Many years ago, the design concept of “modular smartphone” had been popular for a while, such as the Motorola Moto Z series, which is convenient for subsequent upgrades, and the Fairphone, which is dedicated to reducing electronic waste.
However, with the continuous development of smartphone integration and appearance design, not many dollars will soon be willing to pursue this concept again. Interestingly, Dutch technology blog LetsGoDigital found that Xiaomi had submitted a patent application for a modular smartphone to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in February 2020.
On April 21, 2021, this patent application document was included in the database of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and we also saw the Xiaomi concept smartphone composed of three modules. In order to help everyone better understand, LetsGoDigital specially invited graphic designer Jermaine Smit (aka Concept Creator) to make a series of high-definition renderings.
The patent depicts the main module including the upper mainboard and camera, then the battery assembly at the center, and the third module at the bottom of the phone. These modules support easy to interchange and can contain other functions such as speakers/zoom cameras.
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At least two modules contain screens, which can form a larger display interface after being combined with slidable guide rails, but the existence of splicing gaps is not visible in the patent illustration. The housing itself can be made of metal or plastic, and Xiaomi has depicted two different types of camera modules. Wherein the set of three square opposing + LED camera flash, the entry-level red rice 9C similar.
The other set is a rear-mounted four-camera solution arranged vertically on the edge, but the music shows that the fourth lens has a square opening, which implies that it is a periscope zoom camera. Finally, the designer also shared his own third set of design solutions, with a rear three-camera + small display, which is somewhat similar to the recently launched Xiaomi 11 Ultra and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3.
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