Patent images show new Xiaomi phone with zoom camera and curved display

　 Xiaomi offers cost-effective smartphone models on the market every year. Previously, these products were divided into two series; the economical Redmi series and the high-end Mi series, and the "Mi" brand was reshaped. Not only the name was changed, but Xiaomi is also working on a new design for the brand's future phones. Patent documents show that a specially designed Xiaomi phone has a beautiful curved display and a large camera with a telephoto lens.

　　On September 25, 2020, Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. applied for a design patent in the Hague International Design System, the industrial design database of the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO). The document depicts a newly designed Xiaomi smartphone and was published on October 15, 2021.

　　This is a Xiaomi phone with a modern design, with rounded corners and a curved display. The edges of the device’s screen are very narrow, with only a small bezel visible at the top and bottom. In the upper left corner, there is a punch hole for the selfie camera. The curved screen and narrow bezels make one suspect that this is a high-end phone, and this perception is reinforced when we see the triple camera on the back.

　　The three-camera module is placed in a prominent position in the middle of the back shell, and the large main camera is particularly eye-catching. This may be a 1.08-megapixel camera, just like the one Xiaomi often uses in high-end models. In addition, a relatively small circular camera (presumably an ultra-wide-angle lens) and a rectangular periscope telephoto lens can be seen, and a flash is installed just below them.

　　It’s somewhat striking that Xiaomi put such a large camera system in the middle of the device, as such a camera takes up a lot of space. This is partly why more and more manufacturers are choosing to place the camera on the top left. Still, there are more Xiaomi phones with centrally placed cameras, such as the Redmi Note 9T.

　　The patent images do not show any buttons or connectors, and it is possible that these will be added later, as we often see with Xiaomi's design patents. We are still speculating if and when this Xiaomi smartphone will be released, and it is not clear in which series the device will be placed. Possibly, this model will be placed within the Xiaomi 12 series.

　　The Xiaomi Mi 12 lineup is likely to be officially announced in China by the end of this year. It will include three new models and will be launched globally in the first quarter of 2022. According to rumors, the Mi 12 series will get an upgraded screen and adopt an improved curved display, which corresponds to today's patent drawing.