The Xiaomi Mi A1 became almost an overnight success when it was released back in September of 2017. So much so, that Xiaomi followed it up with the Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite last summer. And now, as revealed by XDA Developers, the Chinese brand is preparing a third-generation of the lineup.
Codenamed ‘bamboo_sprout’ and ‘cosmos_sprout’ – all Android One smartphones include the ‘sprout’ suffix in their codenames – the new devices are expected to launch later this year commercially as the Xiaomi Mi A3 and Mi A3 Lite. From what can be gathered, both smartphones are currently being tested with ‘fod.’ In Xiaomi terms, this stands for an in-display fingerprint scanner, something that would probably be capture the attention of consumers.
Nowadays, the general consensus is that traditional fingerprint scanners like the ones found on the Mi A2 series are much quicker and precise than in-screen implementations, especially optical in-display ones. But to regular consumers who don’t know too much about tech, the newer solutions are much more futuristic, hence why Xiaomi is probably looking to include them on the Mi A3 lineup.
The specifications of these two devices remain a bit of a mystery at the moment. However, XDA Developers reports that both smartphones will come equipped with 32-megapixel selfie snappers.These will probably be contained inside small, waterdrop-like notches – almost every phone Xiaomi launches now includes this design feature.
As for a release date, the Xiaomi Mi A3 and Mi A3 Lite will probably be announced in late May or early June prior to a launch soon after. Pricing hasn’t yet been revealed.