Xiaomi
- Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi published a new video teasing its foldable phone, the Mi Fold.
- Unlike foldable phones made by Samsung and Huawei, Xiaomi’s phone folds in two places.
- The new video comes after the company teased its foldable phone in January.
A little more than a month after Samsung unveiled its Galaxy Fold, Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has provided another look at its own flexible smartphone, the Mi Fold.
The brief 10-second video published on March 27 shows how Xiaomi’s device switches from tablet mode to phone mode. The person holding the Mi Fold in the clip is seen moving the slate from portrait to landscape mode. Then, both of the Mi Fold’s edges are tucked underneath the tablet and folded toward the center of the device, converting the device into a smartphone. The result is a phone with a nearly borderless screen, although it does appear to be slightly wider than most smartphones.
Take a look for yourself:
It’s not the first time Xiaomi has showcased its foldable device. In January, Xiaomi Senior Vice President Wang Xiang shared a video on Twitter of the company’s cofounder and president Bin Lin using the device, which he called "the world’s first ever double folding phone." In that video, Lin demonstrates how the Mi Fold can switch between phone mode and tablet mode during a video chat without interrupting the call. The new video, however, provides a slightly clearer look at how the Mi Fold looks when folded in its phone form factor.
Xiaomi’s approach to designing a foldable phone is notably different than Samsung’s and Huawei’s. The Galaxy Fold, for example, features a clamshell form factor that opens up like a book, with the screen located on the inside of the device. Huawei’s foldable Mate X folds in half almost like a piece of paper. The Xiaomi Mi Fold, however, doesn’t fold in half, but instead requires the user to tuck the tablet’s edges back and toward the center of the device. Like the Mate X, the Mi Fold also appears to offer a significantly larger screen than the Samsung Galaxy Fold.
Xiaomi is the fifth most popular smartphone maker in China as of the fourth quarter of 2018, coming in behind Apple, Vivo, Oppo, and Huawei, according to Counterpoint Research. It’s been referred to as the "Apple of China" not just because of the physical similarities between its own devices and Apple’s, but because of its ability to garner a cult-like following of dedicated fans. Xiaomi’s popularity largely stems from its strategy of marketing their products as high-end devices, but selling them for low prices. But the company has faced increased competition from rivals like Huawei, which is now the leader in the Chinese smartphone market, among other electronics makers like Vivo.
See Also:
- Samsung says the Galaxy Fold is ‘durable’ for up to 200,000 folds, but it looks like creasing is going to be inevitable
- Everyone’s talking about foldable phones, but a few things need to happen before people start buying them
- Hands-on with Huawei’s P30 Pro, which has 4 cameras and takes calls through a vibrating screen
Source: Business Insider – leadicicco@businessinsider.com (Lisa Eadicicco)