Foldable phones have been on the rise for the past two years now. Companies like Samsung, Motorola and Huawei have embraced the new category of devices by releasing foldable smartphones commercially. In the past, Xiaomi has also shown interest in the segment, demonstrating foldable phone concepts and filing patents for such. And while we’ve already seen an outward-folding device from Xiaomi, one similar to the Huawei Mate X, now it’s a different story. Pictures of a new prototype folding phone from Xiaomi were published on Chinese site igao7. The device is branded as Xiaomi MIX and features an inward-folding mechanism, similar to that on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2. Note that the device in question does not feature a screen and is clearly a dummy phone.
Judging by the look of it, the prototype seems to be made partly out of aluminum and partly out of glass. The pictures also show the frame of the Xiaomi MIX and its foldable mechanism in detail. The Xiaomi MIX device seen in the pictures appears to feature a cutout for a triple-camera back module and a piano black finish with silver metal accents on the frame.
Previously, a Xiaomi folding prototype has been spotted in the wild. The device had a protective casing and from the pictures it looked like it had a bigger than normal crease in its display, compared to similar foldable devices like the Motorola RAZR 2020 and the Huawei Mate X.
In 2019, Xiaomi demonstrated their own vision for a foldable device by posting a promotional video of a concept phone with an outward-folding display. Since then, the company has not made moves toward releasing a folding device, but with this new prototype, the company might be on its way to join the foldable market.
