Xiaomi is no stranger to pushing the envelope of modern smartphone design, regularly producing eccentric concepts and Futuristic Prototypes Many of the company’s patents tend to pick up double shots, but its latest one seems to skip the ‘novelty’ and land firmly on ‘brilliant’. How LetsGoDigital discovered, a recent Xiaomi patent presents a number of interesting design elements. First of all, there is no self-contained camera with notches, perforations or pop-ups in sight, instead it is based on an under-screen camera. We have seen this design concept before, although only conceptually. However, by far the most interesting aspect of the design is found in the two mysterious circles that adorn its top. Curious holes appear at first glance to hide some kind of camera or speaker system, but the truth is, these are built-in wireless headphones.
The rotating design of Xiaomi’s latest patent
Similar to the iconic S Pen in Samsung’s Galaxy Note series, the phone will apparently house its own wireless earbuds, resembling the slim, cylindrical design of Xiaomi’s true wireless earbuds. The headphones would have a hinged section to lay flat in storage, but fold flat to fit snugly in your ear, AirPod style.
There are, of course, some problems that should be considered here. First of all, the design will make the phone more susceptible to environmental damage caused by water or dust, so it may never get an IP rating. Second, the headphones are generally rounded and relatively thick to provide a secure and comfortable fit, something that is quite difficult to reconcile with the slim design of a modern smartphone.
Speaking of slim, the phone itself appears to be sleek and stylish, with a straight-sided aluminum frame reminiscent of the iPhone from years past. It also features a volume control and a power button, along with another function button still unknown. It is similar in design and location to the Google Assistant button on LG phones, so it can be for Xiaomi Assistant or Xiao AI. Of course, a more exciting idea (and logically) is that the button can be to eject the headphones.
No patent guarantees a launch in real life, but the efficient and futuristic design of this one makes hope. We will have to be vigilant in the future!
