Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi has an impressive range of phones in its current catalogue, from the latest mid-range powerhouse Mi 10T Pro to the budget beast Poco X3 NFC. In fact, we’ve even created a specific round up of the best Xiaomi phones so you can keep up with what it has on offer.
One product missing from that list is the Mi Mix 4, but with the Mi Mix line confirmed to return this month, we look ahead to what the phone could bring to the table in 2021.
When will the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 be released?
Xiaomi has confirmed on Weibo that the Mi Mix line is making a return at its Mega Launch event on 29 March, when the company will also unveil the Mi 11 Pro and Mi 11 Ultra flagships. We don’t know for sure that whatever is shown off will be the Mi Mix 4, but it’ll be some sort of Mi Mix device.
Xiaomi had a pretty settled release schedule with its Mix phones up until the last models appeared in 2018, as you can see from the dates below:
- Mi Mix – November 2016
- Mi Mix 2 – September 2017
- Mi Mix 2S – April 2018
- Mi Mix 3 – November 2018
- Mi Mix 3 5G – November 2018
- Mi Mix Alpha – September 2020 (unreleased concept device)
Ok, it’s not exactly clockwork but, ignoring the Mi Mix 2S, you would have expected Xiaomi to update the Mi Mix line with a proper phone in autumn 2019, and again in 2020, but all we got was the slick Mi Mix Alpha concept device, which has never actually launched.
So, what’s happened with the Mi Mix 4? There have been various rumours suggesting that Xiaomi was experimenting with advanced battery charging options, new designs and other tweaks that has caused the long delay.
How much will the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 cost?
Again, we need to turn to the previous releases for clues on pricing with the Mi Mix 4. Here’s how much the preceding models cost at launch:
- Mi Mix – £469 (approx $620)
- Mi Mix 2 – £429 (approx $568)
- Mi Mix 2S – £389 (approx $515)
- Mi Mix 3 – £499 (approx $660)
- Mi Mix 3 5G – £599 (approx $790)
- Mi Mix Alpha – 19,999 yuan (approx £2,250/$2,800)
With the exception of the cheaper Mi Mix 2S and the exorbitant Mi Mix Alpha, all of the others occupy the £400/$500 to £500/$700 mark. The Mi Mix 3 5G is another outlier, as it has 5G support, hence the extra £100/$130 over the standard Mi Mix 3.
If Xiaomi is to stay with the pattern its used in the past, then it’s possible that the Mi Mix 4 arrives a slither under the £500/$600 mark once more. Of course, there could be wild variations with what the Chinese company includes in the specs or design that push this much higher, all of which we explore below.
What new features will Xiaomi include with the Mi Mix 4?
With the delays and rumours that have surrounded the Mi Mix 4 for some time now, the handset has taken on something of a mythical quality. Will it be a straight upgrade to the Mi Mix 3 or will Xiaomi use the range to experiment with new technologies that will then find their way on to the flagships like the Mi 12?
Complicating things, in 2020 Xiaomi launched the Mi Mix Alpha concept device. This has not just a curved display, but one that wraps entirely around the back, with only a glass and ceramic strip running up the rear side to house the camera unit (and presumably add some grip) that broke up the 360-degree panel. This, essentially, makes the Mi Mix Alpha the first all-display phone.
You don’t need a punch-hole or notch in the display as Xiaomi uses embedded fingerprint sensors, and you could see yourself in the rear display while taking selfie photos.
While the Mi Mix Alpha is only a concept device, there are quite a few who think that it could well be how the Mi Mix 4 will finally end up, as Xiaomi uses the less venerated name to try some left-field ideas. Of course, breakthrough technology like this doesn’t usually come cheap, and some of the figures doing the rounds include costs upwards of £2,000 which is way beyond what you’d expect from the Mi Mix range.
Another area of much speculation is foldables. We’ve already seen the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 and more recently the Huawei Mate X2 continue this exciting area of the market. Industry insiders have long speculated that Xiaomi is also working on a foldable device, with speculation again that it might be the Mi Mix 4.
This was sparked again in March 2020, when industry insider Ross Young tipped that the rumoured Xiaomi foldable is the Mi Mix 4 Pro Max
We hear the upcoming Xiaomi foldable may be called the Mi Mix 4 Pro Max. China Star is the display supplier, not SDC. SDC will provide an in-folding display later in the year, which will be a little larger.
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss)
March 1, 2021
Not long after that a post on Weibo – since deleted, but not before the – showed off what was claimed to be a Xiaomi foldable prototype with Mi Mix branding.
If genuine, the pictures are clearly of a very early prototype – note that the camera module isn’t complete. It would make sense for Xiaomi to adopt the Mi Mix branding if it is ready to unveil a foldable device though.
Frankly, we’ve no idea at the moment. If Xiaomi swings for the fences, then the Mi Alpha-style would be an incredible flagship that could set the stage for the year ahead, while a foldable would give it the footing to take Samsung and Huawei on and widen the foldable market.
has also reported that source code on miui.com seems to reveal that the Mi Mix 4 will run on MIUI 13, the next OS for Xiaomi based off of Android 11.
You can also check out our roundup of the best Chinese phones to see what the Mi Mix 4 will have to beat when it finally arrives.