Xiaomi may launch Moto Razr-like foldable clamshell phone suggests leaked patent

Xiaomi seemingly confirmed they were developing a foldable device when the company’s Co-founder Bin Lin shared a video on Twitter displaying the prototype earlier in the year. The device was expected to unveil at the Mobile World Congress 2019 along with the 5G version of the Mi Mix 3. However, things didn’t work out as expected.

But now, Xiaomi appears to have a foldable smartphone in the works that is reportedly coming with a design similar to that of the Motorola Razr (2019). This information has been made available after a patent application emerged online that showcases the new development.As per the new patent, the foldable phone could come in a clamshell form-factor and bring with it a pop-up camera setup. This is quite in contrast with the foldable phone design that Xiaomi has teased in the past, with the company talking about a phone with a double-folding design — unlike the Motorola Razr (2019) that folds vertically like a traditional flip phone.

The patent application that has been seen now has been filed with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and was done so back in August 2018. This clamshell design phone patent has already received approval by the authority on December 6, as spotted by Dutch website LetsGoDigital.

The patent suggests the Xiaomi phone could fold completely in half to give traditional flip phone-like look and feel to the users. This will then expose a secondary screen at the front once the phone is folded to show notifications. The foldable handset also seems to carry the pop-up selfie camera module with an array of sensors. However, there will be a notch visible once the smartphone is folded.