We may be at the start of an exciting mobile trend

By Andy Boxall Updated August 29, 2024

TCL's concept tri-fold smartphone. — TCL's concept tri-fold smartphone Corey Gaskin / Digital Trends

It seems folding phones with a single hinge are becoming old news, and devices with two hinges — referred to as trifold — are the next big thing in mobile. The latest brand to be attached to a trifold phone is Xiaomi, according to a rumor spreading online that it’s working on such a device.

It’s worth pointing out at this stage that the rumor is not supported by a confirmed source, and comes from a post made to the Chinese social network Weibo. When translated, the post, which is from an anonymous account that regularly shares Xiaomi information and news in China, simply states that Xiaomi is working on a trifold device and that it may signal a growing trend.

It would not be a surprise if Xiaomi is working on a trifold smartphone, as it’s very familiar with the current technology. The company has already released several big-screen folding smartphones including the Mix Fold 4, and also launched its first compact foldable — the Mix Flip — in China recently. Despite being up to date with current tech, it will also not want to fall behind the competition should trifold phones suddenly arrive. This rumor may have only hinted at a growing trend, but it seems the trend is already here.

Rumors and news about trifold smartphones have spread rapidly over the past year. Huawei has been linked to a trifold smartphone repeatedly over the past few months, and the company has said the production version will be shown before the end of the year. Tecno, another brand with experience in making folding smartphones, has revealed its own trifold concept called the Phantom Ultimate 2, but has not said when or if it will make it into production. Before this, TCL and Samsung have also shown concept versions of trifold mobile devices to the public.

Xiaomi joining the party sounds likely, and it will be keen to impress should several of the inevitably expensive smartphones suddenly arrive on the scene this year. Huawei may even use its trifold phone to steal some of Apple’s thunder in China and reveal it around the same time as the iPhone 16 series. Considering Apple is almost certain to reveal the new iPhone range on September 9, it will need to hurry up. Apple is not expected to reveal a folding phone of any type in the very near future.

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Senior Mobile Writer

Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

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