Recently, a dispute broke out between Xiaomi and Huawei over the hinge patent in the field of folding screen mobile phones, which has attracted widespread attention in the industry. The dispute began at the 2023 pollen annual meeting, where Huawei CEO Yu Chengdong accused a friend of plagiarism. Huawei's latest technology for folding mobile phones is "double-spin waterdrop hinge", while Xiaomi is "keel hinge", is it simply a change of name? Xiaomi quickly responded, clarifying that its self-developed "keel hinge" is completely different from the "double-spinning waterdrop hinge" called by Yu Chengdong, and provided a detailed comparison of patent information.
Xiaomi's "keel hinge" was applied for on September 18, 2020 and released on January 5, 2021, using a 3-stage rod set structure. The patent for the "double spin water drop hinge" claimed by Yu Chengdong was applied for on December 13, 2019 and disclosed on June 18, 2021, using a 2-level rod set, 3 components and 4 low auxiliary design. Xiaomi also highlighted that its "keel hinge" was first applied on the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 in August 2023.
(Xiaomi "keel hinge")
Technical features: Xiaomi's "keel shaft" mechanical structure adopts an innovative "3-level rod group, 5 components and 7 low pairs" design, while Yu Chengdong's "double spin water drop hinge" adopts the design scheme of "2-level rod group, 3 components and 4 low pairs". Xiaomi made it clear in the statement that whether it is the design idea or the mechanical structure, the two are completely different, and provided a detailed comparison of technical characteristics. Of course, what is the nature of the technology, and whether the pollen is recognized here, is another question.
The Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 hit a record first sales in the 2023Q2 quarter, rising 2.25 times. This folding phone adopts Xiaomi's self-developed "keel hinge" technology, showing its competitiveness in the folding screen market. The technology is based on a 3-stage rod set structure with up to 14 movable joints to effectively avoid excessive deformation of the screen due to the force of falling. In addition, the hinge technology reduces the thickness of the unfolded and folded states by 8.6% and 12.5%, respectively, freeing up 17% of the hinge space.
The successful sales performance of the Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold 3 is in line with TrendForce's forecast, showing its competitive advantage in the market. However, public opinion is divided, with the argument in favor of Xiaomi that the difference in the timing of the patent application and the technical characteristics suggest that Xiaomi is not plagiarism, while some pro-Huawei voices believe that Xiaomi may have been technically inspired by Huawei.
(Huawei's "Double Spinning Water Drop Hinge")
This patent controversy over folding screen hinges highlights the fierce competition in the technology field. Although it is not easy to determine which side is right in a patent dispute, it can be seen that various manufacturers are working hard in terms of technological innovation and patent protection. The incident is likely to push more companies to focus on patents, focus on innovation, and bring more consumer attention to product differentiation.