Xiaomi’s Mi 7 might have a notch and an in-screen fingerprint sensor

It looks like Xiaomi’s next flagship handset will sport an iPhone X-style notch -- and possibly an in-screen fingerprint sensor too -- for a fraction of the price.

We’ve seen three major leaks of the Mi 7 in the last few days, including the display glass, cases from third parties, and the price.

First, pictures of the tempered glass front on Weibo show that the Mi 7 will have a 5.6-inch display. There’s a notch on top housing the selfie camera, speaker and other sensors, but unlike the iPhone X it has a chin at the bottom -- so the screen isn’t quite edge to edge.

But when you combine that with another set of pictures of the third-party cases for the device, something else emerges: The phone may have an in-screen fingerprint sensor. There’s no hole cut in the case on the back, and the chin in front is too small, suggesting Xiaomi may be using something similar to Vivo’s Apex prototype.

And it would confirm what the CEO himself said last month. When asked by a Weibo user online as to whether or not Mi 7 will have an in-screen fingerprint sensor, Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun replied, “There really is one.” We weren't sure at the time whether he was joking, but it looks like he wasn't.

The case design also shows that the Mi 7 will have a vertical dual camera on the back -- similar to the Mi MIX 2S (and, of course, the iPhone X).

Hands on with the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S: Bold, beautiful... and a little boring

All this seems to be confirmed by an alleged screengrab of Xiaomi’s store circulating online. According to the leak, a Mi 7 with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage will cost 2,799 yuan (US$440), with the higher capacity 128GB version costing 3,299 Yuan (US$520). It also shows that the handset will come in black and white.

Beyond the leaks, the Mi 7 is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 845 and is likely to include wireless charging -- two components already seen in the Mi MIX 2S, launched two months ago.

We don’t know when the Mi 7 will be officially unveiled, but it looks like we might see the phone by the end of May.

How Xiaomi forged a unique path