Code found within MIUI 12 reportedly suggests that Xiaomi is working on a folding smartphone codenamed ‘Cetus’. That’s according to XDA senior member, kacskrz, who further claims that the device might ship with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 108MP primary camera and Android 11 out-of-the-box. The evidence was apparently found within the latest MIUI 12 China Closed Beta for the Mi 10 Pro. The rest of the specifications remain a mystery, so it will be interesting to see how the upcoming device turns out.
China Star will start panel production for a Xiaomi 8" out-folding foldable by the end of the year. We published that in our Weekly Review last week. The Xiaomi device should launch next spring.
In spite of teething troubles in the first couple of years, folding smartphones are becoming increasingly more common with companies like Samsung, Huawei and Lenovo (Motorola) launching multiple models with varied designs and form factor. With Xiaomi now expected to throw its hat into the ring, it will be interesting to see what that does to competition in what is still a relatively niche segment in the smartphone industry.
