New Xiaomi foldable phone may mimic Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2

(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)

Xiaomi’s rumored first foldable phone, which we expect to be called the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 Pro Max, may borrow some design ideas from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2.

Serial mobile leaker Digital Chat Station has suggested that the upcoming device will adopt an inward-folding design similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Huawei Mate X2. This would corroborate conclusions drawn from the alleged prototype images of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 Pro Max spotted back in January.

The display panel is expected to have an 8.03-inch diagonal when open, alongside a secondary display measuring 6.38-inches, which would make the Xiaomi foldable slightly larger than the Samsung equivalent, but very similar in terms of design.

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On Twitter, Ross Young, founder of Display Supply Chain Consultants, recently said that China Star will supply the panels for the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 Pro Max rather than Samsung Display.

We hear the upcoming Xiaomi foldable may be called the Mi Mix 4 Pro Max. China Star is the display supplier, not SDC. SDC will provide an in-folding display later in the year, which will be a little larger.March 1, 2021

That said, it seems Samsung Display remains involved in Xiaomi's development of a foldable smartphone. According to Digital Chat Station, the company is working on three different foldable models – perhaps a Lite and standard variant, alongside the Pro Max – and Young suggests Samsung Display will still provide the display for at least one of them, expected to be a larger, outward-folding design.

Detective work

While there’s been no official confirmation that Xiaomi is preparing to launch a range of foldable phones, a recent patent application indicates that the company is certainly developing something for the foldable market.

We also don’t know whether the patent refers to the Mi Mix 4 Pro Max or one of the other reported model variants, but it nevertheless sheds some light on what we can expect from a foldable Xiaomi phone in the near future.

Designs include those for a device with dual displays and a flagship-grade Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, which would place it at the top end of the market when it comes to mobile processing power.

The rear designs detail a primary 108MP camera sensor, as well as a 5,000mAh battery pack said to be capable of supporting 67W fast charging.

Xiaomi’s Mi Mix series has always been about experimenting with new form factors that enable a better viewing experience, beginning back in 2016 with the introduction of its full-screen, bezel-less displays. Whatever the company is working on for the future, Xiaomi looks set to offer a device – or three – that takes that design ethos to the next level.