Xiaomi’s Outward Foldable Smartphone Prototypes Emerge Online; Resembles Huawei Mate X

Foldable smartphones have gained immense popularity in recent times, thanks to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip models featuring advanced display technology. Xiaomi is also among the many brands that have jumped onto this bandwagon. Now, a prototype of a Xiaomi foldable smartphone has been leaked.

As per a report by Gizmochina, a noted tipster Kuba Wojciechowski has posted photos of an alleged Xiaomi foldable smartphone via his Twitter handle. One of the images shows the actual prototype of the smartphone, which was spotted two years back and the other image shows one of the few units of the smartphone produced by the company.

Here are the images and the other details we know about the Xiaomi phone on cards.

Xiaomi Foldable Phone Resembles Huawei Mate X

The device appears to be similar to the Huawei Mate X series and joins the very few outward-folding smartphone displays out there. The Huawei Mate X lineup and Royal FlexiPai lineup are among the few devices that have an outward foldable display. Xiaomi's existing foldable phones, including the Mi Mix Fold and Mi Mix Fold 2 are both inward foldable as the outward folding mechanism is intricate.

Now, the leaked images of the prototype as seen above show that this could be Xiaomi's first outward foldable smartphone. The photos show an intriguing design with a rear camera arrangement similar to that of Huawei's offering. It looks like there will be four rear cameras at the rear.

In addition, some internal components of the device, including its battery, circuitry, and more have also been revealed. The tipster also noted that the smartphone from Xiaomi could be powered by the Snapdragon 856 SoC and X50 5G modem.

Why Xiaomi's Foldable Phone is Taking Long?

Furthermore, it has been tipped that a few units of the foldable smartphone are already in the public domain but it is yet to enter into commercial production. It looks like Xiaomi has been taking a long time to bring an outward foldable smartphone for logical reasons. While the company has not revealed the details, it is believed to be on hold for durability reasons. An outward folding phone has to deal with more challenges than inward designs. It is less durable and prone to scratches, cracks, and other damages.