It is rumored that Huawei will launch a tri-fold mobile phone in the second quarter
Recently, according to media reports, Huawei is developing a "tri-fold phone", which could be launched as early as the second quarter of this year.
According to public information, Huawei has previously released a total of three types of folding screen phones: small folding screen phones that fold up and down, the latest product is Pocket S, released on November 02, 2022, left and right outer folding phones, the latest is Mate Xs2, released on April 28, 2022, and left and right inner folding screen phones, the latest Mate X5, released on September 8, 2023.
According to the official website of the China National Intellectual Property Administration, Huawei did register two patents related to triple-fold screens in March and July 2022. The patent description clearly mentions that the electronic device has three housings and two connectors.
In terms of suppliers, according to industry sources, Zhaoli and Fushida are both suppliers of Huawei folding machine bearings, accounting for half of the supply. Among them, 40% of Zhaoli's current revenue comes from the folding screen mobile phone business, and basically all of them are orders from Huawei. The news also pointed out that at present, Zhaoli and Fushida have signed exclusive terms with Huawei, and the two companies have become the main suppliers of Huawei bearings in recent years, and the relevant exclusive terms will expire in June this year. At present, it seems that Huawei will continue to cooperate with the two companies is quite high.
In terms of screen, it is reported that Chinese panel manufacturer BOE is expected to provide a screen for this tri-fold phone. The phone is likely to have a Z-shaped design with a foldable screen size of around 6.4 inches. Unlike the current foldable phones with a 16:9 or 18:9 design, Huawei's upcoming tri-fold smartphone may feature a 28:9 or 18:9 design, providing users with an innovative transition from a phone to a tablet.
According to public information, most of the current supply of folding machine screens in China is completed by BOE A, TCL Huaxing, Visionox and Shenzhen Tianma A, which are under TCL Technology;
Industry insiders pointed out that the three-fold screen mobile phone is very different from the existing folding screen mobile phone, including the number of panels will increase from two to three, and the amount of hinge will increase from one to two, which is equivalent to exponential growth, and at the same time, the number of mobile phone folds may continue to increase in the future, perhaps copying the trend of mobile phones evolving from a single lens all the way to a double lens, three lenses or even more than four lenses, and hinges and panel-related industries will usher in opportunities.
Foreign media reported that Huawei has been working with suppliers to develop three-fold screen mobile phones since last year, and the product has entered the final design stage and can enter the mass production stage at any time, and is expected to be listed in the second quarter at the earliest.