The release of the Xiaomi Mi Mix in 2016 ignited the current full-screen smartphone trend and disrupted the market by replacing the physical infrared proximity sensor with a software-driven ultrasonic solution. This is what the future of smartphones looks like – Ars Technica, 2016 The Problem & Design Constraints Since 2007, all smartphones, including the original iPhone, used an infrared (IR) proximity…
The award-winning Xiaomi Mi Mix redefined smartphone design and proved that ultrasonic proximity sensing was viable in smartphones. It was a 0-to-1 product that sparked the full-screen trend, a design choice that remains the industry standard today. However, it was not suited for mass-market adoption due to high costs, custom designs, and reliance on dedicated hardware components. To create a viable business…