Xiaomi has presented a spectacular new concept phone. It has no ports and buttons but features a display that has 88-degree curvature on all four sides — Xiaomi calls it “quad-curved waterfall display.”
The nameless device is conceptual, so at the moment, there are no plans to make it real. It is something similar to what we saw with the Xiaomi Mi MIX Alpha, a phone whose screen extended throughout the body.
To achieve a single piece of glass with four 88-degree curves like the one in this concept, Xiaomi has had to develop a completely new manufacturing process. That, according to the brand, has been the most complicated part since it is necessary to melt the glass at 800 degrees centigrade and, with different machines, polish it until the desired result is achieved.
“Behind such glass, there are thousands of attempts,” the brand has acknowledged. The connection between display and glass also posed challenges for Xiaomi.
To achieve a completely immersive appearance, Xiaomi has also hidden under the screen various elements common in a modern smartphone. The display itself serves as a loudspeaker and also includes the under-display front camera, which, as we’ve seen in some prototypes, can “see” through the screen.
The absence of ports is another of the great challenges that the brand has faced in developing this concept. Xiaomi solves it, first of all, with the incorporation of eSIM cards instead of physical SIM cards. On the other hand, it has made wireless charging the standard method to supply power to the battery of this mobile.
Although Xiaomi refers to this product as a concept, this terminal really exists and has been tested by various representatives of the brand, as The Verge has learned. This does not mean that the product will go on sale in the short or medium term, but it does mean that it could be a viable commercial design for the future.
