Xiaomi Mix Fold 2: what we want to see | TechRadar Tech Radar Tech Radar

We've been seeing loads of new foldable phones recently, and one we're expecting to show up before too long is the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2. As the name reveals, this is the anticipated follow-up to the original Mi Mix Fold from 2021.

There's been a recent foldable phone gold rush, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3, followed by the Huawei P50 Pocket, Honor Magic V, Oppo Find N, and likely more soon.

That means the Mix Fold 2 would enter a far more competitive market than its predecessor, so Xiaomi needs to design a top foldable to impress us.

With that, the best thing the phone could do would be to 'go on sale globally' – like the foldables from Honor and Oppo. The original Mi Mix Fold only hit store shelves in China, but since Xiaomi is such a big player globally we'd love to see its next bending mobile get a wider availability.

We've heard a few leaks and rumors about the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2, and you can find them below along with our wishlist for the phone. It's still the early days for the phone though, and we'll hopefully get more information into 2022.

Cut to the chase

Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 release date and price

We haven't heard any price or release date leaks or rumors for the Mix Fold 2, and because it's not a regularly released device from Xiaomi, we can't rely on precedent too much. So stay tuned.

The original Mi Mix Fold cost 9,999 yuan (around $1,520 / £1,100 / AU$2,000) – it only launched in China so we don't have international pricing – but we've often seen second-generation foldable phones to cost less than their predecessors, so the Mix Fold 2 could be cheaper.

That phone launched at the end of March 2021, so if Xiaomi decides to adopt a yearly release pattern, the next one could come in March 2022. That said, we've heard a Mix Flip is also on the way, which could affect the release schedule in some way.

News and rumors

How do we know a Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 is coming at all? Well, it seems very likely thanks to a Xiaomi phone leak that detailed many upcoming phones from the brand – two code names listed "thunder" and "light" are thought to refer to upcoming foldable phones.

Since there are only really two designs for foldable phones right now, book-style (like the original Mi Mix Fold) or clamshell (like the Motorola Razr 2019), it seems likely that one is the rumored Mix Flip and the other is the successor to the Mix Fold.

We've heard a bit more about the phone, too. Recently, a leak suggested the phone will use ultra-thin glass (UTG) for its display, which is a glass-like form of plastic that some top foldables use.

Way before that, another leak also pointed to UTG, and also pointed towards a potential size for the phone. Apparently, it'll have a 6.52-inch outer display and 8.01-inch inner one, though resolution and refresh rate eludes us right now.

What we want to see

Here's our wishlist for the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2, based on the predecessor as well as other trends in the foldable phone market.

1. Global availability

This one's a bit of a no-brainer, but we want to be able to test a Xiaomi foldable phone.

While the original only launched in China, hopefully the increased market for foldables in other regions might prompt Xiaomi to release its second-gen device in a few more places.

2. An improved outer display

The Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold had a rather old-school looking outer display, as it had an absolutely massive bezel – the black border around the screen – which severely reduced the screen-to-body ratio.

We'd like to see a newer version reduce the bezel. Screen real estate is important for mobiles, especially foldables which are designed to give you the maximum screen space for your buck, so this move is important.

The screen was also thin, with a 27:9 aspect ratio (which made it much narrower than a typical smartphone), and that reduced the usability of the outer screen, too.

3. A lower-res main camera

Xiaomi used to champion 108MP main cameras in loads of its smartphones, including the original Mi Mix Fold, but recently it's started opting for more 50MP main snappers instead, particularly in its newest flagship, the Xiaomi 12.

That's not a bad thing because a camera's resolution doesn't always indicate its quality. In fact, the Xiaomi 12 line's 50MP cameras have bigger sensor sizes than the 108MP snappers Xiaomi has previously used, which arguably results in better pictures anyway.

We'd like to see the Mix Fold 2 use a 50MP main camera for this reason. In addition, we'd like it to use 50MP telephoto and ultra-wide snappers too, like the Xiaomi 12 Pro or Mi 11 Ultra, as this combo has worked well for the brand before.