The Xiaomi company has filed a patent in China on a foldable clamshell smartphone design. The images unveiled allow you to get a first idea of the project.
The design patented by Xiaomi // Source: Xiaomi
Xiaomi has filed a new smartphone design with the Chinese National Intellectual Property Administration, i.e. the Chinese patent office. While these are just a few images at the moment, these drawings showing a clamshell smartphone design give an idea of the hypothetical lead Xiaomi is taking for its next foldable device.
A classic foldable clamshell smartphone design
Xiaomi already has a foldable smartphone in its catalog, the Mi Mix Fold, which opens in book format. The latter is not available in France, but only in China.
If we are to believe the designs discovered on the Chinese administration of intellectual property, Xiaomi was therefore working on another foldable smartphone format, this time with clamshell. By observing the images of the patent, we will find a striking resemblance to a certain Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 …
The design patented by Xiaomi // Source: Xiaomi
On the outside, there is in particular a dual camera lens accompanied by a flash, as well as a small rectangular screen, useful in particular for displaying the time as well as a return for selfies.
By observing the inside of the smartphone, we can distinguish a notch at the top left of the screen, corresponding to the front camera. On the right edge would be the volume and lock buttons, while the bottom of the phone would accommodate a USB-C port in the center, a speaker grille and the slot receiving the SIM card. The left edge is devoid of any button.
It is difficult to deduce more characteristics from these simple drawings which depict a design that is all in all rather classic. If Xiaomi launches into the race for foldable clamshell smartphones, the Chinese company would compete with other devices already on the market or barely presented, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, the Motorola Razr, or the Huawei P50 Pocket which has just been unveiled. Remember, however, that patents do not necessarily mean that the manufacturer wishes to launch into the marketing of a product. Above all, it may be the desire to protect an idea.
While waiting for this hypothetical flip-flop smartphone, Xiaomi presents at the end of 2021 two new very real smartphones, the Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro.
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