Rumor | Xiaomi 13 is a nightmare to make screen protectors for due to its new build, say accessory OEMs

Xiaomi has reportedly locked a flat-edged, flat-screened design in for the upcoming successor to its vanilla Snapdragon 8 Gen 1-powered flagship the 12, as a contrast to the more traditional curved display of the 12 Pro's own replacement.

However, the resulting super-slim-bezel effect, hailed as a "pinnacle in terms of exterior design" by eminent leaker Ice Universe, apparently has some serious drawbacks when it comes to protective accessories for the upcoming premium mobile device - even at the manufacturing stage. 

Some Weibo accounts now purport to bear tales of annoyance and frustration among those trying to make screen protectors for the front panel of the 13, which allegedly boasts an advanced 93.3% screen-to-body ratio thanks to bezels of just 1.61mm in width on all sides.

Apparently, if one wants those accessories edge-to-edge as usual, there is too little space to get a case (especially one with a raised lip around the screen) on the smartphone as well. (The 13 also apparently has a central punch-hole camera, which may not make things any easier).

Therefore, unless product development (which may have still been underway as late as December 6, 2022) for Xiaomi 13 screen protectors manages to solve these issues, the accessories might turn out with edges too narrow on either side of the device (in portrait mode), as with some of the 2.5D display devices from years past.

This perhaps ironically problematic Xiaomi 13 build has less than 2 days before it is set in stone, however. Nevertheless, it is possible that the best type of case for the new flagship may indeed be the 2-part kind that might incorporate its own screen cover - or, possibly, none at all.