Xiaomi Announces Mi MIX, A Bezel-less Concept Smartphone

Just after launching the Mi Note 2 smartphone, Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi announced that few more products will be unveiled on the same stage. The first product is the improved Xiaomi VR headset with built-in motion sensors and a remote controller that costs 199 Yuan (approx Rs. 2,000). But coming to the second product, it is a concept phone called Mi MIX which will be available only to those who have big pockets. According to the Xiaomi, it is the world’s first smartphone with edgeless display smartphone. The Japanese display maker Sharp has launched the Aquos Crystal smartphone with the similar design in 2014 and is now retailing at $115. Though there is a huge difference in the internals and the build quality; form factor of both the devices remains same.

Even the Sharp’s Corner R concept display looks much better than the Mi MIX display, it has the actual rounded corners without any bezels. The display is made using’s the Sharps’s Free Form Display technology. Xiaomi claims that the 6.4-inch edgeless display comes with an aspect ratio of 17:9 instead of the regular 16:9. Without any bezels on three sides, the screen to body ratio on the Mi MIX reaches upto 91.3%. Apart from the form factor, there are quite a few innovative features embedded into the device. The device lacks the proximity sensor and earpiece on the front. With the piezoelectric ceramic acoustic technology, the sound is said to be converted from electric signals to mechanical energy. The infrared proximity sensor will be replaced with an ultrasonic proximity sensor that can be placed behind the display.

Just like Aquos smartphones, the Mi MIX also sports the front facing camera at the bottom of the device. The device is designed by Philippe Starck and is fully built with ceramic that includes the frame, rear, and also buttons. Since ceramic can’t be molded completely by machines, we expect the Mi MIX smartphones to come with limited availability. Coming to the specifications, it is nothing less than a true flagship. The 6.4-inch Full HD display on the front comes with awkward 1080 x 2040 pixels resolution. Under the hood is the same 2.35GHz Snapdragon 821 processor that also used in the Mi 5S Plus and Mi Note 2 smartphones. With a bigger screen size, the Mi MIX is equipped with a bigger 4,400mAh battery along with Quick Charge 3.0 support.

On the camera front, there is a 16MP rear camera with PDAF and a 5MP front camera. It comes in two variants with 4GB RAM + 128GB Storage and the other one with 6GB RAM + 256GB storage. The 4GB variant of Mi MIX costs 3499 Yuan and the 6GB RAM variant is priced at 3999 Yuan. The special limited edition Mi MIX 18K smartphone with 6GB RAM features 18-karat gold rims around the rear camera and fingerprint sensor. The fingerprint combined with NFC makes the Mi MIX to support Mi Pay mobile payment services. It measures 158.8 x 81.9 x 7.9 mm and weighs 209 grams. Xiaomi will also offer a leather case for free within the package. Don’t expect the Mi MIX smartphone to be available outside of China.

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