Xiaomi’s new all-screen Mi MIX Alpha is out of this world

Xiaomi’s Mi MIX lineup has always been pushing boundaries. I remember the first Mi MIX where it is a bezel-less concept device that boasts an insane 91.3% screen-to-body ratio. With foldable devices and 5G connectivity are seen as the next big thing and Xiaomi has its own interesting take on what the future of smartphones could be. Meet the Mi MIX Alpha and it looks pretty epic.

Instead of having moving parts, the Mi MIX Alpha gets a typical candybar slab that features a wraparound display. The screen bends towards the sides and it continues to flow all the way to the back with just a couple of centimetres of space for a vertical strip that’s used to house the triple-camera array.

During the event, they didn’t reveal the actual screen size but they boast an insane 180.6% screen-to-body ratio. The sides are obviously touch-sensitive and it can change dynamically to mimic your physical buttons. You can use it to display your notification icons, which kinda reminds us of the original Samsung Galaxy Note edge. Since it’s all-screen, the device uses multi-sensors and AI algorithms to detect and avoid mistouches.

[ UPDATE 24/9/2019 9:25PM ] According to the official product page, the Mi MIX Alpha uses a 7.92″ OLED display that pushes a resolution of 2088×2250 pixels.

In terms of specs, the device will be running on a top of the line Snapdragon 855+ processor with 12GB RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.0 storage. The device is powered by a 4,050mAh nano silicon cathode battery and it supports 40W fast wired charging via USB-C. It also supports dual-SIM with 5G connectivity.

In terms of imaging, the device is also the first to break the 100MP barrier with a 108MP f/1.69 camera that uses Samsung’s latest 1/1.33″ sensor. There’s also a 20MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera as well as a 12MP f/2.0 telephoto shooter with 2x optical zoom. Since there’s no camera in front, you’ll have to take selfies using the rear cameras while previewing it using the back display.

Being a premium “concept” smartphone, the top and bottom part uses aerospace-grade titanium alloy while the camera array is covered by a single piece of sapphire glass that’s embedded in ceramic. According to Xiaomi, alloy is three times stronger than stainless steel but it weighs less.

The Mi MIX Alpha is Xiaomi’s most expensive smartphone yet with an official retail price of 19,999RMB (about RM11,762). That’s more expensive than the Galaxy Fold (estimated below RM8,000) and the Huawei Mate X (2,299EUR, about RM10,573). Xiaomi plans to start small-scale production for Mi MIX Alpha at the end of December