Recently, China National Intellectual Property Office (CNIPA) published a series of patent images that reveal Xiaomi’s plan for a flip-type foldable smartphone. Although the latest Xiaomi patent hit the web only recently, it was originally filed in August 2018.
With the launch and subsequent sales of Huawei Mate X and Samsung Galaxy Fold, it appears that foldable phones are here to stay. Xiaomi’s recent patent is not like the Mate X or Galaxy Fold. This smartphone feels like a foldable phone but retains the design and aesthetics of the iconic flip phone. It feels more like the Motorola RAZR.
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One thing we must know is that patents are just what they are, there is no guarantee that a device like this will ever hit the shelves. Some time ago, we saw the prototype of a Xiaomi dual foldable phone, however, it seems to have gone cold. Rather, the company released the Xiaomi Mi MIX Alpha 5G phone with a 360-degree display and a 108MP main sensor. Even this device has not gone into mass production and it seems to be a very limited smartphone. The Mi MIX Alpha comes with a 180.6% display ratio and it supports full Netcom 5G dual card. It has a 19,999 yuan price tag which makes it the most expensive phone by far in Xiaomi’s history.
