New promo video for Xiaomi Mi foldable smartphone looks gorgeous but raises some concerns

The Xiaomi foldable smartphone (“Mi Fold”?) has starred in a new short promo video. There doesn’t seem to be any particular incredible reveal here; the clip simply shows a user enjoying a pot of noodles and showing off the device. There’s some scrolling in tablet form, then a “back” swipe to return to the home screen, and then the device is folded in its eye-catching manner.

The video succeeds in showing the Xiaomi foldable in an appealing way: The right and left sides fold backwards and inwards in a seemingly swift and smooth operation. But two foldable-related concerns become immediately apparent. Firstly, has Xiaomi come up with some method of protecting the screen or at least making it incredibly durable? When folded, the edges have the display on the exterior, which surely means it will be constantly at the mercy of being scratched or scuffed.

Secondly, could those smooth-folding edges rapidly begin to exhibit unsightly creases as a recent video of the Galaxy Fold revealed? At least Samsung’s foldable only has one crease; Xiaomi’s foldable could have two creases ruining the display. One good thing for certain about the Xiaomi foldable will be the price, at least in comparison to the Samsung and Huawei smartphones. An estimate of US$999 has been offered for the Xiaomi foldable, which is much cheaper than the Galaxy Fold or Mate X.