Earlier this month, a foldable Xiaomi smartphone was spotted running the MIUI 12. Since then, there are rumors that the company will be launching a new foldable device later this year. Now, a new report has suggested that other Chinese OEMs are also on schedule with their own foldable handsets that will launch this year as well.
According to a known leakster @数码闲聊站, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo are gearing up for the launch of a new foldable smartphone later this year. The tipster revealed the information through a post on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging website, which states that all three Chinese tech giants will officially launch their new foldable handsets sometime in 2021.
As mentioned above, a Xiaomi smartphone with a bendable screen was spotted inside a subway in China and seemed similar to Xiaomi’s VP showcased a few years back but this one has a bigger display.
This device is likely a prototype and uses a hinge mechanism similar to the Galaxy Z Fold. The device is also shown as running MIUI 12 OS. While we know the design the Xiaomi prototype sports, it is currently unknown what design the Oppo or Vivo offerings feature. Although, it is rumored that Oppo’s foldable smartphone would also sport a similar hinge mechanism as the Xiaomi prototype.
Furthermore, the Weibo tipster also talks about Samsung and its overseas shipments of foldable displays. The South Korean company has apparently raised its shipments of foldable display, so there will also be a big wave of adoption of the firm’s seasoned flexible screen technology.
So we can expect devices with a similar hinge mechanism from different Chinese OEMs. Unfortunately, this is still an unconfirmed report, so take it with a pinch of salt for now and stay tuned for more updates.
