TL; DR
- A new Xiaomi patent introduces a phone with a four-sided curved display.
- The phone also lacks ports, buttons and a cutout for a selfie camera.
Double-sided curved screens are pretty annoying, but they seem like a standard design element on flagship phones. But Xiaomi seems intent on taking this even further. According to a new patent, the company could be working on a new phone with a four-sided curved screen.
The patent discovered by LetsGoDigital, imagines a Xiaomi smartphone with a four-sided curved display. Essentially, the phone’s display would wrap around all four of the front edges and corners of the device. While the back of the phone has no indicators, most of the side panels of the device would consist of a screen strip. It is assumed that these display margins are used as information tickers.
The clean display surface and the lack of details on the pop-up camera suggest that Xiaomi will use a selfie camera under the display. A large primary sensor takes over the imaging on the back. There’s a secondary design element underneath, but it’s unclear if it’s a companion camera or some other component.
No connections, no buttons
Finally, it’s interesting to note that this phone doesn’t have any buttons or ports. Xiaomi would probably have to implement a few technical tricks to get around this. For starters, there could be induction speakers, while the side display could contain pressure-sensitive digital buttons. Wireless charging would be the primary way to charge the device’s battery. Finally, eSIM technology would probably also be used.
Although this patent was published on July 6th, it is not an indication that Xiaomi will launch such a device. The company experimented with wraparound displays on the Mi Mix Alpha, but this new patent design is stretching the screen in entirely new directions. Additionally, portless phones aren’t new, but no company has released a consumer-friendly example yet.
It’s also questionable how popular this design would be. How will the curved display affect usability? We introduce ourselves negatively. If you’re particularly clumsy, this is probably your worst investment too.
But what do you think of Xiaomi’s latest patent design? Is it a terrible idea that should never be done, or would you buy one right away? Let us know by voting in the poll above.