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Xiaomi's transparent phone shows off a dummy circuit board
When we had our hands-on with Xiaomi's Mi 8 Explorer Edition, we expressed our doubts that the circuit board you could see through the transparent rear actually showcased the phone's actual internals, not least because of the board's atypical layout. The company insisted it was real, but it seems that the visible parts are in fact all for show.
A closer look at the transparent Xiaomi Mi 8
Out of the handful of new devices from Xiaomi today, it was the Mi 8 Explorer Edition that stole the show with its transparent design. Right after the keynote, I had to fight a crowd to get up close and personal with one of the few demo devices available, and it was worth the effort. While Xiaomi's website has stated that what's on display doesn't correspond to every single component, a company rep claimed that they are actually all legit, especially the Snapdragon chipset -- which is basically free promotion for Qualcomm-- and its surrounding electrical components. Assuming this is indeed the truth, what remains a mystery is whether this kind of layout would suffer from weaker heat dissipation.
Xiaomi's transparent Mi 8 also does 3D face unlock
Xiaomi may have already released the Mi Mix 2S earlier this year, but it's actually kept its true 2018 flagship, the Mi 8, for marking its eight anniversary -- hence the jump from last year's "Mi 6." As announced in Shenzhen today, the new handset starts at 2,699 yuan (about $420) and comes in a familiar-looking dual-sided glass design, with the most notable difference being the new vertical dual camera -- exactly the same module found on the Mix 2S, according to Xiaomi. And yes, there's a notch, which is for accommodating an infrared front camera for facial recognition, even when in the dark.
