Xiaomi Civi 1S – Key Highlights

Released in April 2022, the Xiaomi Civi 1S is a mid-range 5G phone built around three core strengths: an ultra-slim lightweight design, a beautiful 120Hz AMOLED display, and an excellent selfie camera . Rather than chasing raw power, it focuses on the features that matter most in daily use — comfort, screen quality, and portrait photography . It targets style-conscious users, selfie lovers, and anyone who wants a great-looking phone that feels good in the hand .

🎨 Design & Build: Ultra-Thin and Feather-Light

The Civi 1S is all about comfort and style. It's built with a slim profile and premium materials, making it one of the most comfortable mid-range phones to hold .

What this means for you: At just 6.98mm thick and 166g, the Civi 1S is remarkably light and thin. It's designed to be comfortable for one-handed use, with a narrow body and micro-curved display that feels great in the palm . Despite the slim build, it uses a premium glass-and-metal construction that feels much more expensive than its original price suggests .

User feedback: "手机很薄很轻，微曲面屏，弧度刚好。手感是真的好。" ("The phone is very thin and light. The micro-curved screen has just the right curve. The feel in hand is truly excellent.") 

Key design features:

• 71.5mm width — narrow enough for comfortable one-handed operation 

• Dual front-facing LED "soft light" flash hidden in the top bezel — great for low-light selfies 

• Subtle speaker grille design that's barely visible 

📱 Display: Vibrant 120Hz AMOLED

The Civi 1S features a high-quality curved AMOLED display that punches above its weight.

What this means for you: The display is sharp, vibrant, and smooth. The 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling through social media and web pages feel fluid. It supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, so videos on Netflix, Prime, and other streaming services look great with deep blacks and punchy colors .

Key display features:

• 120Hz refresh rate with 240Hz touch sampling for responsive gaming 

• Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support for premium video streaming 

• Narrow bezels and curved edges for a modern, premium look 

📸 Camera System: 64MP Triple Rear + 32MP Selfie

The Civi 1S has a capable camera system on both the front and back, with a focus on natural portraits and selfies.

Rear Camera Hardware

OIS Optical Image Stabilization: The 64MP main camera includes OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), which helps reduce blur from shaky hands — especially useful for night shots and low-light photography .

What this means for you: The 64MP main camera with OIS takes solid photos in good lighting. OIS is a rare feature at this price point and genuinely helpful for low-light and video stabilization. The 8MP ultrawide is fine for group shots, and the macro lens is best ignored. This isn't a flagship camera system, but it's perfectly capable for everyday photography .

Front Camera (Selfie)

What this means for you: The 32MP selfie camera is the star of the show. It has autofocus (rare for a front camera), so your face stays sharp at different distances. The dual soft-light flash ensures you can take great selfies even in very dark environments . The AI beautification is intelligent enough to preserve natural skin texture while smoothing imperfections — what one reviewer called "retaining with reservation" .

User feedback: "自拍非常棒" ("Selfies are excellent.") 

Rear Camera Features

• AI Magic Avatar, AI Magic Kaleidoscope — creative effects 

• Super Night Scene — improved low-light photography

• Document Mode, ID Photo Mode — handy for scanning and documentation 

• 4K Video Recording at 30fps with gyro-EIS stabilization 

• 960fps Slow Motion at 720p 

• Pro Mode — manual controls for advanced users

🚀 Performance: Snapdragon 778G+ (Mid-Range Workhorse)

Gaming Benchmarks:

• PCMark Work 3.0: Smooth for productivity

• 3DMark: Entry-level scores; casual gaming OK, heavy titles struggle

What this means for you: The Snapdragon 778G+ is a solid mid-range chip built on a power-efficient 6nm process. It handles daily tasks like social media, YouTube, and messaging with ease. Light gaming runs fine, but demanding 3D games like Genshin Impact will require lower settings . This is not a gaming phone — it's designed for smooth daily use, not heavy gaming.

What users say: "骁龙778 puls 也足够应付日常应用了，主要就是追剧，玩游戏比较少" *("The Snapdragon 778G+ is enough for daily apps. I mainly use it for watching dramas, and don't play many games.")* 

Missing features from flagship chips: No 5mm chip, no memory card slot, no satellite communication — but those aren't the focus here .

🔋 Battery & Charging: 55W Fast Charging

Real-world endurance:

• Mixed daily use: Comfortably lasts a full day 

• Light to moderate use: Can stretch to 1.5-2 days

• Screen is the biggest drain — users note that the display consumes more power than other components 

• Standby drain: About 3% per 8 hours 

What this means for you: The 4,500 mAh battery provides all-day power for moderate users. The 55W fast charging is a standout feature — a 15-minute top-up gets you to about 50%, enough for hours of use . The trade-off for the slim design is the lack of wireless charging, which is acceptable at this price point .

What users say: "比轻度使用严重一些，一天一充没问题" ("More than light use, one charge per day is fine.") 

🛠️ Features You'll Actually Use

Additional features:

• Infrared port (IR blaster) — rare and useful for controlling TVs, ACs, and other home appliances 

• Linear motor — crisp haptic feedback for typing and notifications 

• Always-on Display — customizable AOD options 

• Flexible window (side bar) — quick app access 

What users say: "该有的配置一点不缺，屏下指纹，线性马达，集体扬声器，nfc，红外，前置摄像头双闪补光灯，熄屏显示，快充总之这配置绝对对的起这价格" ("It has all the features it should: under-display fingerprint, linear motor, stereo speakers, NFC, infrared, front dual-LED flash, always-on display, fast charging — this configuration definitely justifies the price.") 

📊 Quick Spec Summary

⚠️ The Trade-offs (Be Honest With Yourself)

The Civi 1S makes clear compromises to achieve its thin, light, and beautiful design. These aren't flaws — they're intentional design choices .

• No official water resistance — Splash-resistant only; no IP rating. Keep it away from water.

• No headphone jack — USB-C or Bluetooth only.

• No microSD slot — Storage is fixed at purchase. Choose carefully .

• No wireless charging — Not expected at this price, but worth noting.

• No dedicated telephoto lens — Zoom relies on digital cropping.

• Ultrawide camera is just okay — The 8MP sensor is fine but not high quality.

• Mid-range gaming performance — The Snapdragon 778G+ handles daily tasks well but struggles with demanding 3D games .

• Aging Android version — Launched with Android 12; major OS updates may be limited.

• No 5nm flagship chip — Uses efficient 6nm mid-range chip .

• Not sold in the US — Primarily a China release; import required for Western markets .

What the phone sacrifices (intentionally):

• 5mm chip (uses 6nm efficient chip) 

• Periscope zoom lens

• Satellite communication

• Wireless charging

• Water resistance rating

• Expandable storage

Why these sacrifices are acceptable: The phone prioritizes what matters most for daily use: lightweight comfort, display quality, selfie camera, and fast charging. The compromises are in areas most users won't miss .

🎯 Bottom Line: Who Is This For?

The Xiaomi Civi 1S is a great choice for:

• Style-conscious users — Ultra-slim 6.98mm design, lightweight 166g build, and premium glass-metal construction look and feel great .

• Selfie enthusiasts — The 32MP front camera with autofocus and dual-LED soft light is excellent for low-light and everyday selfies .

• Display quality seekers — The 120Hz AMOLED with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ is beautiful for watching videos.

• People who hate carrying a brick — At 166g and 7mm thin, this is one of the most pocket-friendly 5G phones.

• Users who want all the features — IR blaster, NFC, stereo speakers, under-display fingerprint, and 55W fast charging — it's all here .

• Casual photographers — The 64MP main camera with OIS takes solid daylight photos; the 32MP selfie camera excels.

• Anyone who values comfort over raw power — This phone is designed to be a pleasure to hold and use daily.

Skip it if:

• You need water resistance — No IP rating; keep it away from water.

• You need a headphone jack or expandable storage — Neither is present .

• You're a heavy mobile gamer — The Snapdragon 778G+ is mid-range; demanding 3D games will struggle .

• You need high-quality ultrawide photos — The 8MP ultrawide is just okay.

• You need the best low-light rear camera performance — The main camera is solid but not class-leading.

• You live outside China and don't want to import — The Civi 1S was primarily a China release; no official warranty in Western markets .

• You want flagship performance — This is a mid-range phone with mid-range performance.

📈 Verdict

The Xiaomi Civi 1S is a design-first, selfie-focused mid-range phone that gets the fundamentals right:

✅ Does well: Ultra-slim 6.98mm design and feather-light 166g build, premium glass-metal construction, beautiful 120Hz AMOLED display (Dolby Vision, HDR10+), excellent 32MP selfie camera with autofocus and dual-LED flash, 64MP main camera with OIS, 4,500 mAh battery with 55W fast charging (15 min = 50%), stereo speakers, IR blaster, NFC, Wi-Fi 6, under-display fingerprint, dual front-facing soft lights, solid daily performance for most users

❌ Missing/weak: No water resistance (IP rating), no headphone jack, no microSD slot, no wireless charging, no dedicated telephoto lens, 8MP ultrawide is just okay, mid-range gaming performance (not for heavy gamers), aging Android 12 at launch, not officially sold in the US

Final thought: The Xiaomi Civi 1S is a phone that knows exactly what it wants to be. It's not trying to compete with flagships on raw specs or gaming performance. Instead, it focuses on the features that matter most in daily use: a lightweight, comfortable design that feels great in hand; a beautiful 120Hz AMOLED display for media consumption; an excellent selfie camera for portraits and video calls; and fast charging to keep you going .

The trade-offs are clear: no water resistance, no headphone jack, no expandable storage, and a mid-range processor. But for its target audience — style-conscious users, selfie lovers, and anyone who wants a great-looking phone that doesn't feel like a brick in their pocket — the Civi 1S is an excellent used/refurbished option in 2026.

If your priorities are comfort, display quality, selfies, and style — and you can live without water resistance, a headphone jack, and expandable storage — the Civi 1S delivers exceptional value. It's a phone that was "designed to be held, not just used" .

For US buyers: The Xiaomi Civi 1S was not officially sold in the US. If you import one, check LTE/5G band compatibility with your carrier before purchasing — you'll have no warranty and potential band issues .