Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S: Release date, Specs, and more

Xiaomi is one of the most underrated names in the smartphone industry. But truth be told, the OEM has some amazing pieces of hardware, especially when the value for money comes into play, and one of them is the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2.

Featuring a bezel-less 18:9 design, the Mi MIX 2 has some of the best aesthetics in the smartphone industry, leave alone the raw power it packs. However, if the Snapdragon 835 chipset, 8GB RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage it brings to the table aren’t enough to lure you to purchase the Mi MIX 2, the company reportedly has something to keep you occupied as you wait for the launch of the Mi MIX 3 later this year and it’s called Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S.

Once popularly known as the Apple of China, it’s clear to see where we are headed with the Mi MIX 2S. Apple is known for its iPhone S models that usually bring minimal design tweaks with significant internal changes compared to their immediate predecessors. Well, this is what to expect with the Mi MIX 2S.

But what exactly will the Mi MIX 2S bring over the MIX 2 – a phone that has only been around since September 2017? Read on.

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S specs and features

• Full-screen 5.99-inch 18:9 full HD+ display
• The first phone to come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
• Dual camera with Sony IMX363 sensors
• No iPhone X-like notch
• The first Xiaomi phone to get Project Treble

Xiaomi recently confirmed its partnership with Qualcomm as far as the Snapdragon 845 chipset is concerned. As usual, the expectation was that the Mi 7 will be the first Xiaomi phone to rock the new flagship chipset, but reports from China say otherwise.

Apparently, the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S will not only be the company’s first device to rock a Snapdragon 845, but it’ll also be the world’s first ahead of the likes of Samsung Galaxy S9 and Sony Xperia XZ Pro, which are expected to debut at the upcoming MWC 2018 event.

The phone is also said to come with a 5.99-inch 18:9 display with a resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels (full HD+) and since it’ll be full screen, it should end up with a smaller footprint than the Mi MIX 2, which has the same screen size.

The Mi MIX 2 has two RAM options of 6GB and 8GB. From where we are seated, there’s nothing wrong with keeping these modules alongside the three storage options of 64GB, 128GB and 256GB.

In a separate XDA report, details of the alleged Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S have recently surfaced online thanks to leaked firmware files of the phone, giving us an early look of what the phone will bring ahead of launch. Unlike what we’ve seen before in leaked images (above), where the Mi MIX 2S was rumored to keep most of the OG MIX 2 design while at the same time include an iPhone X-like notch on the front, other leaked images (below) show a different design for the MIX 2S.

XDA has further corroborated the above image leak with another alike image (below), all but confirming the design of the Mi MIX 2S. From the images, it looks like you’ll be getting a four-sided ceramic unibody with a full-screen display like the iPhone X, but no notch. The OG MIX 2 has a bottom bezel, but the MIX 2S will have none. As expected, the MIX 2S will be the world’s first Snapdragon 845 smartphone. Like its predecessor, it will get 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage, but it’s likely a lower specced model will also be included.

The back of the Mi MIX 2S will come with a dual 12MP setup believed to be the new Sony IMX363 sensors that will include dual-pixel autofocus for enhanced low-light performance. The XDA has also corroborated this report after finding references to the Sony IMX363 sensor in the Mi MIX 2S camera app teardown. But unlike the Mi 6, you get a horizontal setup in the middle of the panel with the LED flash right below the lenses.

There’s no physical fingerprint scanner on either side, rather, the leak points to an in-display scanner. Due to what the new Snapdragon 845 SoC brings to the table, the MIX 2S may also come with facial recognition technology. While the XDA report cannot verify the location of the fingerprint scanner, what it can confirm is that it won’t be front-mounted for obvious reasons.

Even better, folks at the XDA Developers forum can confirm that the Mi MIX 2S will be powered by Android Oreo out of the box, which means it’ll be the first Xiaomi phone to get Project Treble support.

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S price and release date

• Imminent launch, probably before MWC 2018
• Price expected to start at 4,000 yuan (approx. $640)
• May be sold in India

Not so long ago, Xiaomi chopped 800 yuan off the normal price of the Mi MIX 2 in China. Usually, such discounts suggest one of two things: that a particular device isn’t performing well in the market and thus the need to cut the price in order to make it more attractive to buyers; or the company wants to clear the shelves in readiness for another phone.

Given that the Mi MIX 2 has mostly been out of stock on the official Xiaomi online store in China, it’s easy to argue that the latter is the reason for the MIX 2 discount. In fact, this development simply corroborates previous reports that claimed the Mi MIX 2S will be unveiled ahead of the MWC 2018 show, essentially making it the first device to come with the said Snapdragon 845.

In terms of pricing, reports from China point to a price tag of about 4,000 yuan, which translates to about $640 or INR 40,000. Not bad huh!

One little problem with Xiaomi phones, though, is their availability in major markets across the globe. But if we go by what we’ve heard, the Mi MIX 2S will not be limited to the Chinese market, but those in India will also be able to purchase it locally, which should be a welcome idea for the ever-growing Indian Mi fan base.

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