Xiaomi has showed off a couple of foldable phones earlier in the year, but they look a lot like the Samsung Galaxy Fold or the Huawei Mate X. Now, almost immediately after the launch of the Motorola Razr, a patent granted to the Chinese phone maker has surfaced. And it depicts a phone sporting a clamshell form factor.
The patent was filed by Xiaomi back in 2018 with the Chinese National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). It doesn’t look quite have the iconic look of the Razr. Rather, it’s defining feature may be its blocky look. The lack of the iconic chin also means that moth ends of the phone meet when folded.
It features a foldable display on the inside, and a secondary screen on the outside, but the secondary screen is much smaller. While not actually stated, the smaller secondary display suggest that it won’t allow you to respond to notifications. Also unlike the Razr, it has two cameras on each side. Beyond that, there isn’t much else to be found on the patent, as far as information goes.
As TechRadar points out, it’s quite the coincidence that the patent surfaces just as the Motorola Razr was announced. That said, as is the case with patents, it doesn’t guarantee that we’ll see a consumer product based on it. If Xiaomi is looking to make a foldable phone, it’s likely the earlier tablet-esque devices will hit the market first.
(Source: Tiger Mobiles via TechRadar)
