TL; DR
- Xiaomi has patented designs for three new smartphones.
- One design in particular is apparently inspired by the Samsung Galaxy S21 series.
- It’s unclear whether these designs could debut on the company’s future smartphones.
Xiaomi is known for granting patents on quirky, novel designs, but the devices described in its latest filing seem pretty normal. Seen from LetsGoDigital, the Chinese company has submitted documents for three new smartphone designs.
The first draft apparently envisages a future flagship. It uses a camera module in a similar position as the Samsung Galaxy S21 series. It also takes up a significant part of the back of the phone, complete with four sensors. The top camera protrudes slightly from the camera module, suggesting that it could pick up the headliner sensor. While the two middle snaps appear similar, the lower lens is housed in a rectangular case. This suggests its use as a periscope snapper. Interestingly, in addition to the second and third lenses, there is also what appears to be a large flash.
We also look at the edges of the phone, including a USB-C port that’s attached to the bottom right corner of the phone and flanked by a long indentation. A microphone is also available.
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Xiaomi’s second design packs an oval camera array with two large sensors and three additional camera elements. It’s unclear whether this is three cameras or two snappers and a flash. Nevertheless, this design also has a vertical line that runs next to the camera module. It could be a visual element, and the patent drawings don’t make this clear.
After all, the third design is arguably the most reserved of them all. A large camera is housed at the top, including two additional sensors.
Xiaomi’s future cell phones?
We saw previous Xiaomi patents that included rotating cameras under the display and crazy speaker-smartphone hybrids. There is a slim chance these designs will find their way onto consumer-ready devices. However, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine the latest three designs debuting on Xiaomi phones. Xiaomi filed for the patent in March 2021, suggesting that the designs are in active development.
It is of course unclear which Xiaomi model range would sport these designs or whether the company plans to use one of them anytime soon. However, don’t be too shocked if a future Xiaomi smartphone features one of these design elements.