Xiaomi’s second-gen Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 is expected to debut later this year and if the reports are to be believed, the upcoming foldable is expected to come with a lot of improvements across the board.
A report by GizmoChina citing a known Chinese tipster Digital Chat Station reveals that the Mix Fold 2 is expected to carry the same design as its predecessor with an inward folding display.
The report hints that the external display could be a 6.5-inch OLED panel while the primary display is expected to measure 8-inches at least. It is now expected that Xiaomi will use a 120Hz refresh rate panel on both the displays which is a major update over the 60Hz refresh rate found on the external display of the original Mix Fold that launched last year.
The inner display is expected to be an LTPO panel and is expected to support DC dimming for eye protection. Among the most important revelations, the tipster hints that the upcoming foldable might ditch the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in favour of its successor – Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus.
It’s worth noting that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 was manufactured for Qualcomm by Samsung while its successor is being made by TSMC. While early reports state that the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoC seems to be outnumbering its Qualcomm counterpart, however, we need to wait till the phones powered by MediaTek’s flagship SoC are available to a wider audience.
Qualcomm is already preparing the launch of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus in the first half of this year and the Xiaomi Fold 2 could be one of the first few devices to sport the new chipset.
Wider availability is still a question
Chinese smartphone makers like Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo and others are considered to be crucial in helping democratize foldable phones. However, till now phones from both Xiaomi and Oppo are limited to mainland China.
With Xiaomi ensuring that the second-generation device is a much improved one, there is a chance that the Fold 2 might be introduced in the international markets.
In terms of pricing, the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 is expected to be priced at CNY 9999 or approximately Rs. 119,000 which is much less compared to the retail pricing of Galaxy Z Fold 3 which retails close to Rs. 150,000. Though direct conversion might not be the best way to compare as the retail price needs to account for various taxes, however, added competition will only help make foldable phones more affordable.
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