Huawei’s rebirth is marking the technological hope of an entire nation. After enduring several vetoes by the US, it has the necessary weapons to recover the ground lost during these years. It has relied on HiSilicon, its semiconductor division, achieving chips that in theory it could not produce and launching smartphones that have caused a stir like the Huawei Mate 60 Pro for its prohibited components.
It has overcome trade restrictions on chips, machines to make them, and even the impediment to 5G. Huawei is back in a big way, with financial results that are frightening. In the field of foldingthe vanguard of current mobile telephony, have also delivered: there is the Huawei Mate X3rivaling Samsung’s own ‘Fold’. And now they want to go one step ahead of the Korean firm with a foldable that folds in three parts.
The folding phone that folds in three, closer than ever
Rumours about this Huawei foldable breakthrough are not new: we have known about it since the end of last year. However, the latest reports placed its launch for spring 2024: it has long been pushed back. without a trace of said telephone.
As we read in South China Morning Post, both Huawei and Apple are facing launches of foldable phones. While the clamshell type of the Cupertino firm is aimed for 2026, according to the rumor of The Information, Huawei would be very close to completing the first trifold folding.
This one would have two hinges, according to the Chinese media Securities Daily, with a prototype that would be ready. Thus, it would have planned its Mass production by the third or fourth quarter of this yearaccording to anonymous sources in the supply chain.
Huawei is looking to take a step further in the field of foldable phones. In the image, the Huawei Mate X3. Ricardo Aguilar for Xataka
Apparently, the hardware would not be the only novelty: Huawei is working on incorporating the Latest AI Technologies on this phone. Let’s remember that it has all the credentials to have HarmonyOS Next installed, the separate version of Android, with its own apps and that it is ready to be the third mobile ecosystem. A few weeks ago it obtained the certification of a 100% domestic operating system, an important milestone for China.
Back to the foldable world, Richard Yu, an executive at the Chinese firm, said in an interview that they have been working on “the next generation of foldable phones” for the past five years. That’s a pretty long time, and yes, Yu could be referring to this curious concept.
It was in 2022 when, through a patentthe rumours began: its double hinge caught the attention of the intellectual property registers of China. It is possible that it will stay in its home country, as the vetoes have left Huawei with little room for manoeuvre in the West.
The popularity of foldables continues to rise in China (7 million shipments in 2023 versus 3.2 million in 2022, according to IDC), so it is likely to be one of the priority focuses of the Shenzhen-based company. Despite this, the doubts about its ability to supply chips with 5G. The recent ones Huawei Pura 70 have been having stock issues because of this.
Either way, when this foldable is launched it will be a demonstration of Huawei’s responsiveness. We’ll see if they manage to snatch market share from rival firms like Xiaomi, which recently launched its Mix Flip and Mix Fold 4or Samsung, which unveiled the new Galaxy Z series in Paris with the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Flip6.
Via | SCMP
Cover image | Composition with images from Xataka and Flickr