The idea of an actual edge-less designed phone has been in the concept design stage for years, yet no phone company has made a retail version, until now. Today in an event, Xiaomi have announced the Mi Mix, a 6.4-inch device that looks right out of the concept design of the future, only it is going on sale in China on November 4th, 2016 for ¥3,499 ($516).
Packed with every feature you could imagine on a high-end smartphone, the Mi Mix is a real powerhouse at a relatively affordable price. The back and buttons on the device are made of ceramic. The front display is curved at the corners with all the top mounted sensors complacently hidden. The proximity sensor has been replaced by ultrasound, the selfie camera is now at the bottom of the phone, and the speakers now use a piezoelectric system that utilises the frame of the phone to generate the sound.
The insides of the phone are just as impressive, rocking the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, the same chip used on googles own Pixel, 4GB of RAM with 128GB of storage. The Mi Mix will support dual-sim and will use a 192Hz / 24-bit DAC chip for higher quality audio. For those that demand only the best, there will be a ¥3,999 ($590). This higher end option will come with 6GB RAM, 256GB worth of storage and gold accents around the fingerprint sensor and camera. Not to be limited by battery, the Mi Mix comes with a 4,400mAh cell that should last even heavy users well into the next day on a single charge. The device will pack a 16MP camera with phase-detect autofocus, and there will, in fact, be a 3.5mm headphone jack.
To achieve this stunning design, Xiaomi has enlisted French designer Philippe Starck to head up the design efforts. The Mi Mix is launching in China on the 4th of November, but like many Xiaomi launches, it will be surprising if it ever reaches North American shores.
That was not everything Xiaomi had to show, though. They also announced a new phone in their Mi Note line, the Mi Note 2. This high-end phone looks similar to the ill-fated Samsung Note 7, save for the iconic S-Pen. Rocking a 5.7-inch curved OLED display, the Mi Note 2 will have a 22.56-megapixel rear facing camera, 8-megapixel front camera. A Snapdragon 821 2.35GHz chip will power the device, and for anyone looking to import the device, it will come with 37 global LTE bands. It will also have a 4070mAh battery with Quick Charge 3, NFC, and HD 192kHz/24 bit resolution audio. The 4GB RAM 64GB storage variant will cost ¥2799 ($413), with the 6GB 128GB version costing ¥3499 ($516).
Both these new phones are stunning and show that Xiaomi is attempting to push into the high-end flagship phone market by offering higher specced, higher price-point devices. Sadly, like most Xiaomi products, these phones are only slated for a Chinese release at this time, and no global plans have yet been announced. With LeEco now making a push into North America, the time has never been better to have Xiaomi do the same, but we will see if they make that leap. For now, if you want to get your hands on these devices, you will want to head over to an import site and hope you can beat the rush.
