The Mi MIX 3 is one of the most impressive devices launched by Xiaomi last year. Its magnetic slider design, build quality and features all got positive comments from reviewers. While the slider-design may have taken a back seat this year, it seems Xiaomi isn’t done with it yet. A new patent has surfaced that shows the slider design isn’t yet dead, at least for Xiaomi.
The patent which was first reported by TigerMobiles was filed at the Chinese National Intellectual Property Agency (CNIPA) and it shows a device similar to the Mi MIX 3. The front is practically all screen and when you slide the device down, you have dual front-facing cameras.
Where it differs greatly from the Mi MIX 3 is on the rear. Rather than dual cameras positioned on the left side of the phone, the phone doubles the sensors to 4. It doesn’t stop there but adopts the circular camera housing we have come to associate with Motorola phones. There is also no fingerprint scanner which most likely means there is one under the display. The patent also shows the device keeps the dedicated AI assistant button of the Mi MIX 3.
It is too early to say if this device will see the light of day or it is just Xiaomi trying to build its patent box. But I, personally, wouldn’t mind seeing another slider phone.
Another patent filed by Xiaomi ditches the slider design for a notch but this is a different type. Rather than a U-shaped notch or waterdrop notch, this is a long but narrow notch much like an indentation caused by applying slight pressure. Inside this new-style notch are two cameras.
On the rear, the device has three cameras arranged vertically on the left along with an LED flash. There is no visible fingerprint scanner here too, so we will assume it is under the display.
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