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Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi showcased a working prototype of a foldable smartphone a couple of months back in some videos. The company has not revealed any specifics about the phone; however, the video does confirm that the company is serious about foldable phone ambitions and is continuing to work on the same.
Now, we have spotted a set of patent images in the database of CNIPA that reveals the design of the smartphone from all angles, giving us a comprehensive idea about what to expect. The design is similar to the foldable phone showcased in a video by Xiaomi’s president, Lin Bin.
The schematics in Xiaomi’s patent application clearly show a vertically aligned quad-camera module in both the unfolded state and the folded state. The quad-camera module will work as a Rear and a Front camera. The foldable smartphone has a double-folding design, which requires users to fold the smartphone from both edges to shift from tablet mode to a smartphone form factor.
The folded state rear view’s design is very close to the recently announced Mi Mix Alpha’s design. Could it be the next-generation Mi Mix Alpha’s possible design?
The company has already filed three patents for a foldable phone, which includes (1) a Symmetrical dual-hinge design foldable phone with a triple camera module, (2) A foldable phone with a Penta pop-up camera module, and (3) A foldable clamshell smartphone.
It must be noted that filling a patent by a company doesn’t equate to an actual product, but it does represent a company’s vision for that product.
Currently, there is no word on the launch date of Xiaomi’s foldable phone. However, the company will soon join the league by releasing foldable phones in 2020 to compete against other foldable phones such as Huawei Mate X and Galaxy Fold.
