Xiaomi patent shows a phone with five pop-up cameras

Vivo NEX pioneered the pop-up camera, but Xiaomi is taking it to the next level

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Xiaomi’s new phone has a screen that folds around the body and a whopping five cameras. (Picture: TigerMobiles)

Published: 8:00am, 13 Nov 2019

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

A new patent from Xiaomi either shows some unusual ideas or the next big thing in phone design. The oddest part is not the wraparound foldable screen — but a massive pop-up module with a mind-boggling five pop-up cameras. It’s like Xiaomi decided to take the most hyped-up trends in smartphones and turn it into a five-eyed Frankenstein.

The patent was found by the TigerMobiles.com website on China’s IP national agency CNIPA. The patent was registered in August 2018, but so far it hasn’t become a reality.

Like many Chinese smartphone makers, Xiaomi has been experimenting with bold designs to attract more attention in an increasingly crowded market. In January it teased a foldable phone that folds twice. But while it looked cool, many noticed an odd omission: There didn’t appear to be space for a camera. More recently, Xiaomi unveiled a US$2,800 concept phone, the Mi Mix Alpha, with a screen that wraps around the body.

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