Xiaomi reportedly pauses MIX Flip development as foldable strategy shifts

Every Wednesday and Friday, TechNode’s Briefing newsletter delivers a roundup of the most important news in China tech, straight to your inbox. Your support helps TechNode continue to provide credible, on-the-ground journalism and industry insights about the Chinese tech industry. Xiaomi is suspending development of its MIX Flip clamshell foldable smartphone, according to Chinese tech blogger Digital Chat Station, in what appears to be a broader strategic shift in the company’s foldable device lineup. The move comes despite the MIX Flip posting relatively solid sales in global markets, the report said. But the clamshell foldable segment remains constrained by a limited market size and persistently high manufacturing costs, making it less competitive on value compared with larger, book-style foldable devices. Several major smartphone makers have recently scaled back or exited the clamshell foldable category, and Xiaomi is now seen as following that trend. The company is instead expected to focus on larger foldable devices. A new flagship model in this category is expected to launch in the third quarter of this year, between August and September. [TechWeb, in Chinese]

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