Several popular OEMs such as Samsung, Sony, HTC, LG, and Huawei have already scheduled their press events and are expected to introduce their new smartphones during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) this month.
However, this is not the case with the China-based company Xiaomi, as it will not be a part of this year's MWC as suggested by reports. Fans who were awaiting the launch of the Mi 5's successor — the Xiaomi Mi 6 — were undoubtedly disappointed by this news.
While the smartphone may not be debuting at the MWC, tech buffs will be pleased to learn that new images of the Xiaomi Mi 6 have now surfaced online, offering a peek into the impending handset.
What Do The Images Show?
The leaked images have been shared on Weibo and reveal that the smartphone may not feature curved edges.
The design choice apparent in the leaked images is that the Mi 6 may feature a high screen-to-body ratio. It will also apparently have minimum bezels just like the company's earlier release, the Mi Mix.
The Xiaomi Mi 6 is likely to ditch the physical home button as indicated by the renders, suggesting that the smartphone may feature touch sensitive control with onscreen buttons, similar to those rumored to be present on the impending Samsung Galaxy S8.
What Else Is Known About The Xiaomi Mi 6?
The company may launch two variants of Xiaomi Mi 6: Youth and Standard. Both models are likely to feature different configurations. The former edition is expected to be equipped with a MediaTek Helio X30 processor, while the latter is likely to pack the much superior Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC.
Both the variants may differ slightly in design. The cheaper Youth edition is likely to sport a 5.2-inch display. On the other hand, the Standard edition may boast a larger 5.5-inch display. However, reports suggest that both the models will feature flat displays.
Xiaomi Mi 6: Coming To The United States
Although previous rumors suggested that the smartphone will hit the market in March 2017 following its launch at MWC, the lack of Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 835 chipset has reportedly forced Xiaomi to reschedule the Mi 6's launch.
The device may now debut sometime in July after the Galaxy S8 launches with the Snapdragon 835 SoC on board. However, the trial production for the Xiaomi Mi 6 is likely to start in March.
For those wondering about the U.S. release, since the Xiaomi Mi 5 did not make its way to the country, the Mi 6 may hit the shelves.
Xiaomi executives have hinted that they may release some smartphones in the United States, considering the demand and anticipation among American fans. The next-gen Mi 6 could well be one of the possible smartphones being hinted at. It remains to be seen whether the Xiaomi Mi 6 will hit the U.S. shelves on launch and give competition to top-end Android offerings from Samsung, LG and more.
