The 'Apple of China' is making a gorgeous new phone with an edge-to-edge screen

Xiaomi

that screen tho

Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi has announced a new phone - and it's an absolute stunner.

The Mi Mix, announced at an event in Beijing on Tuesday, was designed with the help of iconic designer Philippe Starck. It has a huge 6.4-inch edge-to-edge screen taking up almost the entire front of the device, it's made from ceramic, and has some high-end specs. All in all, it looks very nice.

Complimentary Tech Event

Transform talent with learning that works

Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

Interestingly, it's described as a "concept phone" - but unlike most concept products, you can actually buy it. When launched, it will go for 3499 RMB ($517) for the cheaper 4 GB RAM / 128 GB storage version, and 3999 RMB ($590) for the 6 GB RAM / 256 GB storage model (with gold trimmings!).

Xiaomi

Xiaomi is sometimes referred to as the "Apple of China" - not only because of the loyalty of its fans, but also because of how suspiciously similar many of its products look to Apple's. Jony Ive, Apple's design chief, has even sniped at the Chinese rival over this, labelling its derivative aesthetic "theft."

But the Mi Mix doesn't look like anything else on the market. Xiaomi boasts it has a 91.3% screen-to-body ratio; the iPhone 7 Plus is 67.7%, while Google's new Pixel XL is 71.2%. The vast screen has actually forced Xiaomi to move the front-facing "selfie" camera, normally at the top of the device, down to the bottom right.

It's a powerful phone, too. It packs up to 6GB RAM and 256GB of storage, a 2.35GHz processor, a 4,400mAh battery, and a 16MP camera.

It'll go on sale on November 4 in China, but a spokesperson said there's no word if or when it will ever launch in other markets, alas.

Xiaomi