Huawei's tri-fold phone could launch this year

After months of simmering, rumors over an impending launch of Huawei's mysterious tri-fold phone are heating up, with some outlets predicting a launch date for this fall.

Sighting of Huawei tri-fold prototype

A spokesperson for Huawei recently told Light Reading that "Huawei does not comment on rumour and speculation." However, a photo of Huawei CEO Richard Yu using a prototype of the rumored Huawei tri-fold phone on an airplane is circulating on X and a number of media outlets.

Huawei is likely to be the first smartphone vendor to release a tri-fold phone, reported Android Headlines. Samsung and TCL have toyed around with the idea of tri-fold devices, but have yet to launch any commercially available products, reported NotebookCheck.

Meanwhile Apple is rumored to be working on a top-down, "clamshell-style foldable smartphone for release as soon as 2026," according to the South China Morning Post. The outlet added that Huawei "filed a patent for a dual-hinge foldable device in 2022, according to records from the China National Intellectual Property Administration."

Huawei's rumored tri-fold phone's display could come in at a whopping ten-inches in size, and might use a Kirin 9-series chip, which is one of Huawei's newest processors. The chip is also being deployed in Huawei's Mate 70 smartphone, which is expected to launch in September, said GizChina. The tri-fold phone could even launch ahead of the Mate 70 series, and possibly be only available in China, reported gagadget.

In addition, Huawei will likely incorporate AI features into the phone. In China, local smartphone vendors such as Huawei, Honor, Oppo and Vivo "are leading the way by incorporating technologies such as GenAI into products and services," explained Canalys Research Analyst Lucas Zhong in a recent report.

Growing market for foldables

The appeal of a tri-fold phone is a head scratcher. For one, it would be bulkier than a typical smartphone and a bit unwieldy. On the other hand, if there's a niche market for an overheated AI pin (looking at you, Humane AI pin), it's not surprising that there's a market for a phone rivaling the size of a book or tablet. Perhaps it appeals to the origami enthusiast or those mourning the lost art of paper map folding.

However, there is a growing market for foldable phones. Chinese manufacturers are playing a significant role in shaping the competitive landscape for these devices, according to research firm Omdia.

"2023 was the year of the explosion of foldable phones with the launch of 18 foldable phones and one planned to release by the end of the year," said Omdia. Of the 18 foldable phones, 16 were manufactured by Chinese smartphone vendors and 13 utilized Chinese OLED makers foldable phone displays.

Foldables also come in a range of styles such as book-style, clamshell-style, and out-fold-style with a price range between $600 to $2,000, said Omdia. The foldable phone display demand (excluding sub display) could reach 14.5 million, with Chinese OLED display makers providing nearly 13 million displays to Chinese smartphone makers in 2024, added researchers.

Chinese manufacturers are also outpacing their Korean counterparts in developing foldable smartphones, said Omdia.

"Both Chinese smartphone makers and OLED manufactures can upgrade foldable phones and displays much quicker than Korean makers now," said Joy Guo, Principal Analyst at Omdia's Displays practice, in a statement. "The supply chain of foldable phones is maturing at unexpected speed."