A look at what could’ve been

With the exception of the Huawei Mate X series and the Royole FlexPai family, the vast majority of foldable phones are inward-folding devices. Xiaomi’s two foldables are also inward-folding affairs, but a new leak has given us a look at an intriguing prototype.

Tipster Kuba Wojciechowski has posted photos of a prototype Xiaomi foldable phone on Twitter, showing an outward folding design. This makes for quite the change from the company’s Mi Mix Fold and Mix Fold 2 handsets. Check out the images below.

The pictures show a phone that bears a notable resemblance to the Huawei Mate X series, largely due to the overall design and inclusion of a rear camera bar. Speaking of the camera bar, we can also make out at least four cameras here. Otherwise, the prototype doesn’t have a rear cover, giving us a look at the exposed batteries, circuitry, and more.

Wojciechowski also dished out a few more apparent details regarding the device, noting that it has a 2019-era Snapdragon 855 processor and X50 5G modem. He also claimed that “very few” units have surfaced in public, which is understandable given that we’re only seeing this prototype now.

There’s no word on why this particular design didn’t see a commercial release, but we’re guessing durability may have been a major concern. Inward-folding designs are considered superior as the form factor protects the relatively fragile folding displays from scratches and other damage.