Xiaomi reportedly working on Android One phones with in-display fingerprint sensors

Chinese smartphones maker Xiaomi could be getting set to refresh its mid-range smartphones that provide a solid stock Android 8.1 experience. Now, in its second generation, Xiaomi smartphones with near stock Android 8.1 experience is a testament that Google’s stripped-down operating system is no more geared at low-end devices

Details of the firm’s upcoming AndroidOne devices come from a report on Xda-developers, where it is suggested the company is preparing two mid-range devices in the MiA series. The devices are likely to be marketed as the Xiaomi Mi A3 and Mi A3 Lite, but at the moment codenamed ‘bamboo_sprout’ and ‘cosmos_sprout respectively, though the Bamboo and Cosmo are the real codenames while sprout is a suffix attached to the codenames of every Android one devices.

While the first and second generation of the MiA series were instant hits, the Xiaomi MiA3 and A3 lite could further appeal more to users as the team is reportedly cooking up a device with a feature meant for premium smartphones. We have it on good ground that both smartphones are currently being tested with ‘fod which is Xiaomi’s way of referring to an in-display fingerprint scanner, something that would probably capture the attention of consumers.

Just as the first generation Mi A1 was based on the China-only Mi 5X, and the Mi A2 based on the Mi 6X, it’s very” likely the Xiaomi MiA3 and A3 lite would be based on the successor to the Mi 6X. And speaking of that, a third device codenamed “pyxis” per XDA report is been tested too and interestingly has no sprout attached suggesting it could be the China-only variant of the Mi A3 and Mi A3 Lite.

While specs are non-existent, the three smartphones being mid-range are very much likely to get optical under-display fingerprint sensors rather than ultrasonic sensors that require expensive flexible OLED displays, while there are indications too that the trio will get 32MP front-facing cameras like the Vivo V15 Pro, but with 4-in-1 pixel binning support.

It is pertinent to point out here that the devices codenamed ‘bamboo_sprout’ and ‘cosmos_sprout are two fresh upcoming Android One phones from Xiaomi and not the Mi A3 and its lite variant, given that the same XDA team earlier in January dug out a device suspected to be the Mi A3 with the code-name orchid_sprout within the Android Pie-based user interface for the Mi 8 and Mi Mix 3 flagships. So it remains to be known which of these will end up as the Mi A3.

We will bring you prompt update as more reliable reports about these phones surface, for now, those are the only available specs.