The much touted Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phablet may soon get some competition from Xiaomi, as the affordable device maker apparently has a dual-curved screen Mi Note in the works.
Samsung was the first OEM to venture into the phablet territory, pushing the boundaries of smartphone screen size with its first Galaxy Note. The company has continued to drive innovation and in more recent years, it got the world hooked on its posh curved displays.
The Galaxy S6 edge was a hit and the Galaxy S7 edge was even more successful, indicating that the sleek and functional dual-edge curved display is a recipe for greatness.
Xiaomi, meanwhile, made a name for itself by offering affordable devices with impressive specifications for their price points. The company was dubbed the "Apple of China" and said to copy Apple's designs, most recently with its Mi Notebook Air that looks like a MacBook Air, but it may now be looking at Samsung for inspiration.
It now seems like Xiaomi is looking to rival the new Galaxy Note 7 with its own version of a dual-curved screen phablet. A new photo leaked online, purportedly showing Xiaomi's unannounced device, and it looks pretty much like a Galaxy Note 7 clone with a Mi logo.
The "spy shot" is not the best quality, but it still shows the Mi logo on a smartphone with double curved edges and a sleek metal frame. The home button is also distinguishable, sporting a silver outline reminiscent of the home button of the Xiaomi Mi 5.
The poor quality of the photo leak suggests that it may indeed be a spy shot, but it could also turn out to be fake. Leaks don't always turn out to be accurate and the authenticity of this leaked image is not verified. As always in such cases, it's best to take it with a healthy dose of skepticism.
Presuming the photo is real and shows an upcoming Xiaomi phablet with a dual-curved display, it's anyone's guess what it will be called. It could be the rumored Mi Note 2, or Xiaomi could go for a Mi Edge or Mi Note Edge moniker.
XiaomiToday notes that the device may launch in the first quarter of next year, but it all remains unconfirmed at this point.
Xiaomi has yet to make any announcement regarding a curved-screen device or comment on this leak, but we'll let you know as soon as it does. In the meantime, what do you think of this leak? Would you be interested in a Galaxy Note 7 lookalike made by Xiaomi and likely to be priced much lower?
