The latest leak has revealed interesting details about the design of the Xiaomi 16 Pro phone, which is expected to launch later this year.
Recently, information about the successor to the Xiaomi 15, called the Xiaomi 16 Series, has suddenly appeared on the internet, although the Xiaomi 15 series has just been launched in the global market. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from TF Securities International, the Xiaomi 16 Pro may be equipped with a frame manufactured using 3D printing technology.
Illustration photo.
Kuo said that the Xiaomi 16 Pro's mid-frame will be made of metal and manufactured by Chinese supplier Bright Laser Technologies. The hollow design of the 3D printed structure not only reduces the weight of the phone but also improves heat dissipation performance without sacrificing durability.
However, 3D printing is not the most efficient manufacturing process because it builds objects layer by layer, which leads to slower production. Furthermore, manufacturing costs can be higher than with traditional methods. Still, Kuo believes that smartphone manufacturers could increasingly adopt the technology if the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, especially in applications that do not require high production efficiency.
This is reminiscent of Sharp’s experiments in the early 2000s with the Mova SH251iS, the first phone with a glasses-free 3D display. While the idea was ahead of its time, it only worked well at certain angles.
We already have devices like the ZTE Nubia Pad 3D, which has a significantly improved glasses-free 3D display. Adopting a 3D printed smartphone frame may not be as complicated as developing a real 3D display, but it will still take time for the technology to become mainstream.
