Xiaomi May Beat Apple to the Punch with a Button-Less Phone
Xiaomi is no stranger to fascinating smartphone concepts that range from a rollable device to a camera smartphone with a full-sized lens but most of these didn't translate into a consumer-ready product. It turns out the company might still introduce one of those fancy ideas involving a button-less device into a device that anyone can get their hands on.
A button-less Xiaomi smartphone you can buy
According to well-known leaker ChunBai, in collaboration with SmartPix, Xiaomi is currently developing a button-free flagship smartphone. The device is said to carry the internal moniker "Zhuque," which is most likely a reference to a mythological Chinese creature known as "Vermillion Bird."
The account added the handset will have a standout design with no physical buttons. This is something you cannot find in any device in the market right now. The closest production unit to this form factor was the HTC U12+ with pressure-sensitive buttons, but it still carried bulging mechanical components.
Meizu is another brand that came up with a "hole-less" handset called Zero, but this didn't take off and ended up as only a concept. Likewise, Apple is also one of those companies that has long been rumored to launch a button-less iPhone, although this has not been realized.
The upcoming Xiaomi flagship is touted to be completely different since it claims all sides will be completely flush or have a uniform and continuous chassis, with plans to launch it in the market in the first half of 2025.
It's unclear what will replace these missing buttons on the upcoming Xiaomi flagship. If the company chooses to retain any inputs on the side, it could still go with capacitive or touch-sensitive surfaces similar to what's found in noise-canceling headphones.
There's also no word as to why Xiaomi is forgoing buttons. However, it could likely utilize a full edge-to-edge screen or flowing curved glass on all sides. What we do know is a hidden UDC or under-display front-facing camera as found in Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 6 (review).
In addition to the seamless design, "Zhuque" is tipped to be powered by an unreleased Snapdragon 8+ Gen 4 chipset, an upgraded version of the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 SoC that is expected to be officially released this October.
This leaves us guessing about the other specifications and features of Xiaomi's button-less smartphone. Do you think there are other compromises if Xiaomi actually turns one of its concepts into an actual product?
Source: SmartPrix
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