Now in its third iteration, the Mi Mix 2S features the same design as its predecessor, with the phone introducing a new dual camera setup, Snapdragon 845, increased storage options, and an Oreo-based build of MIUI. Xiaomi is traditionally known to launch a flagship in its Mi series around this time of the year, but it looks like the Mi 7 will feature a radical overhaul from its predecessor, key among them being an 18:9 panel with an in-display fingerprint sensor.

In that context, it makes sense for Xiaomi to roll out a mid-cycle refresh of the Mi Mix 2. The individual changes may not seem all that significant, but cumulatively they lead to a device that’s the best Xiaomi has produced thus far. This is the Mi Mix 2S.

The major new addition to MIUI 9.5 is user interface gestures — which transform the way you use your phone. Gestures are the way forward as screens get taller, and for better or worse Android manufacturers are emulating what Apple has done on the iPhone X. We’ve seen that last year with OnePlus, and now Xiaomi is following suit.

Like the iPhone X, you’ll be able to swipe up from the bottom of the display to go to the home screen, swipe from the bottom and pause to access the multitasking pane, and swipe from either edge to go back within an app. It takes a few days to get acclimated to the gestures, but they do offer a more natural way of interacting with the phone, and you get extra screen real estate.

The interface itself hasn’t received a major cosmetic update, but thankfully the multitasking pane has been updated and finally looks like a part of the UI. You’re not going to see a lot of changes from previous versions of MIUI, but the interface doesn’t feel as bloated as before.

In fact, after using the phone for two weeks, I can confidently say that this is the most stable MIUI experience I’ve had in several years. The sheer number of features that have been added to MIUI over the last four years made it feel bloated, and although MIUI 7 introduced a fresh coat of paint, the UI didn’t feel cohesive. Xiaomi tackled that issue with MIUI 9, focusing on optimizing the interface and making it faster, and MIUI 9.5 is a huge step forward.

Xiaomi’s phones offer class-leading battery life, and that’s true for the Mi Mix 2S as well. Although the phone has the same 3400mAh battery as its predecessor, it manages to deliver two days’ worth of use consistently. It’s particularly great if you connect to cellular data networks primarily, as the idle battery drain is almost negligible.

Unlike Xiaomi’s budget phones, its flagships offer Quick Charge 3.0, and with the Mi Mix 2S, the company is also introducing wireless charging. The Mi Mix 2S features the Qi wireless charging protocol, and I didn’t have any issues charging the phone on Samsung’s fast wireless charging mat.

Xiaomi also rolled out a $15 charging mat for the phone, but I wasn’t able to get my hands on it. Xiaomi has always been about lowering the barrier for entry for new technologies, and it’ll be interesting to see what its wireless charger has to offer.