Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship leaked yet again earlier today, with an image of an apparent Mi 8 promotional poster being shared via one MIUI-centric Telegram channel. A cropped version of the photograph seen above gives more credence to previous sightings and reports, essentially all of which indicate the device in question will be equipped with a 3D camera embedded into a display notch, with its panel cutout hence being much larger compared to what other contemporary Android smartphones with asymmetrical screens and less imaging capabilities have.
A dual-camera setup is also depicted as being included, featuring two vertically arranged sensors situated in the top left corner of the Mi 8’s rear plate, with the overall look of the product being reminiscent of Apple’s iPhone X. While the device still features a chin, it lacks a physical Home button and its fingerprint reader is embedded approximately a third of the way down the center of its back, as per the same leak. The newly sighted poster shows a metallic blue version of the phablet, though Xiaomi is expected to launch its next premium offering in at least several colors.
While the handset is directly succeeding last year’s Mi 6, the company is skipping the number seven so as to celebrate its eight full years of operations, a milestone it reached in early April. The flagship will hence be officially advertised as the Mi 8 Anniversary Edition, as suggested by a number of previous reports. The inclusion of a depth-sensing camera should allow for faster and more accurate (i.e. secure) authentication than what more traditional facial recognition solutions allow on mobile devices. The same hardware will also enable Xiaomi’s own take on Apple’s Animoji and Samsung’s AR Emoji, as indicated by a teaser shared by the firm earlier today. The Mi 8 will be the manufacturer’s final premium product release in its startup phase as Xiaomi is expected to become a publicly traded company by mid-July, having already filed for an IPO in Hong Kong earlier this spring, targeting a valuation of up to $80 billion and seeking to raise at least $10 billion in cash, as per recent reports and regulatory disclosures.