Mystery Xiaomi flagship could be its breakthrough tri-foldable smartphone

Samsung has just launched the Galaxy Z TriFold as a wider alternative to the existing Galaxy Z Fold7 (curr. $1,809 on Amazon). While Huawei has already delivered two tri-folding smartphones, other rivals have decided against doing so for now. However, a new sighting on the GSMA's IMEI database suggests that Xiaomi could be working on an alternative of its own.

To recap, Xiaomi patented a tri-folding smartphone design over a year ago. Shown above and below, the design differs from the Galaxy Z TriFold by lacking a cover display altogether. With that being said, there is nothing to suggest that Xiaomi is considering this design going forward. Instead, the appearance of '2608BPX34C' on IMEI databases indicates that Xiaomi is developing a new device under its Mix Fold series.

For context, Xiaomi is anticipated to launch the Xiaomi 17 Fold next year as the spiritual successor to the Mix Fold 4. With no direct Mix Fold thought to be coming, XiaomiTime concludes that 2608BPX34C is the strongest candidate for the rumoured Mix TriFold. The GSMA listing does not offer any guarantees that this will be the case, though. As it stands, we can only glean that a new Mix Fold model is being developed with an August 2026 launch being targeted for Xiaomi's home market.