Xiaomi launches Mi Mix 2 and MacBook Pro rival

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‍One step ahead of Apple’s launch event on Tuesday, Xiaomi has unveiled its new products including the sequel of its Mi Mix phone, Mix2, Monday afternoon in Beijing.

“I have a lot of confidence in my products,” Xiaomi’s founder Lei Jun said at the launch event. “And I’m going to wait for the Apple’s launch tomorrow.”

Xiaomi released its Mi Mix last year designed by French industrial designer Philippe Starck. The new Mix 2 is set to be smaller but more powerful than the original “concept phone”.

The design of Mix 2/ Xiaomi Photo

Xiaomi is aiming for a better handling experience this time with Mix 2. The body is made out of ceramic and the edges are much more rounded. Compared with the old 6.44-inch phone, the 5.99-inch flagship Mix 2 is about 12% smaller, 2.4% thinner, 11.5 lighter and narrower due to the 18:9 screen ratio adjusted from the 17:9 ratio. The bottom “chin” of Mix 2 has also been shrunken by 12%, leaving more space for the display.

Xiaomi has been a leading smartphone brand in full display screen thanks to its effort to convince Google to drop the 18:9 ratio limits in Android Compatibility Definition Document last year.

The Mix 2 is also said to be 7% smaller than iPhone 7 Plus which can be hard to handle for some. This can be a selling point for many, but some watching the launch event live online has also commented to back up iPhone with “better technologies”.

The size comparison of Mix2 with the original Mix. /Xiaomi Photo

Rather than using a piezoelectric ceramic driver on the rear like the Mix, Mix 2 uses an actual speaker. Mix 2 sound is now piped through a tiny slit on the top.

Another highlight of the event is the launch of Mi Notebook Pro, and Lei was not shy to "throw shades” at Apple’s MacBook Pro.

Design wise, the sleek dark gray laptop is thinner than MacBook Pro and seems to be more convenient to use. It is equipped with two USB-C ports and two full-size USB-A ports, an HDMI, SD card slot and a headphone jack, but the Thunderbolt 3 designed for Apple cannot be paired up with the Mi Notebook.

Xiaomi shows its new Notebook Pro processing a 24 GB photo faster than MacBook Pro at the launch event on Monday, September 11, 2017. /Gif via Xiaomi

As for the hardware, the 15.6-inch Notebook Pro is powered with an 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor with up to 16GB of DDR4 RAM and Nvidia MX150 with PCIe based SSD storage of up to 256GB. The expanded fans in the cooling system allow even heat distribution. The mouse pad has also incorporated with fingerprint technology.

Xiaomi's Lei Jun shows the cooling system used in Mi Notebook Pro distribute heat more evenly than laptop using the traditional cooling system. /Screenshot via Xiaomi's live launch event

Xiaomi has also announced the Mi Note 3 expected as the “Mi 6 Plus”, and the phone is sure functioning just like a larger Mi 6. Its display measures 5.46 inches. Its double lens on the back is same with Mi 6, and it is also equipped with16MP front-facing camera for selfies.

Xiaomi is luring self-takers, mainly female customers, with its campaign featuring Chinese pop star Kris Wu. /Gif via Xiaomi

Note 3 appears to target selfie-takers, mainly the female customers in the Chinese market. Except for the technology used in the lens, Lei Jun has also been luring the customers in with Chinese pop star Kris Wu, popular among female audiences.