Xiaomi may be working on a foldable tablet that transforms into a smartphone. (Image credit: Bloomberg)Xiaomi could be developing a foldable tablet that transforms into a smartphone. Twitter leaker @Evleaks aka Evan Blass posted a video of a foldable tablet that could be made by Xiaomi, which is known for its popular budget smartphones.
The 20-second video shows a tablet that turns into a phone when you fold its left and right side. The video also shows a user interface that shares similarities with MIUI skin, a custom interface on top of Android. From the demo, it appears that the user interface seems to be smooth.
Xiaomi has been rumoured to be working on a foldable device, according to ET News. But, it’s not clear if this is the final device, or a mere prototype. However, take this news with a grain of salt, as this video could be fake. Xiaomi hasn’t yet confirmed its plans to launch a foldable device in the near future.
Take a look at the video below!
Can’t speak to the authenticity of this video or device, but it’s allegedly made by Xiaomi, I’m told. Hot new phone, or gadget porn deepfake? pic.twitter.com/qwFogWiE2F
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) January 3, 2019
Foldable smartphones arriving in 2019
If this video is legitimate, then Xiaomi is among a handful of companies working on foldable tablet-smartphone hybrid devices. Foldable smartphones might become a reality in 2019. Samsung teased its first ever foldable smartphone at its annual developer conference in San Francisco in November. While the company didn’t reveal full specifications and features of the device, it did mention that it will start mass producing its foldable phone display, the Infinity Flex, in a “matter of months”. Samsung’s foldable smartphone, which has no name yet, will likely to launch sometime in 2019.
It’s possible that Samsung’s foldable smartphone will be announced at Mobile World Congress in February 2019.Samsung isn’t the only major company working on a foldable device. Late last year, a small start-up called Royole became the first company to announce the world’s first foldable smartphone. Huawei reportedly plans to launch a 5G-ready foldable smartphone in the first half of this year. Oppo is also working on a similar device and so is Lenovo. Speculation is rife that Google is also working on a foldable smartphone under its Pixel brand. Microsoft too is experimenting with a foldable screen device, expected to be called the Surface Phone. It’s being said to be a hybrid device with a dual-screen and a pen.
Android natively supports foldable devices
Google is officially supporting foldable smartphones that run on Android mobile OS. At the company’s Android Developer Summit held in November last year, Google revealed that Android will have support for screens that bend and fold. During the presentation, David Burke, the company’s vice president for engineering, described the experience of using a foldable device as “Screen Continuity”, allowing an app to seamlessly between a bigger screen and a smaller display.
A lot of companies are planning to launch a foldable smartphone in 2019. (Image credit: Bloomberg)First-generation foldable phones likely to be expensive
Whether you like it or not, foldable smartphones are likely to remain a niche in the first few years. To be fair, they won’t make a huge impact on the overall smartphone market. A recent report claimed that Samsung’s foldable smartphone will cost about $1,800 (or approx Rs 1,25,163). That’s a steep price to pay for a smartphone. But given the time and effort that have gone into making a foldable smartphone, it would be less surprising if Samsung asks you to shell out over a lakh for a foldable phone. Keep in mind that this is a piece of unconfirmed news and not a confirmed price from Samsung.
