The Era of Sliding Phone Screens: A New Approach to Display Innovation

In recent years, phone manufacturers have been experimenting with various notch designs, hole-punch displays, and even folding screens to make the most of their devices' screen real estate. However, one innovative approach that has gained attention is the use of sliding mechanisms to eliminate the need for notches or holes in front-facing cameras. This design trend has been popularized by Xiaomi's latest offering, the Mi Mix 3.

The Mi Mix 3 features a completely uninterrupted 6.4-inch screen that stretches all the way to the top and sides of the phone, with just a slightly thicker border at the bottom. However, this means that there is no room for the front-facing camera on the bottom of the device. To address this issue, Xiaomi has had to get creative. Instead of placing the camera in the usual location, they have designed a sliding mechanism that allows users to access the camera by sliding the entire front of the phone down about half an inch. This process is surprisingly quick and smooth, with the camera app launching right into selfie mode.

The camera experience on the Mi Mix 3 is enhanced by a secondary 2-megapixel depth sensor that complements the primary 24-megapixel sensor. The sliding mechanism also introduces some unique features, such as an electronic sound effect when opening or closing the camera app. Users can even take selfies without having to unlock their phone, simply by sliding the screen down from the lock screen.

However, the sliding design is not without its challenges. One major issue is that it can be awkward to use, especially with a big phone like the Mi Mix 3. The process of opening and closing the camera app requires a bit more effort than traditional designs, and users may find themselves struggling to balance the phone while sliding it open or closed. Additionally, the lack of a motorized mechanism means that there is no spring assistance to help push the screen down, making it feel more like an old-school sliding keyboard.

The Mi Mix 3's design also introduces some other compromises that may be seen as drawbacks. The slider makes the phone thicker and heavier than other devices in its class, which can affect battery life. Furthermore, the presence of moving parts means that there is a higher risk of jamming or dust accumulation, making it less durable than some other designs. Xiaomi's included plastic snap-on case provides some protection, but users may find that there are limited options available for full protection.

Despite these challenges, the Mi Mix 3's sliding design has its fans. For those who hate notches and want a more seamless display experience, this innovative approach may be just what they're looking for. However, for many users, the drawbacks of this design trend outweigh its benefits. In particular, the compromise on battery life and durability may make it harder to justify the use of sliding screens in everyday life.

The Mi Mix 3 is not the first phone to feature a sliding mechanism, but it is one of the first commercially available devices to offer this unique approach to display innovation. With rumors suggesting that other manufacturers will soon follow suit, it's clear that this design trend is gaining momentum. As we move forward, it will be interesting to see how users and manufacturers weigh the pros and cons of sliding screens against traditional designs.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(upbeat music)- It seems like everybody out thereis trying all sorts of weird tricksto make the screen on yourphone as big as possible.Now you've obviously seenall kinds of differentnotch designs, oneverything from the iPhone Xto the OnePlus 6T to the Pixel 3 XL.And soon you'll see phoneswith hole punches in them, toolike the Honor View 20 andprobably the Samsung Galaxy S10.We're even seeing companiesuse folding designsto cram a bigger screeninto a smaller size.But the way you get themost screen on your phoneis to not cut it out at all.But, where do you putthe selfie camera, then?Well, how about here, in aslider behind the screen?The question is: Is thisreally what we want?What is a sliding mechanismeven do to a phone?This particular phoneis the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3,and it's one of the first models availablewith this manual sliding design.Now we're probably going to see this froma few different manufacturers this year.Rumors are alreadysaying that the OnePlus 7will have a similarsounding sliding design,and I really would not besurprised if we see other phonesfrom OPPO, Vivo, Honor, Huawei, and morecoming out with this style of phone.Now, don't consider this a full review,but if you're curious aboutthe Mi Mix 3 specifically,it has most of the standardfeatures you'd expecton a high-end Android phonereleased in late 2018.It's got Qualcomm Snapdragon845 processor, six gigs of ram,128 gigs of storage, a1080P AMOLED display,dual rear 12-megapixel cameras,and a 3200 milliamp hour battery.It also has a ceramic back,and it supports wireless charging.It's running Android 9 Piewith Xiaomi's MIUI 10interface on top of it,and it performs just about as goodas any other Android phone.The Mix 3 costs roughly $550,and like other Xiaomi phonesit won't be availablein North America at all.So, sorry.Now, at first glance, thisslide design addressesthe problems that the notchand the hole-punch display rather nicely.The Mix 3 has a completelyuninterrupted 6.4 inch screenthat stretches all the wayto the top and sides of the phone,with just a slightly thickerborder at the bottom.Now, if you remember, theMi Mix 1 and the Mi Mix 2,the bottom is where Xiaomiput the front-facing camera.But the Mix 3 just reallydoesn't have room for it down there.So, in order to usethe front-facing cameraand take selfies, which on the Mi Mix 3is a 24 megapixel sensor.It's got a secondary twomegapixel depth sensor as well.You have to actually slidethe whole front of the phonedown about half an inch.That reveals the camera,and it launches the cameraapp right into selfie mode.Now on this phone, theprocess is pretty quick.You push the screen down.The camera app launches right away.And if you have the sound turned on,there's a little electronicsound effect that comes with it.(electronic sound)Now snap the camera back up.(electronic sound)And the camera app closes automatically.You can even do it rightfrom the lock screen,so you don't have to unlockthe phone to take a selfie.The Mi Mix 3 is a bit different than, say,the OPPO Find X or the VivoNEX that have powered motorsto raise and lower their camera module.This one here is all manual.It feels a bit like the oldsliding keyboard mechanismson messenger phones from a few years ago,or maybe more recently,the BlackBerry Priv.Give it a little push,and a spring will help pushthe screen all the way down.All of that seems good, but in practice,the sliding feature on the Mix 3can be kinda awkward to use.Now, this is a big phone.There's no getting around it.And opening the camera one-handedwithout dropping it,can be kinda hard to do.Now, since you have toslide the screen down with your thumb,it's a little less natural than, say,the Priv, which you pushedup to reveal the keyboard.You also have to moveyour pinky out of the wayso that the screen can actually move down,which, again, offers anotherway for you to drop it.It's just kind of awkward to do.Now, on top of that, since you have totouch the screen to push it up or down,you might select something oropen the notification shade,or move an icon around on your screenwithout really intending to.Now you might be able to get proficientat doing this with practice,but after a few weeks of using the phone,it's still super awkward for me,and I'm constantly afraidof dropping the Mix 3when I open the camera.Now there's othercompromises with this, too.The slider makes the phone thickerand heavier than other phones,and you don't get agiant battery with thatlike you might expect witha thick and heavy phone.It's also a possible point of failure.It's not as delicate asthe motorized mechanismson the OPPO or Vivo, but it's definitelymore moving parts than say, an iPhone.And it could certainly get jammed upif you get enough dust or gunk in there.It also means that it's hardto make a case that fullyprotects the whole phone.Now Xiaomi includes asimple plastic snap-on casein the box with a cut-out for the bottomfor the screen to slide down,but I wouldn't really expect there to bemany other options availableand that's gonna bekind of a running themewith these designs.That means that eventhough the sliding designeliminates the compromise of the notch,it introduces a lot ofother compromises that,in my opinion, are worse.Now fortunately, the Mix 3's back cameraisn't hidden by the sliderand there's the standardfingerprint scanner on the backso the only time you reallyneed to use the slideris to take selfies.But you still have to dealwith a thick and heavy phonethat has only average battery lifeand you have to worry about whether or notthat slider mechanism isgoing to break someday.You have to really ask yourself:How much do you hate the notchto prefer a design like this?For me, I'm gonna stick with the notch.\n"