Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 officially announced with a slider design, up to 10GB of RAM and a 5G version

The newly announced Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 takes us back to the era of the slider, with an all-screen design, powerful hardware and the promise of 5G connectivity. Its truly refreshing to see companies stand out from the notch-trend by having their unique take on what a smartphone should look like.

Design

In its default position, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 boasts a whopping 93.4% screen-to-body ratio by hiding its dual front cameras behind the display on a slider-mechanism. This mechanical slider may not be the most durable for long term use, but Xiaomi assures that it has been tested more than 300,000 times to gauge its endurance. Users will be able to assign various sounds or actions to the slider, like answering a phone call or starting specific apps.

The frame is built using a 7000-series aluminum alloy with a tapered ceramic back. You can select form one of three colors - Jade Green, Sapphire Blue and Onyx Black. You also get a special edition called the "Forbidden City Palace Museum" which features 10GB of RAM and is the most expensive variant of the device.

Display

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 features a 6.39 inch OLED display with a 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio and always on functionality

Camera

The dual camera setup on the rear consists of a 12MP main sensor with a 1.4-micron pixel and fast dual-pixel autofocus, and a 12MP telephoto lense capable of 2x optical zoom. You get the usual AI features like scene recognition, faux portrait bokeh and studio lighting included.

On the front you have another dual camera setup which consists of a 24MP main camera and another 2MP camera for depth perception in portrait shots. The main camera features pixel-binding, which combines images into a large 1.8-micron pixel one that gathers more light in poorly lit scenarios.



HARDWARE

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 is packed with powerful hardware including the Snapdragon 845 chipset with up to 256GB of internal storage. You can select from 6GB, 8GB or 10GB RAM variants based on your need. Xiaomi has packed in a rather modest 3200mAh battery which includes fast-charging and wireless charging technology. You even get a 10W charger in the box.

The Mi Mix 3 will also be offered in a 5G connectivity model, expected to arrive in "early 2019" and it may feature Qualcomm's next-generation 7nm Snapdragon 855 chipset

SOFTWARE

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 runs MIUI 10 based on Android 9 Pie. The MIUI platform has several customizations to support the slider mechanism



Release and Availability

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 is available for pre-order starting today up until October 31. The handset will start shipping out to customers on November 1.

The base model with 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM will be priced at 3,299 yuan (around $475), while the 8GB RAM variant with 256GB of storage will cost 3,999 yuan (around $575). The "Forbidden City" edition with 10GB of RAM and 256GB of storage will cost 4,999 yuan (around $720).

Special "Forbidden City" Edition