Xiaomi unveils a TV that's thinner than the iPhone
The Mi TV 4 is sexy as hell.
Scrappy young electronics maker Xiaomi is hosting its first-ever CES press conference since it was founded in 2010, and the hype about what it will unveil has been feverish. In addition to revealing the highly anticipated white version of its stunning Mi Mix bezelless phone, the Chinese company is showing off a new TV that's insanely thin -- in fact the company says it's slimmer than the Mi Mix and iPhone. At its skinniest point, it's only 4.9mm wide, and the display has barely any bezels, too. The Mi TV 4 adds to the company's Mi Ecosystem offerings, which includes gadgets from fridges and robot vacuums to electric folding bikes, scooters and drones.
The Mi TV 4 runs the company's own Patch Wall, which is a software skin on top of Android that learns from your browsing history to make "intelligent recommendations that are tailored to you." The system draws recommendations from what Xiaomi's vice president Hugo Barra says is a vast library of content.
In addition to its skinny profile and internal smarts, the Mi TV 4 is also modular. Its components, such as the display, motherboard and sound system, can be easily swapped out for upgrades. Barra says modular TVs are more compact than their conventional counterparts, making them look less cluttered on your console. The new television is compatible with previous versions of the company's TV Bar, too.
The Mi TV 4 also ships with an independent home theater system that supports Dolby Atmos surround sound technology, letting you hear sound in 3D. That means you can hear a helicopter overhead or a person approaching from behind, just as you would in real life, instead of from the bottom of your TV where your speakers are.
Superthin TVs are a clearly trending product category here at CES 2017. LG also showed off a TV that's so thin it has to be hung up on a wall, but it's not modular like the Mi TV 4. The 65-inch version of the Mi TV 4 with Dolby Atmos will ship for "well under $2,000" later this year, said Barra, while a version without the Dolby Atmos enhancement will cost under $1,500. There will also be 55-inch and 49-inch models available, presumably for a cheaper price.
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