Xiaomi president shows off its flexible double folding phone

[midian182]

Something to look forward to: The rumors are true: Xiaomi is working on a foldable phone. The Chinese firm’s president and co-founder, Lin Bin, posted a video on Weibo that shows the device in action, and it looks like one of the best implementations of the design we’ve seen to date.

At the start of the month, prolific leaker Evan Blass revealed a clip that allegedly shows Xiaomi's folding phone, which looks almost identical to the one from Bin’s video.

In the latest footage, the prototype initially resembles a small, if slightly curved, tablet. Bin then moves it to a landscape orientation before folding in both sides, making it look more like a phone. The power button is in a position where it can be easily accessed while in either tablet or phone mode.

To develop the device, Bin said Xiaomi had overcome “a series of technical problems such as flexible folding screen technology, four-wheel drive folding shaft technology, flexible cover technology, and MIUI adaptation.”

The company is considering naming the phone either Mi Dual Flex or Mi MIX Flex, though it’s open to suggestions from the public.

Importantly, Bin said Xiaomi would consider making a mass production machine in the future if people "like it," but with Samsung, LG, Oppo, Royole, and Huawei all confirmed or rumored to be working on similar devices, it would be surprising if Xiaomi didn’t join the party—especially as its bendy phone looks pretty good.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/78397-xiaomi-president-shows-off-flexible-double-folding-phone.html

 

[Uncle Al]

Got to admit that it's pretty cool looking and I'd love one if the Price Point is reasonable. I'd like it a LOT more if it could fold the other way as well so you could close it and prevent damage to the screen(s) when not in use. With that much flexibility I don't think the "screen saver" industry will be able to provide adequate protection so this new screen better be very durable as well.
All in all, I like the concept and application but I'll hold off since these products tend to get much better by the 3rd or 4th generation ......

 

[p51d007]

If the screen/folding part is DURABLE, I'd prefer THIS, to the others with that big folding bulge.

 

[Udelh579]

So, the Apple sucks a*s this time, I suppose?
I really liked the implementation of this feature and I hope Xiaomi will succeed with this project.

 

[Polycount]

To echo what others have already said, I'm a big fan of the way Xiaomi has handled the whole "folding smartphone" thing here. It's EASILY the best of a lot of crappy-looking implementations.

I see two problems, though.

One: fingerprints and grease. It's relatively easy to keep your screen neat and free of debris if the oleophobic coating is still in tact and you wash your hands regularly, but when you're folding your phone like this, your device's display is going to be exposed to whatever happens to be lying on the surface you put it on. A desk, table, chair, whatever. It'll be much harder to keep it clean.

Two: Also as others have said, I'm very concerned about damaging the screen portions that get folded here. How on earth does one even MAKE a case that can fully protect this thing? It'd have to have some pretty fancy engineering to adapt to the phone's state (fully folded or not), and that will probably jack up the price quite a bit.

 

[OutlawCecil]

I have to agree that protecting this phone will be a big issue. Gorilla glass is obviously out since it can't bend like that and the only competition really is sapphire which is expensive but ALSO doesn't bend like that. Mix this with the fact that a case would be impossible to make, and you have yourself some serious hurdles to worry about before release.

 

[cliffordcooley]

I'm not a fan of folding phones that still require a frame/bezel.

 

[hahahanoobs]

Foldable phones need a couple more years before they stop looking like gimmicky prototypes.

I see no advantage of the one shown in the video above for example. It's like they think everyone wants a tablet that folds to the size of a phone. No, just no.

"Wanna see my phone bend?"
"Whaaaaaa?! Awesoooome."
"What else can it do?"
"Text and make calls."
"Oh."

 

[Kytetiger]

I would like a foldable phone that can be attached to the wrist like a watch

 

[Mugsy]

I've noticed that every "folding" screen phone only folds in very specific preset locations (most fold in half. This one folds at the edges.)

What is the point of making the ENTIRE screen of "foldable" material if the only place you allow users to fold it is at specific points? I wonder if these companies are actually "cheating" by only using "foldable" material at the preset folding points, and using ordinary stiff glass for the rest of the screen?

It would definitely make them cheaper.

Until I see a screen that rolls up into a tube (like Samsung's rollup TV prototype), I'll have my doubts these phone screens are actually made "entirely" of foldable material.