Future Xiaomi foldable phones might start off with having a large primary screen with a folding display on both sides. LetsGoDigital spotted a patent filed by Xiaomi recently. It suggests that the Chinese tech giant might be developing a foldable device that could fold in a Z-like shape.
Because of this form factor, Xiaomi's future smartphones would look nothing like the Huawei Mate XS or the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Despite the rather unconventional shape, the phone will offer some particular practical benefits. It has a USB-C connection port at the bottom and stereo speaker grills. One of the sides will feature a SIM slot and volume buttons. The device will also come with a fingerprint scanner on one of the edges.
Read also: Xiaomi's Rumored 108MP Camera Phone Might Surprisingly be the Company's Cheapest Smartphone
Future Xiaomi foldable phones' possible design approach
When it comes to the displays, there will be two options. The primary display has a design similarity when compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 2's outer display. Future Xiaomi foldable phones would also have a call speaker on the topmost part and a front-facing punch-hole camera on the main screen.
Things get exciting once the device is unfolded. Users can make the most out of a display that's thrice its normal (folded) size. In this form, it would obviously look like a tablet instead of a smartphone. When folded, a certain part of this display also becomes the phone's rear.
From the get-go, future Xiaomi foldable phones do have lots of screen real estate for a relatively small device when compared to a full-pledged tablet. However, this "blessing" does have some drawbacks. First off, given the Z shape, the device will not be that slim when folded. The single front-facing camera that's found on the primary display means that when unfolded, users can't do video calls.
Read also: Sword Art Online: Progressive Anime Adaptation will Definitely soon be Available
Mobile devices that can fold multiple times aren't really new. Well, at least in theory. We've even seen Samsung previously having its take on this design preference. However, the new design of future Xiaomi foldable phones significantly does differ from the South-Korean company's approach on the matter.
Foldables devices are currently at their infancy stage. Like any other new technology, they are gradually growing in popularity. Manufacturers that already have foldable devices out in the market know that it will definitely take quite a while before their devices experience mass adoption. Also, with any fresh tech innovation, the prices of these devices can make you reconsider your buying preference once or twice -- or even thrice. Still, let's admit the fact that future Xiaomi foldable phones have benefits that haven't quite outweighed their disadvantages.
Such a Xiaomi device may still take quite a few years to see itself hitting market shelves - both actual and digital. From a consumer's point of view, however, this trend of offering folding devices could make more companies experiment with different approaches on how to make a good, if not the best, folding device in the not-so-distant future.
