Tag Archives: MI

This Xiaomi Smartphone perfectly matches their “Alive” philosophy with its minimal form

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When one looks back at the evolution of smartphones, we’ve come a long way in terms of hardware and design. Right from the walkie-talkie-like design to the current day bezel-less form factor. Talk of the hardware – and it has been a technological revolution – literally bringing the computing power of a PC to the handheld gadget. According to Statista, the number of smartphone users worldwide has crossed three billion and is estimated to grow by several hundred million in the next few years. That’s approximately 35 percent of the total world population who have access to this ground-breaking piece of technology. While tech giants are exploring the realms of foldable and retractable smartphone designs, simplicity is something that suffices our daily needs.

Industrial designer Yifan Hu has come up with the Xiaomi Mi phone of the future inspired by the brand’s latest venture into the “Alive” branding identity announced in March 2021. The new dynamic logo designed by a world-renowned designer, professor of Musashino Art University, and the President of the Nippon Design Center (NDC), Kenya HARA. The contoured corners of the logo are created using superellipse mathematical formula are aesthetically pleasing, and so is the smartphone concept designed by Yifan. This Mi phone results from the perfect balance between a square and circle shape – the very essence of Xiaomi’s brand identity going forward.

The phone follows the “Alive” philosophy to the core to signifying a profoundly active life. Have a closer look at the rounded body frame and the contoured camera module housing. Even the phone profile toggling button carries the same theme for visual uniformity. The device is pretty thin and looks ergonomically balanced to hold for the feel-good factor. Quite aptly, the new “Alive” themed logo on the back perfectly matches the overall design of the concept smartphone. Yifan imagines the device in wantable colors, including coral green, see blue, peppy orange, off white, and grey. So, would you want one of these phones in the palm of your hand? I surely would not mind having one – the current designs have got so monotonous, haven’t they?

Designer: Yifan Hu

Xiaomi’s new $59 Smart Clock is a super-affordable alternative to the Amazon Echo Show

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I wouldn’t be surprised if you mistook the Mi Smart Clock for an Amazon Echo Show from afar. They both share a pretty similar front-view, with a landscape display accompanied by a thick bezel. The only difference is that the $59 smart speaker/clock doesn’t come with a camera embedded within the bezel. At that price, I wouldn’t expect it to… more so considering it costs just $30 in Xiaomi’s home country, China.

I’d hate to really harp on its price (after all we’re a design site), but the price of the Xiaomi Mi Smart Clock is really a feature, given most regular smart speakers cost nearly double… multiply it by 4 if you’re adding a display too. The price aside, the Mi Smart Clock is a nifty little smart-speaker with Google Assistant built-in. The display on the clock is a high-quality 3.97-inch touchscreen running MIUI, and can be used either to display images and photos from your camera roll, or as a clock (with a variety of themes to choose from). Aside from these two functions, the Mi Smart Clock allows you to connect it to a host of IoT devices too, letting you monitor and control a variety of other smart devices around your house (like your home security cam or smart lights) simply by summoning Google Assistant. The display acts as a dashboard for notifications too, and thanks to built-in Chromecast, you can beam music, videos, and other content from your smartphone or tablet to your Mi Smart Clock’s display (potentially allowing your kids to watch cartoons without having to give your phone to them). Of course, the Mi Smart Clock works as a regular smart-speaker too, letting you do things you’d normally do with your Echo or Google Nest speaker like play music, narrate the news, or tell you the weather.

In a market saturated with smart speakers, Xiaomi manages to strut in rather comfortably, thanks to its brand recognition and that frankly unbeatable price. Although given that tag, you’d have to wonder where the compromise lies… is it in the lack of a camera? Or in the fact that the company access to all your data?

Designer: Xiaomi