Xiaomi's next foldable phone is shaping up to be a Galaxy Z Flip clone

New evidence shows that Xiaomi is considering building a foldable clamshell smartphone that looks very similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip. According to sketches found at WIPO by 91mobiles, the mysterious foldable Xiaomi phone has two-rear facing cameras and a very small cover display.

It's a familiar sight, to say the least. But it's worth reminding that sketches found at WIPO don't guarantee an actual market release. Rather, these documents were filed with WIPO as a way for Xiaomi to protect its intellectual property, which is interesting given that the sketches depict a barely-modified Galaxy Z Flip.

Samsung has set the trend. Others must now follow

The Galaxy Z Flip is not the only smartphone on the market to feature a foldable display in a clamshell form factor, but it is arguably the only relevant one, with Motorola's attempt at revitalizing the RAZR lineup using foldable display technology falling flat even after the launch of the Gen. 2 model.

In contrast, Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip is very successful, and the company is now working on a direct sequel that's expected to go on sale as the Galaxy Z Flip 3. In fact, Samsung's display arm feels confident enough in its foldable screen manufacturing abilities that it's reportedly supplying foldable panels to other OEMs, including Google, Vivo, and indeed Xiaomi.

With that in mind, if Xiaomi is working on a clamshell foldable as indicated by these WIPO documents, the phone might not only use the same display technology as the Galaxy Z Flip / Z Flip 3, but it will probably look similar too.