A new kind of folding phone may take on the iPhone 16 this year
Huawei is reportedly preparing to show off a new foldable smartphone that will put the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Google Pixel Fold to shame. How so? Because it has two hinges and perhaps even three screens. It’s being referred to as a trifold device and will apparently fold and unfold in a Z or N shape, making at least three screen orientations possible in a single device.
The unnamed folding phone has been teased by various publications in China, with many referring back to Securities Daily, a publication authorized by the Chinese government to report on economics. The report quotes sources in the supply chain, and describes the device as having an inner and outer folding design with a dual hinge. When completely unfolded it will have a 10-inch screen.
Huawei Consumer Business CEO Richard Yu essentially confirmed the existence of the N-shaped folding phone during a recent interview. He said the device had taken five years to reach this stage, but he did not refer to specifications or the release, aside from saying it would “soon be released.” According to the Securities Daily source, the official announcement is expected around September this year, when it will inevitably compete with the Apple iPhone 16 for attention.
Huawei has been at the forefront of folding phone hardware and technology since the beginning. It demonstrated the Huawei Mate X in 2019 at a time when Samsung was only showing the first Galaxy Fold behind glass, and Yu said at the time that the device had taken three years to become a reality. Since then Huawei has concentrated mainly on developing folding phones with a different orientation to Samsung, in addition to more traditional types, and its varied knowledge of bendable screens and hinges will likely assist it in making such a complex foldable a reality.
It’s not the first time we’ve heard about a triple-fold concept phone, though, as none other than Samsung has also shown off a concept with the same type of screen and hinge configuration, known as the Flex S, as has TCL. It’s now a race to see which brand puts such a device on sale first. Considering Samsung has announced the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 already this year, and TCL still seems to be at the concept stage with its foldables, it appears the race is Huawei’s to lose.
Sadly, due to Huawei being unable to sell its smartphones in the U.S., and Google Play not being an option on the ones available globally, many will likely only admire the trifold phone from afar should it get a 2024 announcement. It doesn’t make us any less excited about it though.
