Doogee’s Mix 4 phone is truly bezel-less; and no, it doesn’t copy the notch from iPhone X

Most gadget lovers will be reasonably familiar with the term ‘bezel-less’ in the context of smartphones, and how getting rid of these bezels has given way to bigger displays without an increase in the size of the phone.

Thin bezel design has been in existence since 2014 when Sharp launched the first phone, Sharp Aquos Crystal. However, it was the Samsung S8 that made thin bezels cool. While dozens of other companies subsequently launched phones that made false claims of sporting a bezel-less design, none proved to be true.

But the wait could soon be over. Chinese device manufacturer Doogee has come out with a prototype, the Doogee Mix 4, which has no bezels, well almost.

The phone comes with an astonishing 97 percent screen-to-body ratio which is significantly higher than most phones out there. The phone leaves behind even the mighty Essential Phone or Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 2 – the two phones which come closest to bezel-less in terms of screen-to-body ratio. The prototype has been revealed by YouTube user Mrwhosetheboss in a video on his channel.

The phone addresses front camera and the earpiece speaker accommodation issue – the biggest issue faced by smartphones in their quest to go truly bezel-less – by adopting a slide feature. While the front slider is entirely occupied by the phone’s display, the back slider houses the volume and the power buttons.

The front camera and the accompanying sensors are housed at the top of the back slider which are revealed by sliding it up. The phone will also feature an under-glass fingerprint sensor which is similar to the Vivo X20 Plus UD.

The slider design has however, also resulted in certain drawbacks such as the phone becoming more than 1 centimeter thick and involving moving parts which may give mechanical problems in the future. Another drawback would be with the phone’s inability to adjust screen brightness automatically as the ambient light sensor is hidden behind the screen.

Doogee hasn’t made any announcements as to when the phone will be launched. However, it is speculated that it may be released toward the end of the year. The company says the phone will be powered by a Snapdragon processor and will be priced lowered than the OnePlus 5T or the Honor View 10 phones.