Xiaomi foldable phone patent shows front cameras that bend to the back

The patent was filed in July last year, but it was just approved this week, according to China’s National Intellectual Property Administration website. But not all patents get to see the light of day. A foldable prototype Xiaomi teased (online) a year ago still hasn’t been turned into a commercial product.

New foldable display technology is still expensive and makes for some chunky phones, so they aren’t widely uses yet. But Chinese companies are still hammering out new design ideas. TV maker TCL recently showed off a tri-fold tablet with two hinges that can turn into a phone. It also showed off a “rollable extendable” protype with a display that rolls out from the side. But those prototypes might not become consumer products anytime soon either.