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The corners of the 6.4-inch "edgeless display" are actually round, which allows them to creep that much closer to the bezel. Xiaomi hasn't talked about its display technology or manufacturer, but we have to wonder if the company is using Sharp's "free form" IGZO technology. More display oddities: it has an 17:9 aspect ratio with a resolution of 2040×1080. This allows Xiaomi to fill out more of the phone with display, and—since this is Xiaomi's first device to use on-screen navigation buttons—gives a 16:9 display area for content. At 6.4", that's only 360 pixels per inch. 360ppi still qualifies for "retina display" density if you're Apple, but current-gen smartphones hit upwards of 500ppi.

Having such a large display means pushing some components out of their usual spot, namely the earpiece, front-facing camera, and proximity sensor. For an earpiece replacement, Xiaomi is using something called "Cantilever piezoelectric ceramic acoustic technology" that it says will let you use the phone like a phone, despite the missing earpiece. There's a ultrasonic proximity sensor hidden behind the display, which replaces the need for the usual sensor cluster at the top of the phone (we'd guess the auto-brightness sensor is on the bottom chin). The front-facing camera now lives on the bottom chin, but thanks to the magic of auto-rotate, you can just flip the phone around when it's time for a selfie or video call. The layout seems similar to the Sharp Aquos Crystal we reviewed (and loved) in 2014, but this is a high-end phone.

For $516 (RMB 3499), you get a 2.35GHz Snapdragon 821, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of UFS 2.0 storage, a 16MP camera, and a 4400mAh battery. There's an even higher-end "Mi Mix 18k" version, which ups the specs to 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $590 (RMB 3999). The "18K" version also has a ring of 18 karat gold around the camera and fingerprint sensor. Both versions get a "full ceramic" body, which means the back, frame, and side buttons all use the stuff. There is also NFC and a rear fingerprint reader on both versions.

Xiaomi gets a lot of grief for copying Apple and Samsung, but with the Mi Mix, it has created something that looks truly original and eye catching.

Sadly, the Mi Mix is stuck in China for now. Bring this to America, Xiaomi.