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Xiaomi Shows Off a Double Folding Smartphone 
​January 28, 2019
 
Xiaomi CEO, Lin Bin said the company is considering mass-producing a new foldable smartphone that opens like a greeting card. A video clip also showed some additional features of the “world’s first double folding phone”: the power button is on the top, where you’d expect it to be on a traditional slab smartphone, and the interface scales and rotates as Lin moves. In the video, the executive is using a tablet-sized gadget -- until he folds its sides and uses it like any phone. Its UI automatically resizes itself to occupy just the middle part of the screen, so no need to flip the device to look at the folded parts of the display. To make it as authentically phone-like as possible, the company put a power button at the top-center of the device when it's held in landscape mode. That way, the button will still be easily accessible when it's used as a phone. Bin wrote in his post that the form factor, which "perfectly merges the experience" of a phone and a tablet, is the result of the company's work on foldable displays, folding hinges and other technical challenges. He also said that it's just a prototype at this point, and that the company "will consider mass producing it" if it gets positive feedback from consumers online. Xiaomi has two possible names in mind for the prototype -- Mi Dual Flex and Mi MIX Flex -- but it's also looking for suggestions. Here's a translation of the executive's post on Weibo:
 
Figure 1: Xiaomi’s Dual-Folding Phone

Source: Company

​"Xiaomi's dual-folding phone is coming! After tackling flexible folding display, four-way folding hinge, flexible cover tech, MIUI adaptation and other technical challenges, we have made the first foldable phone, and should also be the world's first dual-folding phone. This symmetrically dual-outer-folding form factor perfectly merges the experience of a tablet and a phone, it's both practical and beautiful. Even though it's still a prototype, we're showing it to you all. Feel free to share, comment and like. If you all like it, we will consider mass-producing it.
 
Also, we would like to give this prototype a name. What do you think? I have two: Mi Dual Flex, Mi MIX Flex. Suggestions are welcome!"
 
The speakers (and their grilles) have been replaced by a piezo-electric sound system that turns the entire screen into a vibrating surface capable of making sound. And headphone audio uses Bluetooth, of course.