- A transparent edition after six years; last time it was the Mi 10 Ultra
- Clear red glass, the transparent charger too, and a cable
- The board under the glass is decoration, not functional electronics
- Only the top version 16 GB + 1 TB, from €1,300 in China
Six years. That’s exactly how long Xiaomi fans waited for a phone where you can see what’s going on inside through the back. Last time Xiaomi made a phone like this was in August 2020, when it launched the Mi 10 Ultra in a transparent version. Ahead of the conference, Lu Weibing reminded everyone with a single line: “Tonight there will be something special. The last time we saw each other was six years ago.”
On stage, he then showed the transparent special edition of the new flagship phones. This year, Xiaomi didn’t introduce a more impressive phone. You’ll find the full specs and prices for all versions in our article from the launch.
Red glass through which the construction is visible
The rear panel is made of transparent red Xiaomi Longjing 3.0 glass. It isn’t a matte imitation. Through the glass, you can really see the inside of the phone, including the wireless charging coil, the area around the camera module, and the metal structural elements. The raised surface is created by an ultra-thin film. Xiaomi describes it as micrometer-level.
Xiaomi also included matched wallpapers for both the front and the rear display. They complete the look of the internal design. When you place the phone screen-up, you see the same pattern on the lock screen as on the back.
The charger is transparent too
The edition doesn’t stop at the phone. Xiaomi has made a custom red transparent 100 W charger, a cable, and a gift package for it. The box also includes a transparent case. It isn’t particularly practical, but it looks great on a desk.
101 capacitors that do nothing
However, the whole edition has one catch. Through the glass, you can’t see the real phone mainboard. Xiaomi has always put a decorative board into its transparent editions. It’s meant to look impressive, but it serves no function. The same was true with the Mi 8 Explorer Edition in 2018.
This decorative board is built on a copper substrate reinforced with steel plates, and it features 101 capacitors, 32 resistors, and 24 different chips. The production is demanding and the yield is low. That’s why such editions aren’t made in large quantities.
The limited series is also hinted at by the phone itself. On the back panel, there’s the text “Limited Edition” and next to it the label “STEREO AUDIO”. Xiaomi hasn’t said how many units will be made, even though with the transparent Watch S5 they openly stated a limit of 5,000 units.
Price and availability
The transparent edition is a version of both new flagship models, not a standalone model. It exists exclusively in the 16 GB + 1 TB configuration. For the smaller model, it costs 9,999 yuan, and for the bigger one 10,999 yuan. In EUR, that’s roughly 1,300 and 1,430 euros, without customs duty and VAT.
So you can’t just buy it “as is”. You have to go for the most expensive memory version, and the edition is currently sold only in China. We’ve already taken apart the triple Leica camera, a battery up to 8,500 mAh, and the 2nm Snapdragon in our main article about the launch.
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