Samsung was the first to use ultra thin glass displays built especially for foldable phones. But it looks like more brands will be embracing them going forward. Reports point out that Xiaomi and Huawei have already placed orders for UTG displays for the next wave of foldable phones possibly in 2021. Smartphone majors like Huawei, Samsung have already tried their luck with foldables like the Mate X and Galaxy Fold while companies like Xiaomi haven’t launched commercial devices as of yet.
Xiaomi and Huawei have already placed bulk orders for the ultra thin glass displays, as per information sourced from the supply chain by a well-known tipster from China. While we aren’t exactly sure of the devices that could debut with this display, Xiaomi could implement this on its upcoming foldable smartphone and Huawei might split the Mate 40 series with the 40 Pro using a UTG screen.
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For starters, Ultra-Thin Glass is a modified version of the polyimide film which is a lightweight, and flexible material. Samsung made this technology commercial on its Z Flip recently to avoid scratches and possible scuffs.
While the company itself is yet to implement this on a larger foldable tablet, Chinese firms also seem to have joined the bandwagon. Speaking of Xiaomi, the company’s recent patent exposed a foldable design similar to Huawei's Mate Xs.
The company has been testing a lot of designs lately. It all began with an alleged product video of the outward folding prototype getting leaked in early 2019.
This followed by several patents with the latest one flaunting a Flip styled design similar to Samsung. However, Xiaomi successfully showcased a Mi Mix Alpha with a flexible screen albeit being a concept design.
Huawei, on the other hand, has passed the experimentation phase. The company broke the trend of half-baked early prototypes and launched a commercial-ready Mate X last year. This followed by the next iteration Mate Xs which improved the resistance of the screen further with a better Hinge.
While Huawei is expected to bring more foldable devices this year, Xiaomi wouldn't want to be left behind, by launching its own version of a foldable or might commercialise the Mi Mix Alpha.
