Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun has reportedly confirmed the launch of Xiaomi's 2017 flagship smartphone. Dubbed as the Mi 6, Jun has been reported to have stated that the Xiaomi Mi 6 will be launched at the end of April, in a live discussion session. Exact dates for the launch have not been revealed yet.
The Xiaomi Mi 6 will be the successor to the 2016 flagship, the Mi 5. Leaks and rumours surrounding the Mi 6 hint at two variants – Mi 6 and Mi 6 Plus. Xiaomi had unveiled two variants of the Mi 5 as well – two trims of the standard Mi 5, and the Mi 5 Pro. The 'Pro' variant, however, was limited in production numbers and was not introduced in India. With the Mi 6, Xiaomi will reportedly use two screen sizes – 5.15" for Mi 6 and 5.7" dual-curved edge for Mi 6 Plus. The Mi 6, as it seems, may be a compact offering for those looking for an ergonomic device, while the Mi 6 Plus will be targeted at large screen audiences. Both the smartphones have been touted to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835. The standard Mi 6 may get three trims, varying with 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 32GB, 64GB or 128GB of native storage. The Mi 6 Plus, meanwhile, will house 6GB RAM and present two storage variants with 64GB and 128GB of native storage.
Rumoured: This AnTuTu score was apparently posted by the Xiaomi Mi 6
The two devices are said to use 19-megapixel rear cameras and 8-megapixel front cameras. The smaller Mi 6 may use a 3200mAh battery, while the Mi 6 Plus is touted to get an understandably larger 4500mAh battery. Xiaomi seems to be following the same format as it did with the Mi 5, introducing its annual flagship smartphone with Qualcomm's flagship processor running at lower clock speeds on the basic variants and at full potential on the larger devices. It is not yet clear if Xiaomi will consider the Mi 6 Plus to be a limited edition device, although a recent leak does hint at the Mi 6 Plus being a limited edition device. While the Mi 5 and Mi 5 Pro had similar designs, the latter housed a ceramic body that took longer to manufacture than the standard one.
All of these specifications are only rumours, and we are hopeful of hearing more details from the company itself as the launch date comes closer. A recent leak quoted that pricing for multiple variants of the Xiaomi Mi 6 may range from $290 to $430, approximately Rs. 19,000 to Rs. 28,000 based on currency conversion rate as of writing. This would place the new Xiaomi flagship in the same price bracket as the older Mi 5. If launched by end-April, the Xiaomi Mi 6 may also become the least expensive smartphone with flagship specifications for the time being. While the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ are expected to launch sooner, the two will certainly be more expensive than what leaks suggest about the Mi 6.