Chinese handset maker Xiaomi has launched a new smartphone that uses technology allowing the vendor to push the screen all the way to the top edge of the device.
The MIX smartphone uses a technology from Elliptic Labs to replace the standard hardware proximity sensor with ultrasound software.
The technology, named INNER BEAUTY, uses ultrasound instead of infrared to detect when a device is being held up to a user's face and disable the screen's touch functionality. It also allows the speaker to be completely invisible, clearing up the top area of the phone.
According to Xiaomi, the MIX display uses 91.3% of the surface area of the front of the phone, compared to just 67.7% for the iPhone 7 Plus.
Besides allowing for a larger screen, Elliptic Labs' BEAUTY ultrasound proximity software has the potential to address common issues with hardware proximity sensors, such as unreliability in extreme weather conditions or in response to dark hair or skin colors.
Eliptic Labs said OEMs will also be able to reduce costs by removing the hardware sensor in favor of a more cost-effective software solution.
“We are thrilled to have our ultrasound proximity software featured in the new smartphone from world leader Xiaomi. Elliptic Labs is the only ultrasound proximity feature vendor designed into a tier-1 mobile handset,” Eliptic Labs CEO Laila Danielsen said.
“This is a significant validation of our Elliptic Labs’ value proposition and we are confident this will pave the way for additional design wins for our innovative ultrasound proximity product in the coming quarters.”