After Xiaomi’s recent launch of the Mi Mix bezel-less smartphone, there seems to be a revival of a design trend which was first showcased by Sharp with its Aquos Crystal smartphone. Soon enough we saw leaks coming from Meizu as well, revealing a competitor with a bezel-less design. After Meizu, MyDrivers now reports leaked renders of an unnamed Nubia-branded device that also features a bezel-less display but also packs in an unconventional slider design.
At first glance, the smartphone does remind us of the good old Nokia 7650 with a rather modern take on design. The renders of this Nubia smartphone showcase a bezel-less display with a black strip for the chin at the bottom on the front. A closer look, however, reveals no front facing camera hiding in that space hinting that these could be missing.
Another render showcases that both the earpiece and front facing camera are hidden behind the display at the top. When answering a call, simply slide to open, and one should be able to hear or take selfies at ease. It is indeed an different take on the slider form factor, where you need to slide open the device every time you place a call or need to take a selfie. Those who loved the now extinct slider smartphone (apart from the BlackBerry Priv) will however be drooling all over this one.
Other than the bezel-less display and the slider form factor, another bit to notice here is how Nubia has added some tasteful customisations with the back cover using leather, wood and metal finishes.
Right now, these appears to be renders for a concept. If ZTE’s Nubia still pulls it off, buyers will indeed have something to ogle at, something that breaks the monotony of the chocolate bar form factor we have been seeing on smartphones for years.
