I Would Totally Buy This New Xiaomi Foldable Phone Concept

News
By published

Someone thought of a way to better the best foldable phone-tablet design so far.

The Xiaomi’s triptych foldable phone still seems to me like the best design for the foldable phone phone-tablet form factor, but this fan render takes the original to the next level.

Credit: TechConfigurations

(Image credit: TechConfigurations)

This animation shows a slightly different device from the prototype shown on video by Xiaomi’s President Lin Bin. While the latter closes completely on the back, this 3D model leaves an opening for a three-sensor camera module.

This makes sense, as Bin’s prototype required you to unfold it to take a photo — which would be rather impractical in situations where you want to quickly snap a shot. And it’s just more comfortable than taking a photo with the larger tablet.

MORE: Forget Samsung and Huawei: This Is the Best Foldable Phone Design Yet

The fan concept also uses a punch hole display so you can take selfies with the phone folded or unfolded.

The Samsung Galaxy Fold can take normal photos using a three-sensor camera and selfies without unfolding it. The Huawei Mate X can do the same. To take a selfie with the Mate X you just need to turn it around and use the half of the display that is on the phone’s back.

The real Xiaomi prototype doesn’t have any of these abilities — which are rather important for consumers — so perhaps this 3D render will be something closer to its final form than the one Bin demonstrated.

TOPICS
Jesus Diaz
Jesus Diaz

Jesus Diaz founded the new Sploid for Gawker Media after seven years working at Gizmodo, where he helmed the lost-in-a-bar iPhone 4 story and wrote old angry man rants, among other things. He's a creative director, screenwriter, and producer at The Magic Sauce, and currently writes for Fast Company and Tom's Guide.