Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 2 is a bezel-less powerhouse at just $500

I know the next iPhone is coming tomorrow, but I think it’s worth a minute of your time to stop and feast your eyes on the incredible looking Mi Mix 2 from Chinese gadget giant Xiaomi.

Designed by Philippe Starck, the successor to last year’s bezel-less wunderphone once again features a gorgeous front fascia that’s practically all display – a 17:9 5.99-inch display, to be precise. It has rounded corners on all sides and is encased in an aluminum alloy frame.

The slim panel at the bottom is 12 percent slimmer than the one on the Mi Mix and houses the front camera, while a speaker hides at the top in the space between the device’s edge and its display.

The Mix 2 is powered by flagship-level components, including:

• Snapdragon 835 processor
• 6GB RAM with 64GB / 128GB / 256GB storage options
• 12-megapixel rear camera with 4-axis optical image stabilization

There’s also a Special Edition with a ceramic unibody that Xiaomi says takes seven days to manufacture. It comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage, and costs a bit more than the standard model.

With these configurations and that bezel-less build, Xiaomi could stand to take on rival flagships like Samsung’s Galaxy and Note 8, LG’s V30, and dare I say, the next iPhone. The company is also touting global band support, so it’s possible that the Mix 2 will arrive in numerous Asian and European markets.

We haven’t yet been able to test the Mix 2, but it looks like the one drawback with this device is the single rear camera. Xiaomi says it’s as good as the primary wide-angle snapper on the Mi 6 flagship – which means it’s great at capturing accurate colors and details – but it won’t be able to pull off Portrait Mode-style shots with plenty of blur to separate your subject in the foreground from the background.

The Mi Mix 2 will go on sale in China on September 15 with a starting price of RMB 3,299 ($506); the top-end model with 256GB of space will cost RMB 3,999 ($614). The Special Edition will set you back by RMB 4,699 ($721). It’ll also come to India – a first for this series.

That’s pretty competitive pricing for a device with hardware like this. It’ll be interesting to see if it finally gives Xiaomi a chance to go up against premium brands in Europe for the first time.