Xiaomi is rumoured to be working on a compact foldable to take on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5.
Reliable tipster Digital Chat Station has taken to Weibo, China’s major social network, and mentioned that Xiaomi is working on a new smartphone with a “Flip vertical inward folding screen” (via machine translation).
They also mention that this new clamshell foldable phone is “extremely light and thin”.
This is notable because Xiaomi, despite being the third biggest smartphone manufacturer in the world behind Samsung and Apple, has never made a compact foldable phone before. It has launched the Mix Fold and Mix Fold 2 (pictured), but these are full-sized foldable rivals to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold line.
We have heard rumours that Xiaomi was working on a compact foldable before. Way back in 2020 it was claimed that Xiaomi was looking into a product to rival the original Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and the relaunched Motorola Razr, with production then set for late 2020.
That didn’t come to pass, of course, but it seems clear that Xiaomi has been looking into compact foldables for some time. It might just be ready to pull the trigger.
Judging from the impressive way that the Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro have taken on the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus respectively, we’re expecting a highly competitive effort from the first Xiaomi clamshell foldable.
While the quality of the final product isn’t really in doubt, Xiaomi’s release plans are. As good as the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 allegedly was, it never came to Europe.
