciated on a phone with such a large display, and a swipe right from your main home screen reveals App Vault, not dissimilar to Oxygen OS’s Shelf, as found on OnePlus phones. It grants quick access to apps, widgets and features and in my opinion, helps streamline navigation.