“The design patent shows a rotating shaft that connects the top and bottom displays, with magnets placed around the edges to keep the top display folded”
Xiaomi has filed for a new patent at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that shows off a Motorola Razr (2019)-like clamshell foldable phone. The patent was filed back in July 2018 and was published earlier this week. The design patent shows the Xiaomi foldable phone would have a rotating shaft that connects the top and bottom displays, with magnets placed around the edges to keep the top display folded and prevent accidental opening. It seems like there is no notch in place on the front to accommodate the selfie snapper.
Unfortunately, the patent doesn’t reveal the hardware specifications or button placements, but Xiaomi could launch the foldable phone to take on Moto Razr and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. On the flip side, it’s entirely possible that Xiaomi might never use the granted patent design like many patents smartphone vendors have filed in the past.
Xiaomi’s president and co-founder Lin Bin earlier teased the company’s first working foldable phone back in January 2019. It folds outward on both the left and the right. It could have a 3:2 aspect ratio, and thanks to the flexible screen, it can be turned into a wide smartphone.
The folding process is entirely from what we have seen so far on the Samsung Galaxy Fold, Huawei Mate X, and others. The foldable phone was running on MIUI skin atop the Android, and the UI is customised for the device to scale to the compact form factor when folded seamlessly. Considering that it’s been a year since it showed off the prototype, we can expect Xiaomi to introduce the foldable some point this year. It remains to be seen if there would be any design changes.
