Xiaomi is apparently working on a new foldable smartphone. This time, the foldable phone will feature a pop up selfie camera to enable a full screen experience on the primary display.

The news arrives from a patent from the Chinese tech giant that was shared by @Shadow_Leak on Twitter. Looking at the images shared on the tweet, we can see that the smartphone features two display panels. The larger primary display folds inward, while one of the outer panels features the smaller secondary display. Meanwhile, the other half of the rear panel houses the main rear facing camera system, which comprises of three image sensors.

Although, its unknown what exact functions each sensor offers. Meanwhile, the front carries no notch for the selfie camera or any indication of an under display sensor. Rather, it seems that the brand might be attempting to revive the pop up trend, but this time with foldable smartphones. The selfie camera is situated in a pop up mechanism, which is likely to be motorized. Looking at this rising module, we can see two cut outs, which means that its a dual front camera setup.

While the images only revealed these few details, the tweet also added another new change in this model. Apparently, the new foldable smartphone will feature larger batteries for longer battery life. This hints at Xiaomi actually working on such a device, rather than the company just covering all bases. So stick around for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available regarding this handset.

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Earlier this year, Xiaomi had launched its Mi MIX Fold, which was its first foldable smartphone that had a form factor similar to the Galaxy Fold series. Now, a new report has suggested that the company is working on a new MIX Fold device that will rival the newly launched Galaxy Z Fold3 from Samsung.

According to tipster Bald Panda (Via AndroidAuthority), the Chinese tech giant is working on a new MIX Fold series device. However, the new foldable smartphone will be a refresh model rather than a MIX Fold 2. Furthermore, the tipster added that the new refresh version will sport a high refresh rate external and internal screens along with a 120W fast charging support for its large 5,000mAh battery pack.

Notably, the new MIX Fold will reportedly also feature an under display camera module on the front. This is quite a major upgrade over the 67W charging on the original MIX Fold, which also only had high refresh rate for its external screen. The addition of the under display camera is also a significant update, although, its implementation won’t exactly be an upgrade in terms of image quality.

Unfortunately, it is currently unclear as to when the company will launch such a device or whether it is actually working on this device or not. However, previous reports had suggested that a new foldable phone from the brand will be launching sometime in the fourth quarter of this year. Note that we had also compared the Mi MIX Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 3, so you can check that out as well.

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A tipster has revealed that the next gen flagship and foldable smartphones from Xiaomi will feature an under screen camera display. The technology will be in its ultra high end models and will be the first from the company.

Last year, the Chinese tech giant had revealed that it had reached mass production levels for its under screen camera technology, which was expected to be seen later this year. For those unaware, an under display camera is essentially a screen technology where the camera is housed under the display but is designed in a manner to allow light to permeate through a certain part of it. This makes it capable of taking images from below the screen, eliminating the need for a notch, punch hole, or even a pop up camera.

Furthermore, officials from the company have also stated in the past that its third generation under screen camera display will be one of the best implementations of the technology, as per an MyDrivers report. Unfortunately, its still too early to know which smartphone models will features the technology. The tipster (@数码闲聊站) also refrained from offering any specific information so we have no way of confirming the report. But, the company is expected to launch a device with this technology in the near future so stay tuned for more updates.

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Xiaomi’s foldable smartphone has been in development for years now. Right from a prototype video showcased in early 2019, the company’s first foldable device has triggered quite a lot of expectations. This year, it is finally going to launch up to three such devices according to reports. And one of those might have just appeared on China’s 3C certification.

A Xiaomi smartphone with model number M2011J18C appears on the 3C certification authority website. If you recall, this device, likely a foldable smartphone, had appeared on the TENAA certification last month.

A few reports have said that the company would bring this device under the Mi MIX series but that’s not confirmed yet. In that report, it was mentioned that the device would come with a 67W Wired Fast charging support.

In line with that, the 3C certification of the M2011J18C shows that the device can charge up to a maximum of 20V at 3.25A~65W. Apart from this, the listing shows that it supports 5G connectivity.

So far, reports say that the device would adopt Galaxy Z Fold2 like hinge design hinting at an inward folding display. The device is expected to feature and a display of around 7-inches with a 120Hz refresh rate.

Other expected features include a flagship Snapdragon 888 chipset, 108MP camera, 5,000mAh battery, run MIUI 12, and more. Let’s wait for more concrete details which are sure to come out as the launch draws near.

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Xiaomi has recently applied for a new patent. This patent is for a new foldable smartphone, which will be part of the Mi MIX series. The patent was spotted on the QCC app and could be for the Mi MIX 4 Pro Max or the Mi MIX Fold.

The report arrives from a post on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging website, which shared the information of the new patent along with a few of its supposed specifications. Notably, the upcoming device would be the Chinese tech giant’s first foldable smartphone. Unfortunately, the actual name of the device is currently unknown. Meaning, we don’t know whether the foldable device will be the Mi MIX 4 Pro Max, as we had reported earlier, or the Mi MIX Fold as stated in the Weibo post.

The social media post also stated that the foldable device will feature dual displays and will feature the flagship grade Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, paired with a 7 inch folding display with a high refresh rate of 120Hz. On the rear, the primary camera sensor will be a 108 megapixel shooter. Under the hood, a large 5,000mAh battery pack will reportedly power the device, which will also support 67W fast charging as well.

It is unknown if wireless charging will also be included, but it the Weibo blogger also added that the device will be released sometime after April of this year. Keep in mind, this is still an unconfirmed report and the company has yet to make any official announcement regarding the matter. So take this report with a pinch of salt and stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available.

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Foldables are said to be the future of smartphones. As of now, only four companies, namely Samsung, Motorola, Huawei, and Royole sell this type of phones. But others are also expected to release their devices very soon. Hence, almost all the major OEMs have been patenting tech related to foldables for the past few years. That said, one such patent by Xiaomi detailing a solution to reduce crease has emerged now.

Foldables come in two different types right now. The first design folds out to be a tablet, whereas the second design resembles clamshell phones from the past. But both these designs have one thing in common and that is creases.

Creases can be found in all the foldable smartphones that are available in the market. Although they don’t bother you if you don’t look for them, they are still a flaw. Therefore, we have seen multiple patents over the past few months from different companies to mitigate them.

Xiaomi’s new patent is also a solution to this problem. The company filed this patent with the CNIPA (China National Intellectual Property Administration) in July 2019. However, it got approved and published only on February 2, 2021. This patent is titled “Support Structure of Flexible Screen, Flexible Screen Structure and Terminal Equipment” (translated).

According to the documentation, this design includes two supporting structure for the flexible display panel. The second structure, which is close to the screen is deformable. Hence, when the device is closed, the display has a low chance of getting affected by a larger crease in the long run. Will this design work? We can only know when Xiaomi uses it in a commercial foldable smartphone.

So far, we are only aware that Xiaomi is working on a foldable smartphone codenamed ‘Cetus’. This handset is said to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, 108MP camera, and MIUI 12 based on Android 11. This device could be the one that was leaked in lived images last month.

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(Via)

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Back in 2019, foldable smartphones had just entered the consumer market with varying degrees of success. Many OEMs had also showed interest and had even filed multiple patents as well. Xiaomi was one of them, but has otherwise been quiet about its first foldable smartphone. Although, the company has recently filed patent applications for a few designs that depict a foldable handset with a pop up camera.

The Chinese tech giant had applied for the design patent back in September 2020 with the Hague International Design System, part of WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office). The company had previously patented a folding phone that had a design that was similar to the original Samsung Galaxy Fold, with an inward folding display and a secondary display on the outside. Now, the new patent also features the same design but with the inclusion of a pop up camera, as per a LetsGoDigital report.

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When unfurled, the device sports a large display that looks like a tablet. A vertically triple rear camera setup can also be found on the back. The hinge divides both halves of the device vertically from the middle. The front is surrounded by negligible bezels on every side, which essentially offers a full display surface on this side. Arriving at its most interesting aspect, the popup selfie shooter is housed on top of the right half of the device. This allows it to be used as a selfie shooter with both the larger primary display and the smaller external screen as well.

Unfortunately, finer details regarding this smartphone is currently unknown. This is just a design patent application, so it is also unsure if the Chinese tech giant is actually working on this smartphone. Although, the MWC 2021 event would be a great platform on which OEMs unveil innovative new products. So, we might hear more about the first foldable smartphone from Xiaomi soon.

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Foldables are said to be the next big thing in the smartphone market. Samsung is leading in this segment and the company has revealed its plans to launch this kind of phones across various price segments in 2021. Apart from the South Korean Electronics giant, Motorola is the only brand to sell foldables globally. Whereas, Royole is limited to China and even Huawei has less presence internationally. Now, according to a report, Xiaomi could be the next company to launch a foldable smartphone.

Xiaomi is one of the many popular smartphone makers yet to launch a foldable phone. The company officially teased a trifold foldable smartphone in early 2019. This very same device also appeared in two different short videos.

However, the Chinese tech giant neither revealed the specifications of that device nor cleared the air on when it will release. Instead, the company unveiled Mi Mix Alpha later that year, which itself did not make it to the shelves even after a year.

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Now, almost two years after Xiaomi showcased its foldable, XDA senior member kacskrz has found code in the latest build of MIUI 12 Beta for Mi 10 Pro suggesting the company to be working on a foldable.

According to him, this device is codenamed ‘Cetus’ and will MIUI based on Android 11. As for hardware, it will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset and will come with a 108MP camera. Other than these parameters, this handset is a complete mystery.

Having said that, since Xiaomi is known for offering bang for buck products, this foldable smartphone if ever launches, it could be the most affordable foldable in the market. But it will be probably limited to China like most of the company’s premium offerings.

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Samsung is ahead of any other company in terms of foldables and it continues to patent new designs and utilities. Similarly, companies that haven’t released any foldable device yet are also patenting for a while now. One of those firms is Xiaomi and its software department has filed another design patent for a foldable smartphone.

This new foldable smartphone design patent was filed by Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software with the CNIPA (China National Intellectual Property Administration) in April. It got approved and published on October 23. As usual, it was spotted by none other than LetsGoDigital.

The documentation for the new Xiaomi patent describes an inward folding foldable smartphone with a slider cover display. In other words, this design is a fusion of Galaxy Z Fold2 and Mi Mix 3.

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First of all, the design looks identical to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series. However, the inward folding display does not have any notch or punch hole. Even the outer cover screen lacks them because the front-facing dual-camera and earpiece are hidden below the slider panel.

Further, the back of the device includes a quad-camera setup, power key and volume rockers on the right side, and a microphone as well as a SIM card slot on the top. Since none of the diagrams show the bottom of the phone, we are not sure what else that holds.

Having said that, we don’t think Xiaomi will ever launch this kind of foldable smartphone. Because foldables are already costly and adding a slider display will further increase the cost as well as weight.

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Xiaomi files a lot of foldable design patents but none see the light of the day. Right from the time it’s first foldable smartphone prototype hit the radar of leaks, Xiaomi’s camp has remained dormant so far. Now, a new patent reveals that Xiaomi is trying out yet another design of Samsung, this time a generation older with a twist.

Credits: LetsGoDigital/Xiaomi

The new patent find is once again by LetsGoDigital. Xiaomi Mobile Software Co. Ltd. has applied it earlier this year(Jan 2) on CNIPA. CNIPA stands for China National Intellectual Property Administration). The patent has been published today(October 20). From the looks, and the description on the CNIPA website, it is definitely a foldable smartphone.

Surprisingly, the design looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy’s foldable device with an inward folding design. Also, the front cover has a secondary screen and a triple rear camera setup. Both these resemble the First generation Galaxy Fold from 2019. Also, the vertical hinge resembles a lot like the Fold but with a flatter design. That said, we notice the difference on the inside. The bigger screen is edge-to-edge and doesn’t have a cutout at the top-right corner like the “Fold”.

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However, there is a vertical stripe on the right side of the big screen. It is probably for the camera sensors with a flashlight/face-id scanner. This strip resembles one of the earlier patents from Xiaomi. The interesting thing about this design is that the big display lies well inside the frame surrounding it. This makes it fold and lay flush unlike the small hole left on Galaxy Fold. So, you can imagine the uniformity, and to put it into perspective, it should lay flat if you put it upside down on a surface.

Having said that, there is no other info regarding this, and considering it’s a patent, we are left to stare at just 3D schematics. Samsung is currently the leader of foldable smartphones and its latest Galaxy Z Fold 2 is a reference point for many. Accordingly, companies like Xiaomi and Huawei have been following their footsteps by patenting similar designs. While Huawei has come out with Mate X, and Mate Xs, Xiaomi’s design hasn’t gone past the testing and is yet to get a breakthrough.

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While Xiaomi had unveiled its prototype of a double folding smartphone back in 2019, the device had never been released commercially. Now, the Chinese tech giant has filed a design patent for another foldable smartphone with two bending screens, which have a Z shaped design.

According to a LetsGoDigital report, the company filed the patent with WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office). This patent was approved last week and contains 16 sketches of the device as well. Looking at these images, the smartphone looks like any other device from the front when it is folded. A punch hole display can be observed on the front, however, the interesting aspect of the device is tucked behind it.

When unfolded, the device unveils a large display on the other side of the external display that was seen from the front. This large display has a two hinge mechanism, which means that it technically has three screen areas, with the first being on the opposite of the external display, while the other two are an extension of the same that fold inward from the back. Since the rear panel is completely comprised of the large display, the only camera is the selfie shooter which can only be used as the rear camera when the device is unfolded.

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Underneath the primary/external display is where most of the crucial components of the device are housed, with the SIM card and volume rockers being found on the right side. This side also features an additional large button, which is likely built for the unfolding mechanism. On the bottom, a USB Type C port can be found, flanked by speakers grills on either side that can also be found on the top.

Unfortunately, this might just be the company’s attempt to cover all bases. So, it is unknown if Xiaomi actually plans on developing such a device. Although, the device quite futuristic and might be seen sometime in the next few years as technology advances further. This is by far not impossible to build, but might be quite unwieldy due to its size and, weight.

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A Xiaomi patent has caught our eyes again, with this one showcasing an unique smartphone design. The patent images depict a foldable smartphone with a quad camera system that rotates forward for selfies and to the back for regular photography.

Xiaomi had filed the design patent for an inward bending phone in its home country of China. In the patent, the Chinese tech giant also put 48 images the showcase the handset. Similar to the Motorola Razr 2019, the device folds inwards like the flip phones, which were popular a decade ago. However, the inside mostly comprises of a display with narrow bezels on every side except the top.

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On top of the display, one can observe a noticeably large camera module. A quad camera setup is housed horizontally in this region, right above the receiver for calls. This quad camera module is also capable of rotating or twisting to face the other side. Notably, the image sensors are slightly raised over the body and the device folds from the middle of the display and not the overall length, allowing the camera system to go over the folded display rather than making space for it.

Hence, the camera system might still be usable despite the device being folded. Unfortunately, the patent description doesn’t reveal whether a secondary screen will also be implemented on the rear or any finer details. The hinge mechanism isn’t revealed particularly either but resembles the hideaway hinge found in the Galaxy Z Flip. At the moment, there is no confirmation is Xiaomi is actually working on the product or just covering all bases.

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(Via)

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While Samsung and Huawei have already announced their foldable smartphone, other major smartphone manufacturers are also working on foldable smartphones. Interestingly, every company has their own take when it comes to the design of such devices.

Xiaomi has been rumored to working on a smartphone with a foldable design. Earlier this year, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun publicly confirmed that a folding smartphone is in development. In January this year, the phone’s 3D render images also surfaced online.

Now, TechConfigurations has created a 2-minute 3D concept render video showcasing the upcoming Xiaomi foldable smartphone’s stunning design, which can be folded twice. It shows that the device has a 6.5-inch display when folded and when unfolded, it offers a 10-inch display.

The company had said that the symmetric double folded design perfectly combines the experience of the tablet and a mobile phone, which is both practical and beautiful. There’s also a triple-camera setup on the back of the device, which will presumably handle bokeh-style portrait shots. For charging, syncing and headphones, the device has a USB Type-C port.

Also, the device is shown featuring a punch-hole design where the cut-off on the screen houses the front-facing camera sensor for taking selfies, video calling, and face unlocking feature. The phone also packs an in-display fingerprint sensor.

According to the reports, the company is currently in the process of finalizing the name of this prototype from these two — Xiaomi Dual Flex and Xiaomi MIX Flex. However, the company is still open for more suggestions.

Earlier, in a statement regarding the development of Xiaomi foldable smartphone, the company had said that one of the key components of the phone — the flexible folding screen is co-developed by Xiaomi and its supply chain partner Visionox. Aside from the screen, its design, folding mechanism and MIUI adaptation are developed by the company itself.

Read More: Huawei looking towards €1000 foldable devices; plans to overtake Samsung by next year

While the phone’s concept design has been already shown, the launch of the Xiaomi’s foldable smartphone seems to be far away. If the reports are to be believed, then the Chinese smartphone manufacturer is expected to launch the device this year.

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While Samsung is all set to launch its foldable smartphone — Samsung Galaxy Fold, at a launch event on 20th February, another smartphone brand has confirmed that a foldable smartphone is under development — Xiaomi.

The concept 3D renders of Xiaomi’s upcoming foldable smartphone have surfaced online, showing the phone’s double folding design which turns into a table when unfolded.

Last year, it was reported that Xiaomi is developing a foldable smartphone. At that time, it was also reported that the said foldable smartphone from Xiaomi will be launched in the second half of 2019. A couple of weeks ago, China-based Xiaomi publicly confirmed that a folding smartphone in development.

Lin Bin, co-founder and CEO of Xiaomi, went a step further and published a video showing a prototype of the bendable smartphone. The smartphone with flexible display has a very unique design as it can be folded twice. The phone’s display is on the outside and is folded around the housing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3-aDOMI6Mk

He said that the company has already overcome several technical problems, such as the flexible display, the folding mechanism, and the MIUI adjustment. He further added that the symmetric double folded design perfectly combines the experience of the tablet and a mobile phone, which is both practical and beautiful.

According to the reports, the company is currently in the process of finalizing the name of this prototype from these two — Xiaomi Dual Flex and Xiaomi MIX Flex. It is said that the company is still open for more suggestions.

The render images show that the phone can be folded from the two sides of the screen and then close seamlessly, exactly in the middle, on the back of the device. Once folded, it’s a relatively short and wide smartphone and when unfolded, it seems like a table. On top, there’s an ON/OFF button while there’s a USB-Type C port on the bottom.

While the video shared by Xiaomi CEO shows the camera icon on the smartphone, information related to the camera module on the foldable smartphone still remains a mystery. Interestingly, no camera can be seen around the screen as well as on the phone’s back.

In a statement regarding this development, Xiaomi said that one of the key components of the phone — the flexible folding screen — is co-developed by Xiaomi and its supply chain partner. Aside from the screen, its design, folding mechanism and MIUI adaptation are developed by the company itself.

Read More: Xiaomi patents smartphone design with four-sided curved edge display

While Xiaomi’s foldable smartphone is still under development, the company is expected to officially launch the 5G variant of its Mi MIX 3 smartphone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain later this month, along with other products.

(Source)

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