Now that big players in the industry including Samsung and LG have unveiled their flagship phones for 2017; it’s time for Xiaomi to unveil their next flagship smartphone.
Previous rumors suggested that Xiaomi would be releasing the Xiaomi Mi6 at MWC 2017 which concluded last month. However, the release was delayed because the Mi6 uses the same processor as the Galaxy S8 does, and Samsung booked the majority of the chipset for its upcoming flagship phone, leaving Xiaomi with the only option to delay the launch if it were to use the same processor.
Anyway, things seem to be picking up pace now. More rumors are flowing in frequently for the release of Xiaomi Mi6, which essentially means, the company could launch the device along with the Mi6 Plus very soon.
Xiaomi Mi6 Plus Launch Date (expected)
It was earlier rumored that Xiaomi will pull the wraps off the Mi6 Plus on April 19 alongside the Mi6. However, there were no signs of the Mi6 Plus at today’s launch event. Which means the company could launch the bigger varaint of the Mi6 later. When exctly is something even we are not aware of. We will keep you posted should something concrete surface online.
Xiaomi Mi6 Plus Specs
Design
As far as the design goes, the Xiaomi Mi6 Plus is not expected to bring any massive changes aesthetically. Having said that, rumor has it that the smartphone will come with a waterproof body.
Now, as soon as we say a “waterproof” body, a thought must have popped in your head questioning “will the Mi6 Plus forego the 3.5mm jack?” Well, the company has already gotten rid of it on the Mi6, it shouldn’t be surprising to see the same repeat with the Mi6 Plus. So, all the Xiaomi fans out there, get ready to embrace the USB-C technology for music playback. Or, you can always go wireless!
Also, the smartphone is expected to feature a dual curved design akin to what Samsung has been doing with its Galaxy S series devices lately.
Display
Xiaomi Mi6 Plus, the name itself suggests that the handset will sport a rather large footprint. And true to the name, it is expected to bear a 5.7-inch QHD display. And as for the regular Mi6, the rumor has it that the device will carry a 5.15-inch display.
Its preceding model, the Xiaomi Mi5 had minimal side bezels, that should continue with the Mi6 Plus as well with both the top and bottom chin narrowing down further.
The company had already launched an almost bezel-less display with Mi Mix. So, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the company do it again with its next flagship especially considering the fact that a bezel-free display has become a norm of sorts these days.
Processor
Initially, Xiaomi’s upcoming smartphone, the Mi6 Plus was believed to sport Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 chipset. However, due to the fact that Samsung has already been hoarding most of the Snapdragon 835 chips, Mi6 Plus was then rumored to be powered by the Snapdragon 821 SoC.
Now that the dust has settled and Samsung has already unveiled the Galaxy S8, Xiaomi is again hinted to use Qualcomm’s latest chipset, Snapdragon 835, to power its next flagship phone.
RAM and Storage
The Mi6 Plus was said to come in three storage variants. The first and the basic one with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. Another with 6GB of RAM in either 64GB or 128GB of storage space. And finally, the most premium among the lot with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of native storage space.
However, judging by the latest rumors, the Mi6 Plus will come only with 6GB of RAM but in three storage varaints: 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB.
At this point of time, though, all of these are mere speculations.
Software
The smartphone is expected to ship with Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box with its custom MIUI 9 on top. However, we would very much love it if Xiaomi decides on shipping the device with either Android 7.1.1 or 7.1.2.
What’s unfortunate, though, is that the regular Mi6 is tipped to launch with Android 6.0 Marshmallow pre-installed. That’s pretty weird when both the phones are expected to be launched at the same time.
Camera
For the photography enthusiasts, the Xiaomi Mi6 Plus is rumored to sport a dual camera setup at the back. At least one of them or even both are expected to feature Sony’s 12MP IMX362 sensor.
At the front will be an 8MP sensor for selfies and video calls. This comes as an improvement over the 4MP sensor on its previous model.
Battery
The Xiaomi Mi6 Plus is a huge phone. This also means that it has enough real estate to stack up a large battery.
Rumors suggest that the smartphone will get a 4,500mAh battery which should be more than sufficient to give you a day’s worth of charge even on heavy usage. Moreover, it is expected to support Qualcomm’s latest Quick Charge technology, so you don’t have to worry about the charging speeds as well.
Xiaomi Mi6 Plus Price (expected)
Xiaomi has always been pretty good with pricing to offer the best value for your money. Continuing the tradition, the Mi6 Plus should also be priced affordably. Rumors suggest that the base model (6GB/64GB) will start shipping at CNY 2,699 ($390) with the 6GB/128GB variant reaching as high as CNY 3,099 ($450). On the other hand, the 6GB/256GB variant is rumored to set you back by CNY 3,699 ($540).
Gallery
Currently, not many image renders of the Mi6 Plus are available. But, you can check out it’s smaller brother, the Mi6 below. For most of the part, the desing of both these smartphones should remain same.
