Ahead of the official launch of the Mi 6 smartphone by Xiaomi on April 19, rumours continue to pour in. So far, speculative specs about the Mi 6 have been looking good. From top notch display to premium build quality and powerful chipset, everything about the Mi 6 is setting up a positive vibe for Xiaomi.
Contrary to all the exciting rumours, there has been some rather concerning news about the Mi 6. Analyst Sun Changxu revealed that Xiaomi is going to use a new piece of hardware in the Mi 6, which mimics the popular iPhone 7.
According to Changxu, the Mi 6 smartphone will come with an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner embedded under the front glass of the phone. If it doesn't ring any bells, it is going to be same as what Apple has done with the iPhone 7. The fingerprint sensor also doubles as a home button, which won't exactly press but respond to user's touch.
If you have been impressed by the iPhone 7's integration of fingerprint sensor inside the capacitive glass button, you can expect something similar on the Mi 6. But there's one tiny problem.
Another analyst @Mocha RQ noted on Weibo that while Apple has used a premium linear motor for the iPhone 7 home button to provide vibrational feedback on touch, which is said to cost almost $10, Xiaomi has managed it at less than $1, GizChina reported. You might think that it is a good sign as it might help lower the price of the Mi 6, but at what cost really?
As Gizbot noted, a cheap linear motor can result in less vibrational feedback, hence lower reliability. This is certainly a concerning factor as Xiaomi Mi 6 is going to wear the flagship crown for the company for almost a year.
It is too soon to judge how well the linear motor responses will be on Mi 6 since the handset hasn't been launched yet. We will be able to back this claim only after getting a hands-on experience on the device when it arrives in India. Until then, it's only the word of an analyst versus Xiaomi's reputation to deliver something great at affordable price.
Besides this, Xiaomi's new flagship is expected to be a killer one. At least that's what the rumours are hinting at. From what we've gathered so far, Xiaomi will launch two variants of the phone, Mi 6 and Mi 6 Plus, with different screen sizes and specifications.
The Mi 6 will pack a 5.1-inch Full HD display, 19MP Sony IMX400 camera, 8MP front snapper and a 3,200mAh battery. The Mi 6 Plus will be differentiated by its 5.7-inch QHD display, 12MP dual lens camera at the back, an 8MP front snapper and a 4,500mAh battery.
Both phones will have the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, 4GB/6GB RAM options, and 64GB/128GB storage variants. The Mi 6 will offer a 32GB base storage model while the Mi 6 Plus is said to come in a 256GB storage variant.
As for the pricing, the Mi 6 will start at ¥2,199 (roughly $318/€300/Rs 20,607) while the Mi 6 Plus base model will cost ¥2,699 (roughly $391/€369/Rs 25,291).
