Huawei is the latest smartphone major to join the ranks of the other illustrious peers like Apple and Samsung in developing a foldable smartphone. This information has been obtained through the website of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), where Huawei’s patent details for the device have been shared. The information comes as a culmination of many earlier reports that Huawei has been working on a smartphone with a foldable display. The patent was applied for, in 2017.
If one compares the design of the proposed Huawei smartphone with the one that ZTE already has, the Axon M, it can be observed that the Axon M has a dual display model, whereas Huawei’s phone, as and when it is released, will have a single display screen that can be folded in the middle. If at all, the comparison can only be made to the proposed Surface model phone of Microsoft. Rest of the details about the phone are still not in the public domain. It is expected that the phone can be released before the year draws to a close. In October 2017, Huawei’s CEO Richard Yu had told CNET that the company has a “working sample” for a foldable smartphone.
Sometime ago, Samsung had revealed its Galaxy X smartphone that has a foldable display, but the device may see the light of day only by the year 2020.
In the case of Apple Inc, the company has tied up with the South Korean major LG to develop its foldable smartphone.
It has to be mentioned that there are many firms with plans to manufacture smartphones with foldable displays, but none of them have reached the stage of releasing the device for commercial use so far. It is hoped that it may happen this year in 2018.