The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 may struggle to knock this flip phone competitor off of its perch.
Rumours about the Xiaomi Mix Flip suggest it could solve one major flip phone gripe.
If you're a fan of modern technology, it's hard to ignore the emergence of foldable phones. The concept is simple – add a hinge to a your handset and double the amount of screen real estate for any given footprint. What's not to love?
Well, a bit, actually. See, while the idea is relatively simple, the smaller chassis means a lot of devices have to make concessions compared to the best Android phones on the market. For flip phones, the main one is the camera.
A lot of popular flip phones – like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 – are left with just two cameras on the rear of the device. That often loses the telephoto option, limiting users who are looking to snap things from further away.
One notable exception is the Oppo Find N3 Flip – and now the Xiaomi Mix Flip looks set to join that stable. According to information leaked by Digital Chat Station, the Mix Flip will enjoy a triple rear camera setup.
That includes a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide unit and a 60MP telephoto with 2x optical zoom. That's a decent array for a flip phone, and should make this option one of the most popular on the market.
That's a great sign for the market as a whole. The lack of camera functionality has been a stumbling block for many foldable phone enthusiasts, with the comparative price point making it hard to justify against traditional slab phones.
The closer models can come to achieving parity with those handsets, the more likely new users are to adopt the format. That can only mean good things for the longevity of the market.
There's no definitive word on when the Mix Flip will launch – or if that launch would be available to a global market. The leak simply suggests that the new model is coming in Q3, placing it in a similar window to the hotly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.
