Chinese mobile maker Xiaomi has shown off a new foldable smartphone, becoming the latest Android manufacturer to throw its weight behind the revolutionary new form factor.
The device, which Xiaomi says will be called either Mi Dual Flex and the Mi MIX Flex, appears in a minute–long clip posted to Weibo, with CEO Lin Bin seen using what at first appears to be a tablet.
He then folds both sides of the device underneath the central part of the screen to create a smartphone–sized device, which automatically adjusts its icons and apps to work seamlessly.
Bin then presses a power button at the top of the handset and gives viewers a look at the folded smartphone from all angles.
Xiaomi says that the handset is the world’s first ‘dual folding phone’, but that at the moment it is just a prototype.
However, if there’s enough consumer interest it will start mass production.
Considering the positive response, that seems highly likely. This is the first up close look we’ve had at a foldable smartphone.
While Samsung showed off its heavily tipped Galaxy Fold in November 2018, it did so from a distance and did not provide as clear a view of its product as Xiaomi has done.
With Google planning broader support for folding phones with its forthcoming Android Q platform, expect to see a lot more folding phones in the coming months.
