Xiaomi to unveil Mi Mix 2S before MWC 2018, to skip flagship Mi 7 launch for later date

Xiaomi was rumoured to unveil their flagship for 2018 at the Mobile World Congress 2018. A report from India Today Tech suggests that this might not be the case. According to a source close to the Chinese manufacturer, Xiaomi might unveil the flagship after the MWC concludes. On the other hand, the company is expected to launch the Mi Mix 2S and their own Surge S2 chipset at the MWC 2018.

Mi Mix 2S will be a first for the company after introducing yearly updates to its bezel-less display. The company brought futuristic Mi Mix series to India last year for the first time. The device got various price cuts during the sale season.

Mi Mix 2, the second iteration of Xiaomi's original series, was launched around six months back and it seems the company is looking forward to push out a mid-year update which will either be a cheaper version of the bezel-less phone or will introduce incremental changes to the existing one.

A new leak on Chinese social media network, Weibo reports that Xiaomi is planning to launch a new Mi Mix series smartphone before the mega event, MWC 2018. If this leak is to be believed, the device will continue to share the DNA of previous two Mi Mix smartphones and will be unveiled before February 26.

Earlier, there were speculations that the next iteration of Mi Mix would feature an iPhone X-like notch but a render leaked by Slashleaks claims otherwise. The device, however, does feature a notch on the top right corner, which essentially houses the front camera. The Mi Mix 2S might still use the narrow bezel on top to house the speaker. 

Given the flagship specifications on the Mi Mix 2, it's to be seen if Xiaomi will go with the same Snapdragon 835 chipset or use the Snapdragon 845. Considering it to be an incremental update we can expect Xiaomi to continue with the current chipset.

One of the biggest downfalls of the current device, the camera, might witness a major improvement. However, leaks suggest that Xiaomi won't be opting for a dual lens setup with the Mi Mix 2S. If the next update takes care of the camera faults, the device can have a great chance of succeeding in the premium smartphone segment.

Recently, reports from Canlys and Counterpoint claimed that Xiaomi overtook industry leader Samsung in terms of sales. For the first time in six years, Samsung has been pushed down to the second slot. This achievement can be attributed to Xiaomi's popular Redmi series that brings more value for money propositions to the budget segment.

The Mi Mix 2, though received well by the global tech community, hasn't been able to crack the Indian market. As a result, the company has offered heavy discounts every now and then to make it more competitive. The device faces major competition from the likes of OnePlus 5T.