Huawei has reportedly developed a tri-fold smartphone that can be formed into a Z-shape, and will mass produce the machine before the end of 2024.

Chinese state-sponsored media outlet Securities Daily this week teased the phone, and wrote that Huawei been working on it for five years.

Huawei CEO Yu Chengdong was reported to have championed the device in a recent live event.

"The next generation of folding screens, others can imagine it, but they can't make it. We've been thinking about it for five years, and it's finally coming out," Yu reportedly stated on a livestream interview.

Huawei told The Register it had no information on the matter to share, but in March this year it was granted a patent for a "folding screen device." According to the patent, the screen is equipped with a double hinge system so it folds in both directions and can take on a Z-shape form. Curiously, it's being referred to as a tri-fold even though it only has two folds - presumably because it has three screens.

The device can be unfolded to create a ten-inch display. Apple's 9th-gen iPad, which is still on sale, has a 10.2-inch display,

One of Huawei's three screens includes a rear facing camera, while the others apparently include bumps and recesses - presumably a locking mechanism for the screen.

The three screens are said to each have different thickness, and to use lightweight glass to reduce weight and bulk.

Rumor has it the source of the screen is Chinese display maker BOE. The foldable phone is reported to run HarmonyOS on a Kirin 9100 processor and cost ¥15,000 ($2,065).

Huawei reportedly told Securities Daily "the specific progress was not yet ready for disclosure."

Huawei launched its first generation foldable smartphone, the Huawei Mate X, in 2019 - the same year as Samsung released its Galaxy Fold.

A Q3 or Q4 release for Huawei is expected to coincide with Apple's iPhone 16 series - which is expected to have zero folds.

However, a recent report suggests that Cupertino has caught onto the clamshell craze and will in 2026 deliver a foldable iPhone. Apparently such a device has passed through conceptual work and Apple is talking to suppliers.

Market analyst firm Counterpoint Research tracked global foldable smartphone shipments as up 49 percent year-on-year in Q1 2024. But folding phones still account for less than two percent of the market. ®

https://www.theregister.com//2024/07/25/huawei_triple_screen_phone/