Of the thousands of iPhone lookalikes you might be surprised to discover that one of the most original versions comes from a relatively unknown Chinese company. Xiaomi announced their Mi 8 Explorer Edition at the end of June and instantly caused controversy.
The back of the device is transparent and features several chips and high quality components that are visible and are there for aesthetic reasons, serving no actual purpose. While Xiaomi states on their website that not all of the exposed parts serve a function, some critics felt like it was false advertising, especially since some of these components are of high quality.
According to Engadget, the fact that the phone has parts that don’t do anything shouldn’t matter, because it still performs really well.
The device, aside from featuring all the things that we expect modern smartphones to include, also has an in-display pressure sensitive fingerprint sensor. Even though most phones now are concerned with Facial ID, fingerprint sensors are still important and worth developing since they give users more freedom when it comes to accessibility.
While the MI 8 joins a long list of devices that are inspired by the look of the iPhone X, it’s also one of the most interesting ones, with an estimated price of $580. These devices are currently not available within the U.S., but it would be fun to see how Xiaomi’s phones would perform and if they could pose a threat to Apple and Samsung, forcing these companies into more creative routes.
