Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun has confirmed that the company is working on the next version of the bezel-less Mi Mix smartphone which took the market by storm last year. Mi Mix, which began as a concept or experimental phone that Xiaomi then launched in 2016, has an amazing 91.3 percent screen-to-body ratio.
Jun announced on the Chinese social network Weibo that Xiaomi has tied up again with designer Phillipe Starck, who worked on the Mi Mix, to work on the new model.
Mi Mix achieved its acclaimed screen design thanks to high levels of innovation. Xiaomi removed the home button, front camera and even the earpiece on the top, opting instead for technology that relies on vibrations in the phone's frame for audio. The phone maker also replaced the proximity sensor with infrared technology to identify how close the phone is to a person's ear or face.
The phone maker also moved the front camera to the bottom of the phone. The Mi Mix was sold for CNY 3499 (₹34,500 approx) in limited quantities and sold out quickly. Earlier this year, Xiaomi released a white variant of the phone at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in the US.
The Mi Mix's successor is likely to retain a similar screen-to-body ratio while improving the screen quality. While any clear information about the phone's specification is not available, it is expected to be launched in the second half of this year.