The Xiaomi Mi MIX wasn’t just another affordable yet well-built Android smartphone made by a Chinese manufacturer; it was revolutionary in that it signaled the start of a new design trend. With a gorgeous 6.4-inch screen taking up almost the entirety of the front of the phone, the Mi MIX was, simply put, refreshing. Given the device’s popularity, it may not be too surprising to know that Xiaomi is officially preparing to launch its successor. Though we know essentially nothing about the second-generation Mi MIX, we’ve put together a few things that we would like to see the second time around.
Don’t make us fly all the way to China
The Xiaomi Mi MIX is basically the same size as the original Nexus 6 but with a half-inch larger display. Though you’ve likely seen plenty of photos and read countless reviews saying how crazy the screen-to-body ratio is, the chances are you’ve never seen one in real life. That’s because the Mi MIX was intended solely for the Chinese market.
But even if you were in China, the phone was never available in large quantities: reports suggested that production would be limited to 10,000 units per month. That’s why the Mi MIX repeatedly sold out within seconds in China. The reason behind the limited availability, according to a Xiaomi product manager, is because the Mi MIX has always been a concept device.
Global availability might be dreaming too big, but a boy can dream
The hope is that with the second-generation Mi MIX, it will no longer be just a concept phone. Global availability might be dreaming too big, but a boy can dream. Wider availability and larger quantities would mean tech enthusiasts outside China can also have fairly easy access to the latest technology from Xiaomi – and just one beautiful device (if the original Mi MIX is any indication).
Better grip even if it means no free leather case
The Mi MIX is made of ceramic, and in theory that’s something that’s really hard to scratch let alone break. However, the front of the device is unfortunately still glass, meaning that the super slippery nature of ceramic could pose a problem for many. In fact, that’s what our review found: although the shiny back surface is a bit of an eye-catcher, it provides essentially zero grip. And given the lack of bezels, if you drop the Mi MIX, your screen is more susceptible to damage.
Xiaomi knows this and has slipped in a premium leather case inside the box. Ceramic is definitely a mesmerizing choice of material and probably reflects Philippe Starck’s design philosophy well – an award-winning designer behind the original Mi MIX, who will return for its successor – but we want to see more practicality this year. The second-generation Mi MIX needs to improve on ergonomics. Even if it means no more free leather cases.
The second-generation Mi MIX needs to improve on ergonomics, even if it means no more free leather cases
It might be time for some Quad HD action, but in what ratio?
Don’t get us wrong, we loved the screen on the original Mi MIX, and we want to see the same crazy – if not even crazier – screen-to-body ratio this year. But obviously, the Mi MIX is not in the same league as the likes of the OnePlus 3 in terms of price. Given the fact that almost all flagships that cost over $600 now come with Quad HD displays, we can’t help but wonder what a higher resolution screen that takes up over 90 percent of the device would look like.
We can’t help but wonder what a higher resolution screen that takes up over 90 percent of the device would look like
There is also the question of ratio. I, for one, wonder if Xiaomi will keep the odd 17:9 aspect ratio that we saw on the original Mi MIX. The problem with that was because videos are usually 16:9 aspect ratio, the extra space on each side ends up being completely useless. The letterboxing isn’t a huge problem, but given that the MI MIX is supposed to be a bezel-less and fully-immersive device, the unconventional display ratio detracts from that.
Having said that, however, we might be seeing a general shift in mobile display aspect ratios. The LG G6 will sport a Full Vision display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. Why? Well, in terms of movies, the standard ratio is actually wider than the conventional 16:9 used in TV broadcasting. It is either 1.85:1 or 2.39:1, and in order to find a happy medium, the Univisium format was born. In fact, you’ll see many shows on Netflix in that 18:9 or 2:1 Univisium format. So if Xiaomi isn’t going to stick with the conventional 16:9 aspect ratio with the second-generation Mi MIX, Univisium format might be better than the seemingly random 17:9 format.
No more super awkward selfies please
I don’t know who thought it’d be a good idea to put the selfie camera in the right bottom corner of the phone, but hey, I guess they had to move things around to make the phone look magical, eh?
Well, in doing so, a lot of practicality and convenience were sacrificed, as we discovered in our review. The positioning of the front-facing camera means that not only are you getting some very awkward selfies, but often times your palm will get in the way while trying to reach the shutter button. Maybe having it in the middle is better. Or maybe allowing for minimal space on top isn’t such a bad idea this time around – after all, its ceramic vibration that replaces a normal phone speaker is just not as effective.
Speaking of cameras, the main camera wasn’t all that impressive on the original Mi MIX. With phones like the Galaxy S7, V20, and the iPhone 7 taking smartphone photography to the next level, Mi MIX can’t be revolutionary just in terms of its design. We hope that with the new Mi MIX will find a way to better incorporate the usual sensors on the front and have an improved camera on the back, especially in low-light conditions.
We hope that with the new Mi MIX will find a way to better incorporate the usual sensors on the front and have an improved camera on the back, especially in low-light conditions.
Here’s hoping that the revolution continues
The Xiaomi Mi MIX brought some important and much-needed changes to the Android world. In terms of design, smartphones in general seemed to have hit a plateau – excluding Samsung’s dual edge design, of course – and Xiaomi took a risk that ended up working very well. We hope that with the second-generation Mi MIX, the revolution continues: there are certain refinements and adjustments that the company could bring, and judging by leaked renders of the G6 and the Galaxy S8, the competition for a jaw-dropping design will be fierce this year.
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