When telephone producers ditched the three.5mm jack on their gadgets, the justification was to create room to fit in bigger batteries and larger antennae. That excuse does not maintain up in 2024, notably when you think about {that a} small telephone just like the Zenfone 10 one way or the other has a 3.5mm jack, a 5000mAh battery, and all of the extras you want in a contemporary telephone.
However all different manufacturers already moved away from the analog jack, and are as a substitute pushing their wi-fi earbuds as a strategy to take heed to music on the go. Outdoors of some price range and mid-range gadgets, you will not discover the three.5mm jack on most telephones today. That is what Moondrop desires to repair. The audio producer is nothing if not daring in its imaginative and prescient, and its newest product is the MIAD01, an Android telephone that has a 3.5mm jack in addition to a balanced 4.4mm port — which is unparalleled.
Along with the ports, the MIAD01 has a good DAC, and the design is intriguing to say the least. I wasn’t certain in regards to the feasibility of such a tool, however I used the MIAD01 for the higher a part of every week, and it has a couple of distinctive benefits. Whereas there is no scarcity of dongle DACs just like the Fiio KA13, with the ability to plug in any IEM or headset right into a telephone is simply way more handy, and the MIAD01 has standout sound high quality. It’s also in a position to drive demanding planar headsets with out breaking a sweat, and that is simply an added bonus.
Nevertheless, the MIAD01 additionally has to do all the opposite phone-related options along with audio playback, and that is the place it does not measure as much as common telephones. The software program does not have any customized options, the cameras simply aren’t well worth the problem, and the {hardware} is not fairly the very best on this phase. However for those who do not care about all of that and simply want a telephone for each day use that additionally doubles as a conveyable audio participant, the MIAD01 has so much to supply.
Moondrop MIAD01: Pricing and availability
Moondrop launched the MIAD01 in China in April 2024, and the telephone is now on sale globally. It’s accessible in a single variant with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and it costs $399 at audio retailers like HiFiGo. Whereas the telephone is bought with 256GB of inner storage, it has a MicroSD slot that allows you to add as much as 2TB of further storage — perfect in case you have lots of offline music.
Moondrop MIAD01: Design and display
The MIAD01 has a definite visible design, and the telephone is decked out in a gray coloration scheme that has the identical sci-fi aesthetic as the remainder of the model’s merchandise. The orange accents for the facility and quantity buttons give the design a little bit little bit of added aptitude, and I like the truth that the cameras on the again do not jut out from the design.
The defining attribute of the MIAD01 is the presence of three.5mm and 4.4mm ports on the high, and to accommodate the analog connectors, Moondrop elevated the thickness of the highest third portion. It is a good design alternative because it in the end does not have an effect on usability, and since it extends to all the width of the telephone, there isn’t a wobble when utilizing it on a desk.
The again and sides are made out of plastic, however the construct high quality is respectable, and the buttons have good tactility. There is not a lot in the way in which of branding both; you get the Moondrop emblem together with the mannequin title on the again.
One other attention-grabbing design alternative is the dual-curved OLED panel; the curvature is simply sufficient that you simply get the advantages of a curved display, however not a lot that it limits usability. There’s sufficient room on the perimeters to carry the telephone comfortably, and this permits the MIAD01 to distinguish itself a little bit higher.
What is not nice is that the curved design does not lengthen to the again, so that you’re left with an asymmetrical aesthetic that is simply uncomfortable. Certain, the telephone appears cool, however the flat again tends to dig into the palm, and it makes holding and utilizing the MIAD01 way more awkward than it must be.
There is a good motive that each different telephone that has a curved display has symmetric curves on the again, however that is not the case right here, and it in the end makes utilizing the MIAD01 tedious. On that observe, there is no ingress safety of any type, however that is a given contemplating the telephone has analog ports.
Rounding out the design, the MIAD01 has twin SIM card slots along with a devoted MicroSD slot, supplying you with the power so as to add as much as 2TB of storage above and past the 256GB of built-in storage.
Switching over to the display, the MIAD01 has a 6.7-inch OLED panel with 120Hz refresh. It has good colours and distinction ranges, and whereas the brightness stage is not the very best in its class, I did not see any points on this regard. There’s stereo sound, however because the machine is restricted to Widevine L3, it does not play streaming content material at 1080p — it maxes out at 720p.
Because the software program itself is barebones, you aren’t getting many customization choices. The telephone has an always-on mode, however you simply get a digital clock and unread notification icons together with the battery stage. The display refresh is ready to Auto out of the field, however you possibly can manually toggle between 60Hz and 120Hz.
On the entire, I just like the design of the MIAD01, and the one difficulty with the telephone is the shortage of curves on the again.
Moondrop MIAD01: Sound high quality
Clearly, a key speaking level of the MIAD01 is the audio potential. As I discussed above, the telephone has a single-ended 3.5mm jack along with the balanced 4.4mm port, and the latter specifically is attention-grabbing. The telephone has loads of energy to spare, and having used it with the likes of the Fiio FT5, Moondrop Venus, and different planar headsets, I did not see any points on this regard.
The MIAD01 is simply as dependable at driving delicate IEMs, and there is no background hiss by any means. I examined it with the Fiio FX15, Thieaudio Status LTD, Sennheiser IE200, and a half-dozen different IEMs, and it was terrific all through.
You get twin Cirrus Logic DAC {hardware}, and the MIAD01 is just like the MoonRiver 2 dongle DAC on this regard. If something, the sound is nearly similar, and also you get a impartial sound with a touch of heat. The DAC has good dynamics and imaging, and the general sound is refined — it’s equal to the very best dongle DACs.
If you happen to desire a heat signature, there is a service dubbed AudioConsole that comes bundled with the telephone, and it permits you to emulate a tube amp sound. The distinction is noticeable, however I desire the default sound attribute. The telephone does not have AptX codecs, so that you’re restricted to the same old SBC and AAC along with LDAC.
What I like the very best is that the telephone has granular quantity adjustment, not like Android’s asinine slider. There is a nifty toggle that means that you can stream music within the background, and you should use it with any audio and video streaming service.
Moondrop MIAD01: {Hardware} and battery
Moondrop says the MIAD01 is powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 7050, however the machine data reveals it’s utilizing the MT6877V (Dimensity 1080) as a substitute. Each platforms use the identical set of cores: there are two Arm v8 Cortex A78 cores that go as much as 2.6GHz, together with six Cortex A55 cores that hit 2.0GHz. You get a Mali-G68 GPU, and it positively reveals its age when taking part in demanding titles.
To Moondrop’s credit score, the MIAD01 does not have noticeable lag in each day use. It handles mundane duties like shopping and social media with relative ease, and since the interface does not have any overt customization, it’s fluid. Nevertheless, this isn’t a gaming telephone, and for those who play something however informal titles, you will see lots of jitter and unstable framerates.
| Class | Moondrop MIAD01 |
|---|---|
| OS | Android 13 |
| Show | 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED, 2400 x 1080, HDR10+ |
| Chipset | MediaTek Dimensity 1080, 6nm |
| RAM | 12GB LPDDR4X |
| Storage | 256GB UFS 3.1, MicroSD slot as much as 2TB |
| Rear digital camera 1 | 64MP Sony IMX686, f/1.9, 4K at 30fps, EIS |
| Rear digital camera 2 | 8MP OmniVision OV8856 wide-angle lens |
| Entrance digital camera | 32MP OmniVision OV32B |
| Ingress safety | ❌ |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, restricted Sub-6 5G bands |
| Safety | Optical in-screen sensor |
| Audio | Single-ended 3.5mm, balanced 4.4mm, built-in DAC, stereo sound |
| Battery | 5000mAh, 33W USB PD 3.0 charging |
The telephone is bought in a single variant, and it has 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. Once more, it is not the newest storage or reminiscence commonplace accessible as we speak, however there are not any points in usability, and with the MicroSD slot, you possibly can simply enhance the addressable storage to as much as 2TB.
Coming to the connectivity aspect of issues, the MIAD01 has Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and a restricted number of 5G bands: 1/3/5/7/8/20/28/41/77/78. The in-display fingerprint sensor is quick to authenticate and does not have any points with reliability, however it’s positioned a little bit decrease on the display.
Switching over to the battery, the MIAD01 has a 5000mAh battery that lasts a day persistently. There isn’t any charger within the field, however the telephone makes use of the USB PD 3.0 commonplace, and goes as much as 33W. It is annoying that Moondrop did not bundle a charger within the field, however as you should use any USB PD charger, it is not an excessive amount of of a problem.
Most different mid-range telephones have higher {hardware} and connectivity, and it is clear that Moondrop did not got down to create a robust telephone; the main focus is as a substitute on delivering the very best audio efficiency, and it managed to attain that.
Moondrop MIAD01: Cameras
Tuning the cameras on a telephone takes lots of assets and energy, and it is not one thing smaller manufacturers can handle. That is evident when utilizing the MIAD01; the telephone has outdated sensors and no digital camera tuning by any means, and the result’s that it takes sub-par photographs in any given scenario.
What’s notably telling is that even the model does not assume the cameras are as much as scratch, because it notes in its advertising supplies: it is not good, but it surely works. That sums up the state of the cameras on the MIAD01, and I do not actually have a lot so as to add to that.
The MIAD01 has a 64MP f/1.9 most important digital camera that makes use of a Sony IMX686 sensor, and it’s joined by an 8MP OmniVision OV8856 wide-angle lens, and a 32MP digital camera on the entrance that options OmniVision’s OV32B sensor. The interface is just like what you get on most telephones; the capturing modes are organized in a ribbon on the backside, and also you get toggles all through the viewfinder.
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Daylight photographs are satisfactory at finest, with the telephone in a position to ship respectable colours in outside situations with good lighting. There are points with focusing, foliage rendition is not correct, and the AI mode tends to oversaturate colours. The wide-angle lens is not well worth the problem; it’s barely usable in daylight conditions, and the resultant photographs have muted colours and graining.
In the case of low-light circumstances, the MIAD01 is objectively the worst digital camera I’ve utilized in a really very long time. There’s a lot noise that it jogs my memory of telephones from over a decade in the past, and you do not even get a Evening mode.
I used telephones with the IMX686 fairly a bit, and the sensor itself is not at fault — it has the potential to ship nice photographs. That is all the way down to the software program, and it’s potential to get respectable photographs by putting in a distinct digital camera utility. On that observe, the MIAD01 has stage 3 Camera2 API integration, so you must have the ability to set up an aftermarket utility like GCam and get significantly better photographs.
Moondrop MIAD01: Software program
It is a monumental enterprise to design a customized Android pores and skin, and most smaller manufacturers select to make use of a vanilla interface with restricted customizability. That is the case with the MIAD01 as nicely; it has a plain UI that does not have any overt styling, and that is a superb transfer. You get a regular notification pane, giant toggles, and Materials You accent colours.
The most important annoyance is the stylized icons, and this makes the UI look a bit chintzy; that is just like what Chinese language producers did a half-decade in the past. The machine runs the November 2023 safety replace out of the field, however there’s an OTA accessible that installs the Might 2024 replace. Nevertheless, you are still restricted to Android 13, with no point out of when Android 14 will turn into accessible.
There is not a lot else to speak in regards to the software program. The general UI is unfinished, and it jogs my memory of the Nothing Cellphone 1 again when it launched; you get all of the requisite options, however there is no customizability.
One other egregious omission is the Play Retailer and related Google companies — you will have to sideload these onto the machine, so if that is not one thing you are keen to do, you must take into account one other telephone. After you have it put in, it is easy sufficient to arrange the telephone the way in which you need.
Updates are additionally an unknown, and whereas the model hasn’t shared what number of platform variations the machine will obtain, it is a good wager that it will not transcend Android 15 — if that.
Moondrop MIAD01: The competitors
The Pixel 7a continues to be an amazing alternative if you need an amazing mid-range telephone. The Pixel 8a is now accessible, however that machine is costlier at $500, and whereas it has higher {hardware}, the Pixel 7a is a superb worth — notably if you will get it at a reduction. As with most telephones today, there is no 3.5mm jack on the machine, so you have to to put money into a dongle DAC for those who’re excited about pairing the telephone with IEMs or a balanced headset.
The OnePlus 12R is a terrific possibility to think about, with the telephone providing standout {hardware} and respectable cameras on the again. Just like the Pixel 7a, you will want to purchase a USB DAC to get probably the most out of the machine, however if you need a robust telephone with numerous helpful options, the 12R is my advice.
Moondrop MIAD01: Must you purchase it?
You should purchase this if:
- You want a telephone with 3.5mm and 4.4mm jacks
- You want nice sound high quality
- You desire a telephone that is additionally a digital audio participant
- You want a MicroSD slot
You should not purchase this if:
- You need polished software program
- You utilize the cameras so much
- You need the Play Retailer preinstalled
- You want well timed updates
The best way I consider the MIAD01 is that it’s a glossy digital audio participant with a 5G modem. The design is nearer to different mid-range telephones, and whereas the in-hand really feel is not nice because of the asymmetrical curves, it’s mild. The most important promoting level of the machine is the truth that you get 3.5mm and 4.4mm ports, and the sound high quality is on par with most dongle DACs — no small feat. The MIAD01 can simply drive planar headsets, in order that is not a problem.
There are different issues the machine will get proper; the 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED panel has good colours and is nice in each day use, and the 5000mAh battery lasts a day with ease. I might have preferred higher {hardware}, as a result of because it stands, the Dimensity 1080 does not fairly measure as much as demanding duties. Equally, the cameras simply aren’t in the identical league as different $400 telephones.
Then there’s the software program. You get a clear interface with out an excessive amount of bloatware, but it surely does not have a lot in the way in which of options. You will have to sideload Google’s companies earlier than the telephone turns into usable, and it is nonetheless on Android 13. Contemplating the state of the software program, there is no telling when it’ll change to Android 14, a lot much less Android 15.
That stated, the built-in ports and respectable DAC make the MIAD01 stand out fairly a bit, and for those who’re excited about a digital audio participant that doubles as a telephone, then sure, it’s worthy of consideration. It is not nearly as good as a standalone participant or a daily telephone, however as a two-in-one machine that allows you to take heed to high-res music on the go, the MIAD01 is unmatched.
