The Motorola Razr flip phone is back and it adds a very modern twist to the design. The phone which launched in the early hours of today has a flexible display that folds vertically, thus allowing it to keep its old design. While the new Razr is the first foldable phone with a vertically folding design, it may not hold that title for long.
Samsung teased a phone with a vertically folding design last month. Initially thought to be a teaser for the Samsung W20 5G phone, it turned out not to be. There is still no info about the official name of this vertically foldable design but at least we know Samsung is working on one. But Samsung isn’t the only big-name manufacturer that has plans for a vertically folding phone.
Xiaomi has been granted a patent for a vertically folding phone. The patent was filed back in August 2018 before it was granted and published last month. Sketches of the device show the phone has a small display at the top when folded. This display will likely show info such as time, caller ID, and notifications.
At the bottom half of the phone are dual rear cameras arranged vertically. That does seem like a wrong place to put the cameras seeing as that is where your fingers will naturally rest when holding the phone. However, when held in landscape, you should be able to take photos without covering the lens.
When flipped open, the main display is revealed and it looks like a regular candybar phone. There are no bezels on the sides save for the top, and it is home to what appears to be dual cameras, the earpiece, and a sensor.
This is just a patent and not a confirmation that we will be getting a vertically-folding device from Xiaomi soon. Earlier this year, the Chinese manufacturer showed a working prototype of a dual-folding phone but it is yet to launch.
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