Xiaomi launches its ‘iPhone 8 killer’ a day before Apple releases its much-anticipated model

Xiaomi, whose smartphones outsold Apple Inc in China during the second quarter, has released its most expensive device a day before the US company’s launch of its much anticipated 10th anniversary model, marking its progress up the value chain in the world’s largest and arguably most challenging mobile phone market.

The Mi Mix 2, featuring an all-ceramic “unibody” design by Philippe Starck, comes with a full-screen display that retails for 4,699 yuan (US$720). A variant retails between 3,299 yuan and 3,999 yuan. The phone, featuring a unique 18:9 aspect ratio, is smaller than its earlier generation, a hundredth of an inch smaller than 6 inches, but comes with a bigger screen display.

“We’re always striving to provide consumers with better products at cheaper prices” all the time, the Beijing-based company’s founder and chief executive Lei Jun said at a launching ceremony in the Chinese capital.

Affordable smartphones with high specifications were what propelled Xiaomi to among the world’s five bestselling mobile phone brands in the second quarter. A sharper focus on snazzy designs and slick marketing also helped the company bounce back from its worst shipment declines in the 12 months ended December.

Xiaomi’s got the steal on its launch a day ahead of Apple’s release of its phone on September 12 in Cupertino, California. The event is expected to see the world’s most valuable tech firm unveil three new models for the first time, including a rumoured ‘super premium’ iPhone X featuring a bezel-free display, an effort to make screen larger at an overall smaller phone size.