Xiaomi recently introduced the Mi Mix 4, its latest flagship smartphone in China. However, it looks like that the company is having a hard time keeping up the supply.

According to Lu Weibing, President Xiaomi, and GM Redmi, Mi Mix 4 supply will remain tight because of silicon shortage. He said that the limited supply of Snapdragon 888 Plus chipset and the low yield rate of ceramic material were the two main reasons why the stock of Mi Mix 4 was low. To note, the manufacturing cost of ceramic material is 5 to 6 times higher than standard glass, and it is also tougher to carve out a piece of ceramic glass.

The first batch of preorders was instantly sold out, and Mi Home’s presales were also exhausted. Weibing further apologized to the fans and said that the stock for the Aug 16th sale was also going to be limited. 

Xiaomi MI Mix 4 Specifications

The Mi Mix 4 brings Xiaomi’s new CUP technology. The CUP technology is Xiaomi’s under-display camera tech. The Mi Mix 4 comes with a 20MP camera housed under the display. The 6.75-inch curved OLED display uses a new micro-diamond pixel technology. It offers some interesting features such as a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, and 800 nits of brightness. The display is being protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.

The Snapdragon 888 Plus powers Xiaomi’s latest flagship SoC. It comes with either 8GB or 12GB RAM and upto 512GB of internal storage. Further, it packs a 4500mAH battery with support for 120W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. The smartphone runs on Android 11 based MIUI 12.5. The Mi Mix 4 comes with always-on UWB technology that allows you to control compatible smart home devices by pointing at them.

On the back, the Mi Mix 4 comes with a triple rear camera setup. The setup is being led by a 108MP HMX f/1.9 primary camera having OIS and 7P lens. The other two cameras are an 8MP periscope camera with 50x zoom and 5x optical zoom and a 13MP ultra-wide camera with a free-form lens. It will be retailing for a starting price of ¥4999 (~$770) for the 8GB/256GB base variant. The Mi Mix 4 comes in three colors – Ceramic White, Ceramic Gray, and Ceramic Black.

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In the last 2 years or thereabout, we have seen metal become the new favorite material for phones. Before then, plastic used to be the major material before a switch to glass for flagship phones. One analyst says we should expect a return to glass for flagships this year.

Analyst @Sun Changxu took to Weibo to announce that information she learnt from those involved in the supply chain says that this year’s flagship phones are either made of glass or ceramic.

It is reported that glass factories have increased production of 2.5D and 3D glass. They also say overall demand for the first half of the year have exceeded expectations.

Ceramic is another material that is starting to gain popularity. Xiaomi has played a key role in that regard. Its concept phone, the Mi MIX features a ceramic body and its next flagship, the Mi 6 is said to feature a special ceramic edition in addition to the standard variant that will have a glass back.

READ MORE: Ceramic Body Production Capacity Should Increase  Soon Following ¥8.7 billion Investment

Last year, the Xiaomi Mi 5 had a ceramic variant but due to production issues, had to be cancelled. They also faced similar problems with the Mi MIX but have managed to keep up its production. There were rumors of a glass variant launching at CES but surprisingly it was a white ceramic version that was unveiled.

What do you think about the switch to glass? Do you prefer metal or are you indifferent?

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The Mi 5 was only of Xiaomi‘s most popular flagship Mi-series smartphones till date, perhaps that explains why we now have the Mi 5S, Mi 5S Plus and of late the Mi 5C. Aside from the beautiful body design, the Xiaomi Mi 5 came with a well-studded hardware lineup crammed inside it. But one feature which made the Mi 5 stand out is the use of ceramic on one of the variants. The ceramic edition turned out to be very popular, such that Xiaomi now made it a routine in its flagships despite the low yield.

Now, popular analyst Kevin Wang has revealed via a Weibo post that the expected Xiaomi Mi 6 would feature a special edition with a ceramic body. Mr Wang who is the IHS Director of research in China isn’t known for frivolous tips but has some credibility, also revealed that US smartphone maker, Apple is also interested in using Ceramic glass on the iPhone and may do that next year.

As it stands, the production output for ceramic glass material is low but the post also hints at an increase in investment in ceramics in the industry, precipitated by the supply chain that would arise from the Mi 6 using the premium body material. Apart from the Mi 5, the Xiaomi Mi Mix also uses the ceramic glass body and there is no doubt it gave the device some class and added beauty. There is no doubt, the Mi 6 Ceramic edition would come on top of the pack but it is hoped that production capacity would be able to meet the demand it would generate.

Read Also: More Xiaomi Mi 6 Details Revealed: Camera Specs, Two Screen Variants

The Xiaomi Mi 6 is billed as Xiaomi’s next big thing and is rumored to come with a Snapdragon 835 chip onboard and a 5.2-inch display which isn’t likely a curved display. The display resolution is likely to have a 1080p version and a higher version with 2K resolution. There are also likely more than one storage variants with 4GB + 32GB, 4GB + 64GB and likely a top-end version with 6GB + 128GB. For the full rumored specifications, you can check out our article on Xiaomi Mi 6 Rumor roundup: Price, Specs, Release, Features & More.

(source)

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The OnePlus 3T is still in the news. It just launched in India and will go on sale next week. But with it out of the way, OnePlus should be focusing on the next device already, and it seems they are as a leak says the company is already working on the OnePlus 5. That wasn’t a mistake.

It appears the company will not be making a OnePlus 4 since the number 4 is considered an unlucky number in China. So instead, its going to pretend the number doesn’t exist and move right to the next one.

The trend is not unusual though as Oneplus’ sister company, Vivo, released the Vivo V5 after the Vivo V3. Let’s just hope number 4 doesn’t go visit number 6 and ask how it jinxed the Galaxy Note 7.

The OnePlus 5 will also be sporting a not-so-new material. Ceramic. If you recollect, OnePlus released a limited edition ceramic version of the OnePlus X. We don’t know if it the OnePlus 5 ceramic version will be a limited edition though, but what the source says is that it will be manufactured by the same company making the ceramic body of the Xiaomi Mi MIX.

The OnePlus 5 is expected to retain the 5.5-inch display size but bump up the resolution to Quad HD, have 6GB of RAM, and sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor.

Source: phonearena.com

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Xiaomi yesterday unveiled not one but three innovative devices, the Xiaomi Mi Note 2, Xiaomi Mix, and VR glass. Of the three, the Xiaomi Mix came in as a spectacular device that stood out among the pack with its 6.4-inch display which accounted for up to 91.3% of the entire screen. Quite surprisingly, the Xiaomi Mix was referred to as a Concept phone despite the fact that the phone would actually go on sale on November 4.

Now the idea of a concept phone had all along being that of a creative machine not yet ready for production but Xiaomi seems to have redefined that. It has now emerged that the reason why the Mix was referred to as a concept phone is because production is actually limited by the Ceramic body it features. This was made bare by Kevin Wang, Director of  research in China for IHS electronics via a Weibo post.

The Xiaomi Mix uses a 3D ceramic body which is similar to the Mi 5 Pro edition and it could be recalled that the ceramic body slows down production. In this regard, Xiaomi might not likely be producing more than 10,000 units of the device monthly. With the beauty on offer, it is certain production wouldn’t meet the demand that would crop up when the device goes on sale starting November 4. So if you’re interested in this concept phone that is actually going to be sold, get ready for the sales’ opening.

Along the specs line, the Xiaomi Mix features a Snapdragon 821 chipset with 6GB RAM and 128GB / 256GB storage options. The device also comes with a 6.4-inch display along with other features such as SAP assisted GPS, HD audio processor (192 KHz / 24 bit) and a large 4400mAh battery. At the back, there will be a 16MP sensor.

Read More: Xiaomi Unveils Mi VR Headset for 199 Yuan ($29)

Further, the exclusive 6GB + 128GB edition gets 18K gold plated rings around the camera and the fingerprint sensor. There’s a 299 Yuan gift included in the box —  a premium leather cover. As for the price, the Xiaomi Mix 6GB RAM +128GB ROM will retail at 3499 Yuan ( around $516), while the 6GB RAM + 256GB ROM version would start at 3999 Yuan (approx. $590). The Xiaomi Mix 3499 Yuan edition will go on sale on November 4. Reservations for the sale have already started!

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