Huawei’s triple-folding phone is rumored to have been spotted in the hands of the former CEO
Kris Carlon/Android Authority
In brief
- Recently, there were rumors that a triple-folding phone was in the works, and many suspected that Huawei was behind the alleged device.
- A new image from Richard Yu showing the tri-fold device almost confirms this.
- According to an industry source such as Digital Chat Station, production of this model will start soon and it will launch before the Mate 70 with the Kirin 9 series chip in tow.
In July, we reported on rumors that Huawei may be working on an innovative triple-screen foldable, potentially beating Samsung and others. Recently, the same industry source from before, known as Digital Chat Station on Weibo, claimed that the first triple-folding phone was nearing production. Right on time, we now seem to have gotten our first look at the device in the wild.
Until now, it was unclear whether Huawei or another company was behind this new foldable device, but a new image on the internet shows former Huawei CEO Yu Richard using such a device on board an airplane. The photo shows a phone with a centered hole for the selfie camera on the left side and two visible folds. The folds are not surprising, as it will also feature two hinges, unlike typical foldable phones.
This practically confirms that the China-based electronics giant is the manufacturer behind the alleged tri-fold device. If that’s not enough for you, Digital Chat Station (via GizmoChina) has also confirmed that the tri-fold device that the leaker says is going into production is the same device that DCS previously saw as a Huawei prototype. The device in the photos is reportedly very similar to the device that was previously shown to the source.
We’ve already heard that it will have a 10-inch display and a unique hinge design, but DCS also points out that the phone will offer a Kirin 9-series chipset, which was previously slated to debut on the Mate 70. However, reports suggest that the new tri-fold device will launch before then.
It’s very likely that the Huawei Mate 70 series won’t launch until late 2024, meaning the triple-folding phone will likely arrive in September or October. Of course, Huawei foldables are very limited outside of China unless you’re willing to import them. This is especially true in the US, where Huawei phones haven’t been officially available for quite some time.
In other words, even if a tri-fold device does come to market, it probably won’t be available to the vast majority of our readers. That’s a shame, too, because a recent reader survey made it clear that there is interest in such a device worldwide.
