Xiaomi has launched Mi Mix Alpha, the world’s first phone that sports 108MP triple rear camera setup and a wrap-around display, at an event in China. The phone has top-of-the-line hardware, including Snapdragon 855 plus processor, 12GB RAM and pressure-sensitive virtual buttons that we have already seen in a couple of phones. The phone is priced at CNY19,999 (approx Rs 2 lakhs), and is slated to hit the shelves in December. That makes it costlier than the Samsung Galaxy Fold (approx 1.5 lakhs) and the yet-to-be-released Huawei Mate X (approx 1.85 lakhs).
As mentioned, the phone sports a wrap-around display, which essentially means that barring some areas, the phone has a screen. The phone features a 7.92-inch flexible OLED screen that offers a resolution of 2088x2250 pixels. Xiaomi claims that the phone has 180 per cent screen-to-body ratio. There are 2.15 mm thin bezels on top and bottom, and on the back there is a strip that has a triple camera setup on it. The lenses of the camera are protected by a sapphire glass.
The phone does not have any speakers, and instead uses “Display Acoustic Technology” for audio. The pressure-sensitive edges are used as buttons and provide notifications. There is an advanced palm rejection technology as well to avoid any accidental touches/taps. The display part on the back is claimed to have AI algorithms that detect key scenarios like calling a cab, using your Xiaomi devices at home with the Mi Home app.
‘To accommodate the nearly all-screen offering, Mi MIX Alpha has minimal bezels on the top and bottom, and ditches the physical side buttons altogether. A brand-new display acoustic technology replaces the traditional earpiece receiver and proximity sensor while the device's sides are pressure-sensitive and leverage a linear motor to simulate the touch of real buttons,’ Xiaomi said.
The chassis is an aerospace-grade alloy, while the back camera strip is ceramic. Under the hood, the has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 plus chipset, which is coupled with 12GB RAM and 512GB storage. The phone runs Android 9 with a custom MIUI Alpha operating system on top. It houses a 4,050mAh nano silicone cathode battery with 40W fast charging support. One of the USPs of the phone is the 108MP camera sensor. It’s a 1/1.33-inch Samsung HMX sensor that uses Tetracell technology, that is, it gives 27MP pixel-binned shots. This sensor is coupled with a 20MP sensor with a wide-angle lens offering 117-degree filed-of-view, and a 12MP shooter.
