A new smartphone model from Chinese firm Xiaomi is claiming lots of previously unused space for the display and touchscreen, as a powerful example of the prolific interface innovation that we’re probably going to see in the years to come.
News today shows off Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 3, part of a series of phone designs, that Sam Byford at The Verge describes as “almost entirely made of screen.”
“The ‘surround screen’ on the Alpha wraps entirely around the device to the point where it meets the camera module on the other side,” Byford writes. “The effect is of a phone that’s almost completely made of screen, with status icons like network signal and battery charge level displayed on the side. Pressure-sensitive volume buttons are also shown on the side of the phone. Xiaomi is claiming more than 180 percent screen-to-body ratio, a stat that no longer makes any sense to cite at all.”
The phone will also have a 108 megapixel camera sensor and a Qualcomm chip as well as 5G connectivity, 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage.
To put this in context, think about the traditional evolution of the display screen. Up until just a few years ago, screens were always flat – as LCD technology took over from previous tube and heavy designs, we saw smaller and more portable screens. Then waterfall edges came along, and now we have things like panoramic screens and curved edges.
The Xiaomi prototype represents the extreme culmination of these design principles in a single device. It’s important to note that, as of now, the Mi Mix 3 is only a “concept phone” and not something headed directly to market right now.
It’s going to be interesting to see how this product is received in consumer markets – previous waterfall edge models did draw some criticism for accidental touching of controls by users. But others may love the all-screen approach. In a way, the Mi Mix 3 concept is a little like the new pizza with cheesy crust toes – a treat to some, an abomination to others. Look for more of this stuff to approach American Verizon and AT&T stores in the future.