Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 To Arrive On Sept. 12 With Two Models

Last week, a prototype of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 surfaced online, and now new details have surfaced regarding the upcoming smartphone. A new rumor has surfaced claiming the Mi Mix 2 will arrive in two variants on Sept. 12.

The information of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 release date was first reported by the Chinese website My Drivers. The Sept. 12 release date is earlier than expected because the original Mi Mix launched last October in China, but was only made available to purchase in November.

The reason for the early release wasn’t given, but it could be Xiaomi’s way of stealing some of the Apple iPhone 8’s thunder. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 8 in the same month.

If this new rumor is true, Xiaomi is positioning the release of the Mi Mix 2 quite strategically. The Sept. 12 release date will be just a few days after IFA Berlin 2017, and possibly just a few days before Apple’s iPhone 8 event in California. It may seem a bit farfetched for Xiaomi to release the Mi Mix 2 this early, but the company did cut the price of the original Mi Mix recently, as pointed out by GizBot.

The report claims the Mi Mix 2 will arrive in two models. The first will feature 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the other will have 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. That may sound a bit ridiculous, but large memory and storage is sought after in Chinese markets.

The 6GB RAM variant is said to cost 3,999 Yuan (around US$599), while the 8GB RAM variant will cost 4,999 (around US$749). The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 is also said to carry the codename “Chiron,” and features a 6-inch display supplied by Japan Display Inc.

The Mi Mix 2 is once again rumored to arrive with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor, the same chipset that’s on the Galaxy S8 and the OnePlus 5. There was also mention of a 3,400mAh battery and a 12-megapixel Sony IMX386 sensor for the rear-facing camera. The inclusion of a Sony camera sensor might mean better camera performance since the original Mi Mix only had a 16-megapixel OmniVision OV16880 sensor.

The report also claims that the Mi Mix 2 will have a front-facing camera equipped with a 5-megapixel OmniVision OV5675 sensor. The mention of the front-facing camera is also significant since the leaked render of the Mi Mix 2 prototype suggests that there wouldn’t be any room for it. It’s being speculated that the front-facing camera may have simply been placed beneath the display itself, but there’s no confirmation of that yet.

There was no specific mention of what materials are going to be used for the Mi Mix 2, but it’s likely that it will still have the same ceramic and metal design from the original Mi Mix, as pointed out by Android Headlines. Android Nougat is expected to be installed, along with Xiaomi’s MIUI 9 OS running on top.