HIGHLIGHTS
- Xiaomi patented a flip phone with folding display and flip cameras in 2018.
- The Xiaomi device flaunts no bezels around the display and flat folding display.
- The overall design is quite similar to the new Motorola Razr from 2019.
The Motorola Razr is currently the coolest smartphone in 2019- that’s evident right from on-paper specifications. And it was only a matter of time that some other brand would draw inspiration from this design. Turns out Xiaomi already applied for a patent of a folding device back in 2018 and it has just been approved. The device is similar to the Motorola Razr with a flip phone form factor but Xiaomi has added its own twist to the design.
The patent has been uncovered by LetsGoDigital and it details how the device would look and function. When unfolded, the device looks similar to any other modern-day phone with thin bezels. However, the device has a hinge at the centre and it folds the phone in half, with display shutting flat- possibly with no gap at all. That sounds similar to the new Motorola Razr but as usual, there’s some twist that Xiaomi has added.
The twist seems inspired from Asus’ implementation of a Flip Camera module that we have seen previously on the Asus 6z. The device has a flip camera system holding three different cameras and possibly a small display that shows basic notifications icons on top. When folded, the flip camera module acts as a small secondary display. But when unfolded, it hides the camera at the back and flips open only when you need to take selfies.
Now, this is only a concept that was filed in 2018 and as we have seen with folding phones in recent times, there are some challenges to the folding phone as a concept. The display can’t fold flat without developing a crease and such thin bezels on a folding device are still a distant dream. Moreover, the flip camera module could increase weight and have an adverse effect on battery life. The flip module itself is delicate and it poses a further challenge to the structural integrity of the device too.
