Xiaomi introduces Mi Mix Alpha concept phone with ‘360-degree screen’
Xiaomi has introduced a concept phone with a screen that extends over the back of the device. The Mi Mix Alpha also features haptic buttons on the side and a 108-megapixel camera that doubles as a front camera.
Xiaomi announced the Mi Mix Alpha at its own event in China. According to Xiaomi, the device contains a ‘flexible screen that is folded in half’. The screen runs almost completely over the back of the smartphone, so that the device has a screen of ‘360 degrees’. The company calls the screen ‘surround display 360’. The screen has bezels that are 2.15 millimeters wide and offers buttons with haptic feedback on the side. According to Xiaomi, the company encountered “a lot of technical obstacles” in producing the surround screen, including “laminating the screen” and “positioning the different screen layers”. The manufacturer did not go into technical details.
The Mi Mix Alpha 5g has a primary camera with a resolution of 108 megapixels. This camera also functions as a selfie camera, since the screen is also on the back of the device. The sensor is relatively large with a size of 1/1.33 “, which should ensure better performance in low light. In addition, the device has a 20-megapixel camera with wide-angle lens. A telephoto camera with a resolution of 12 megapixel is also present and intended for ‘ photographing people’.
The housing of the Mi Mix Alpha is made of titanium alloy on the top and bottom. The ‘camera strip’ is made of ceramic. To protect this strip, Xiaomi has used sapphire glass. To make way for an ear speaker, Xiaomi uses a new technology that they aptly call ‘in-display sound system’. Previously, the company used vibration techniques to produce sound. According to Xiaomi, the sound quality of the new technology has improved significantly compared to their ‘old’ vibration technique. In addition, Xiaomi claims to use artificial intelligence to detect accidental touches on the side and back of the device. For example, the device must distinguish between touches with palms and fingers.
Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi, with the Mi Mix Alpha
The Mi Mix Alpha has a Snapdragon 855 Plus chip with 12GB of ram and a storage capacity of 512GB. The phone has a battery capacity of 4050mAh and can be charged with wire with a power of 40W. The Mi Mix Alpha also has 5G connectivity with support for ‘the three major carriers in China’.
Xiaomi will start small-scale production in December. The Mi Mix Alpha costs 19,999 renminbi, which translates to 2560 euros. There is no word on an exact release date. It is also unclear whether the device will come to Europe.