In April 2018, Xiaomi unveiled the Mi 6X and was touted to be released in India as Android One-branded Mi A2 and other global markets in coming weeks similar to the Mi 5X (aka Mi A1) in 2017. Now, reports have emerged that the Chinese company is also preparing a low-end model, Mi A2 Lite.
Xiaomi phone bearing model number: M1805D1SG with commercial name Mi A2 Lite has been spotted (courtesy, Slash Leaks) at Singapore's Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) website and on US government-run Federal Communication Commission (FCC) hinting Xiaomi might release two variants of Mi A2 in the international market.
But, very little information has been disclosed in the listing. It is said to come with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, which are standard on all phones in the market. Rest assured, the Mi A2 Lite will resemble Mi A2 (aka Mi 6X) and come with Apple iPhone X-like display notch and vertically aligned dual-camera on the back.
Under-the-hood, for the sake of differentiation, Mi A2 Lite will have watered down specifications. It is said to come with a 5.84-inch full HD+ screen, 2GB/3GB/4GB RAM, 16GB/32GB/64GB storage, 3,900mAh battery, dual camera 12MP+5MP on the back, a 5MP front snapper and expected to cost much less than the standard model.
As far as the Xiaomi Mi A2 is concerned, it is expected flaunt a premium metallic shell on the back with the vertically-aligned dual camera on the top left corner and a fingerprint sensor in the middle for easy access while unlocking. On the front, it is said to feature 5.99-inch full HD+ screen having 2.5D curved glass on top similar to the Redmi Note 5 series.
Inside, it is expected to come packed with a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 octa-core, 4GB/6GB RAM, 64GB/128GB storage and a 3,010mAh battery, which is more than enough to keep the phone running for a whole under mixed usage.
In terms of photography hardware, it houses a feature-rich dual-camera module having 12MP (Sony IMX486 sensor) and 20MP (Sony IMX376 sensor). It is assisted by Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based software that can recognize 24 different scene types to optimize the camera to take the perfect photo. It scans the scene to identify whether the subject is in exotic locations such as hills, beach and is intelligent enough to differentiate between pet animals, flowers, and humans, optimising the camera settings to take the best possible snaps.
On the front, it houses equally impressive 20MP (with Sony IMX376 sensor) with F1.75 aperture, guaranteeing the users of quality selfies even in low lighting. It will also be assisted by Smart beauty app to help users edit skin tone and other details.
Both the A2 and A2 Lite are expected to come with pure Android Oreo 8.1 OS and are guaranteed to get Android P OS update later this year.
