Xiaomi launches see-through Mi 8 flagship smartphone ahead of blockbuster IPO
The Beijing-based company’s new Mi 8 Explorer Edition features a transparent glass back panel that evokes the design for see-though watch movement in some luxury mechanical timepieces
Xiaomi, the world’s fourth largest smartphone supplier, unveiled in Shenzhen on Thursday a new flagship handset with a see-through back in its biggest product launch to date, weeks before the company’s much-anticipated initial public offering in Hong Kong.
The Mi 8 Explorer Edition features a transparent glass back panel that shows off its camera module, chip set, battery and connectors, which evokes the design for see-through watch movement in some luxury mechanical timepieces.
Along with apparent design cues from iPhone X, the limited-edition Xiaomi smartphone also comes with an in-display fingerprint reader and so-called 3D face unlock technology, which is like the Android version of Apple’s Face ID function on its latest mobile phones.
At the Shenzhen launch that had an audience of more than 7,000 people, Xiaomi chairman and chief executive Lei Jun also introduced the company’s regular Mi 8 smartphone series, the Mi Band 3 fitness tracker, a smart television with light-emitting diode screen and the MiUI 10, the updated version of the firm’s Android-based operating system, which serves as the gateway to its various internet services.
“Pursuing innovative technology and outstanding design is in our DNA … as we set out to win the hearts of our users,” said Lei, who founded Xiaomi in 2010.