What happened to Xiaomi’s futuristic smartphone, the Mi Mix Alpha? This seems to be the question from smartphone watchers on Weibo these days as the year 2019 ends.
The concept phone was presented in September, with Xiaomi announcing that it should be available in late December. It quickly created a buzz due to the technical difficulty of designing a phone with a flexible screen that wraps around the edges. Commentators were quick to point out that despite delays, Huawei’s foldable Mate X hit the shelves in November.
Xiaomi told us that the company currently doesn’t have a date for Mi Mix Alpha’s release, but they will share it as soon as they can. The phone appeared on Xiaomi’s online store and Alibaba’s Tmall in December, but it wasn’t available for purchase.
Xiaomi’s most expensive flagship yet is equipped with three cameras, including a 108-megapixel one made by Samsung, located on a single bar at the back of the phone. At the time of the announcement, Xiaomi’s CEO said that they don’t plan to mass-produce the Mi Mix Alpha. Like many concept phones, it’s set to come in limited stock and it will be sold at a hefty price of 19,999 yuan (US$2,800).