In an ideal world, smartphone executives only use their brand. But since our world is still far from the title of ideal, those who follow this rule can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Moreover, it is not very clear whether they voluntarily sit on branded devices or only play in public. After all, if there is no need to doubt the sincerity of Tim Cook, who uses iPhone, then I personally am not sure of all the rest. However, Lei Jun, CEO Xiaomi, made it clear that he greatly appreciates the machines that his wards produce. At least one.
Lei Jun named his favorite smartphone for the first time
Lei Jun's favorite smartphone is Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, which was released in 2017. The CEO Xiaomi admitted this personally. According to him, he appreciates it for the design and premium materials of the case, which make the device look like some kind of jewel. The fact is that the case of Mi Mix 2 is entirely made of ceramics, and the manufacturer uses elements plated from real 18-karat gold as decorations. In particular, such a coating is applied to the metal rims of the main camera and the fingerprint scanner on the back of the smartphone.
Best smartphone Xiaomi?
Lei Jun appreciates the Mi Mix 2 for its premium materials and design. True, he did not say whether he is using this device at the moment
Xiaomi Mi The Mix 2 is indeed one of the best – if not the best – of the Mi Mix lineup. Unlike all subsequent models, it has a ceramic unibody body, while the newer devices use an aluminum frame around the body. And, unlike its predecessor, Mi Mix 2 has a less prominent 'chin' under the display, as well as a full-fledged rather than a piezoelectric speaker, which suffered from constant interruptions and low quality of sound transmitted during telephone conversations.
However, as attractive as the Mi Mix 2 is, it is rather strange that Lei Jun chose this one, since Xiaomi has released several attractive models since 2017. After all, even if he did not like the Mi Mix 3, which, in my opinion, is one of the most interesting devices in the range of the Chinese company, there is also the conceptual Mix Alpha. This is the same concept phone, whose display occupies 180% of the front panel. It was possible to achieve such an indicator Xiaomi by turning almost the entire body of the smartphone into a display and leaving only a small strip on the back unoccupied. But there are also the controls and lenses of the main camera.
When is Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 coming out?
The conceptual Mix Alpha is too technological and inapplicable in practice. Even the CEO understands this Xiaomi
What conclusion can be drawn from all this? Well, for example, that Lei Jun is not very happy with how the new Mi Mix smartphones are developing. Someone will undoubtedly say that, as a CEO, he could not have been unaware of the applied developments and the changes that have occurred with the line. But even if he knew, then, being a manager, and not a designer or engineer, he could hardly interfere in the development process. In the end, Xiaomi creates a smartphone not for its head, but for the widest audience, to whom you can serve an inexpensive, atypical and at the same time premium device.
Nevertheless, given that Lei Jun would hardly have undertaken to criticize the path chosen by the company entrusted to him, albeit so indirectly, it can be assumed that something will change in the foreseeable future. Of course, we are talking about the design approach of the Mi Mix 4, which should be released this year. In my opinion, Jun's words about his commitment to premium body materials may well be embodied in the next smartphone of the line. And since rumor has it that it's almost ready, Jun probably just left users with a little seed, pointing to a sort of return to basics in the new Mi Mix.