Forget removable batteries, Xiaomi has designed a phone with a removable display

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Thought smartphone design has become too unimaginative? Think again. Xiaomi has just secured a patent for one of the most bizarre smartphone designs we’ve heard about in the recent past, and no, we’ve not forgotten about LG’s rumored rotating and rollable phones. The Xiaomi phone we’re talking about takes unconventional smartphone design several steps further with a — wait for it — removable display. Yeah, you heard that right.

The Chinese company has been experimenting with some daring smartphone designs and the Mi Mix Alpha with its 360-degree display is perhaps one of the best examples of it. Just a few days back, we also saw a patent for a Xiaomi phone with the ability to store wireless earbuds. This latest detachable display phone is once again proof of the whacky design thinking going on over at Xiaomi. Take a look at it in the images obtained from the patent below (h/t: Let’sGoDigital)

How does it work?

According to LetsGoDigital, Xiaomi filed this patent for the multi-part phone in China back in March and it was granted today.

The patent describes a device with two components: The “main part” or the body and a “split part” or the detachable display. The main part has double the thickness of the split part and when linked together, the two form a normal smartphone. However, the display can be detached to function independently. Which means it has to have its own power source. A USB-C port, two speakers, selfie cameras, primary cameras, and buttons are all part of the main body.

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LetGoDigital claims that the selfie shooters are actually under-display cameras that hide behind the removable screen when the phone is in its normal state. There’s no notch or punch hole on the display so they might be right about this.

Further, the outlet discloses that the screen can be charged wirelessly via a wireless connection to the housing.

It’s all too complicated if you ask us. The patent doesn’t describe any use-case scenarios but folks over at LetsGoDigital point out a few. According to the publication, the detached display might be useful as a remote viewfinder for the cameras or for the purpose of gaming. We’re not too sure if these are advantages are important enough to warrant the actual production of such a complicated phone. Time will tell if Xiaomi agrees or disagrees.

Would you buy a phone with a detachable display like this? Take our poll below and give us your answer!

Next: Xiaomi Mi 10 review — Premium hardware let down by unpolished software