With Huawei's newly announced foldable phone Mate X2 gaining popularity, Xiaomi's similar device may not be far behind.
Xiaomi's first foldable phone has been granted a network license and it supports 5G networks and runs Android, according to a message posted Friday by well-known Weibo digital blogger @数码闲聊站.
Some media reports said this means Xiaomi's foldable phone will be unveiled soon, possibly even in March.
Previously, it was reported that the Xiaomi foldable phone will use an 8.03-inch foldable OLED panel supplied by Samsung, which supports a 120Hz refresh rate. The aforementioned blogger said the device will not have any openings on the front.
The machine is also expected to be equipped with a 6.38-inch external screen, which can effectively avoid frequent folding of the screen and affect durability.
The phone combines a slide-out display with a flexible display. The secondary screen has a sliding design that slides down to reveal the front camera and other components to keep the screen intact.
The phone will reportedly feature Xiaomi's own independent ISP (Image Signal Processing), a Snapdragon 888 processor, and a 100-megapixel main camera, and is expected to be priced from RMB 8,999 yuan ($1,391).
Huawei Mate X2 price goes up to about $15,500 on second-hand market on debut
(Leaked images of Xiaomi's first foldable phone. Source: Weibo)