Xiaomi announces Mi Mix Alpha with 108MP camera sensor and '180-percent screen-to-body ratio'

Xiaomi just announced the first smartphone with a 108-megapixel primary sensor. Xiaomi describes the Mi Mix Alpha as a 5G concept smartphone and pushes the boundaries of maximising screen real estate.

The Mi Mix Alpha is like no smartphone you’ve seen before. Forget bezels, the phone is almost all-screen, on the back and front. We were only just starting to see the ‘waterfall’ displays with extreme curvature on the edges in smartphones like the Vivo Nex 3 5G and Huawei Mate 30 Pro, but the Mi Mix Alpha takes it to a completely different level.

Xiaomi made a statement saying; “To accommodate the nearly all-screen offering, Mi MIX Alpha has minimal bezels on the top and bottom, and ditches the physical side buttons altogether. A brand-new display acoustic technology replaces the traditional earpiece receiver and proximity sensor while the device's sides are pressure-sensitive and leverage a linear motor to simulate the touch of real buttons.”

For now, the Mi Mix Alpha will act as a concept phone. Although Xiaomi is not planning to start mass production anytime soon; a limited batch of the devices will be available in December. However, there’s one big caveat here. The Mi Mix Alpha will cost CNY 19,999, i.e. approximately Rs 2,00,000, more than the cost of Huawei’s Mate X and Samsung’s Galaxy Fold.

This is #MiMIXAlpha, a surround display 5G concept smartphone. Challenge the impossible, to make the future possible. pic.twitter.com/ZqLfWydmJg

— Xiaomi #MiMIXAlpha (@Xiaomi) September 24, 2019

In terms of specs, Xiaomi’s latest ultra-premium smartphone is equipped with a Snapdragon 855 Plus mobile platform coupled with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of in-built storage. The device also gets a 4,050 mAh battery with 40W wired fast-charging support. Xiaomi claims the Mi Mix Alpha sports a 180-percent screen-to-body ratio, the highest ever seen on a smartphone. The device uses a 7.92-inch flexible OLED screen with a maximum resolution of 2088 x 2250 pixels.

When it comes to optics, the Mi Mix Alpha doesn’t disappoint with a big 1/1.33-inch, 108-megapixel primary shooter that uses Tetracell technology to output 27-megapixel shots. Apart from the 108MP camera sensor, the Alpha also packs a 20-megapixel ultra-wide lens and a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor. Since there’s a screen on both the front and back of the device, you can use the three sensors double as a front camera setup.

The frame of the Mi Mix Alpha is made from an aerospace-grade allow, while the back strip is ceramic with sapphire glass protection for the camera sensors. Additionally, the edges are pressure-sensitive, eliminating the need for buttons. While the Mi Mix Alpha looks and seems like a stunning device on paper, real-world usage may be limited due to issues like battery life, cost, durability, and so on.