Huawei could become the first major phone maker to launch a tri-fold phone, a new type of foldable phone that can be folded in multiple places to give you more screen space in your pocket. The company is holding an event just hours after Apple unveiled its rumored iPhone 16 series, and appears to be trying to outdo its American rivals, where tri-fold phones are expected to garner attention.
This would be a big deal, as device makers have yet to release a new style of folding phone that goes beyond the book-style and flip-phone shapes we’ve seen over the past five years. Tri-fold phones have appeared as concepts by companies like Samsung, but they have yet to move beyond the concept stage. Since this type of phone doesn’t exist yet, it’s impossible to know what its benefits would be. But based on ideas like Samsung’s, with a hinge that flexes in two places, you’d essentially have three screens in one device.
Huawei hasn’t said what devices it will unveil at the event, but there’s been widespread speculation that a tri-fold phone will be a centerpiece: Richard Yu, chairman of Huawei’s consumer business group, has been spotted holding a tri-fold device in recent weeks, according to social media posts from the account WHYLAB.
On Tuesday, Huawei teased the launch of a new device called the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design on Chinese microblogging site Weibo. Many (including me) have speculated that it’s a tri-fold phone. The Mate series, one of Huawei’s two flagship phone series, is typically aimed at early adopters. The company’s first foldable phone, 2019’s Mate X, was also released under this brand, leading to widespread speculation that the mysterious Mate XT Ultimate Design device is, in fact, a tri-fold phone.
Huawei’s event will take place on Tuesday, September 10 at 2:30 pm local time, which corresponds to 11:30 am PST (2:30 pm EST) on Monday. Apple’s event, dubbed “Glowtime,” is scheduled for 10 am PST (1 pm EST) on Monday, September 9.
Weibo social media post by the Whylab account (translated into English).
One analyst believes the release of a tri-fold phone is almost certain.
“Huawei’s strategic decision to launch an advanced tri-fold smartphone so soon after Apple’s launch marks a well-thought-out and smart move,” TechInsights analyst Abhilash Kumar said in a post on X on Tuesday. “A longer gap between the two launches could see a significant number of consumers leaning towards the iPhone 16 series and becoming less likely to consider a Huawei tri-fold device.”
Kumar said the third quarter is typically a time when Apple sees a surge in sales due to new product launches and a big increase in its market share in China.
Tri-fold concept phones have appeared before — apart from Samsung, TCL unveiled a concept in 2020, and fellow Chinese company Tecno unveiled a tri-fold concept in August — but none of those concepts have become real, commercially available products.
While the Mate XT will likely only be released initially in Huawei’s home country of China, it’ll still be exciting to see a truly innovative phone to rival familiar foldables like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold. We’ll know more when Huawei holds its event next week.
Check it out: We took a look at TCL’s new foldable and rollable phone concept
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