Xiaomi Mi 7 rumors: Launch expected at MWC 2018 ; glass back leak hints at wireless charging feature

Xiaomi's latest flagship smartphone, Mi 6.Xiaomi website

The Xiaomi Mi 7 is set to be announced soon, boasting some major upgrades over its Mi 6 predecessor. Smartphone users will not have to wait long as the next Mi flagship handset is expected to arrive next month at this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC). Recent leaks suggest that one of the main attractions of the Mi 7 is the wireless charging feature.

The latest leaked render of the Xiaomi Mi 7 reveals the front and rear panel of the premium smartphone. Interestingly, the back portion of the device is entirely covered in glass, suggesting that the Mi 7 will pack with wireless charging capabilities. To note, previous flagship devices with wireless charging feature sport an all-glass back, so that the device's battery can be filled up by placing it on a charging pad.

It would not come as a surprise if the rumored wireless charging feature of the Xiaomi Mi 7 turned out to be correct. For one, Xiaomi has recently joined the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), plus the fact that the company itself has hinted that one of its future devices will ship with wireless charging capabilities. Xiaomi did not specify, however, if the Mi 7 is one of these devices.

The Xiaomi Mi 7 leak also reveals that the fingerprint sensor is no longer found at the front side of the smartphone. Instead, the biometric scanner is now located at the rear, near the dual-lens camera setup at the upper left corner of the back panel. The rear side also includes a dual LED signal and dual-tone flash for the camera. 

The Chinese handset maker is reportedly among the invited participants at the MWC 2018, in which the company's latest flagship smartphone is expected to be showcased. Mi 7's appearance at the MWC, which take place from Feb. 26 to March 1, is likely to make a big impact, especially since that the device will be one of the first handsets powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset. To note, the Snapdragon 845 is the chipmaker's latest premium mobile processor, which boasts improved performance over the Snapdragon 835, currently used by the 2017 flagships.