What you need to know
- A photo of Huawei's former CEO, Richard Yu, has started circulating social media because it seems he's holding a tri-folding phone.
- A Weibo tipster stated the device is similar to a prototype they've seen with a 10-inch inner display alongside speculation that it could launch before Q4 2024.
- An early report claimed that Huawei started "mass-producing" a tri-fold phone in February and that it would feature a display similar to the running theory.
The foldable world could be in for a shake-up as a photo suggests Huawei's tri-fold device is very real.
According to Gizmochina, a photo of Huawei's former CEO Richard Yu preparing for a flight shows him supposedly holding a tri-fold phone. Enhancing the image offers a vague look at where the device might bend (or fold) to open/close. Additionally, it looks like the far left of the device is slightly bent, potentially indicating the first hinge's placement.
Chiming in is Chinese Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station (DCS), who claims that the device in question is the real deal. They claim the photographed device is similar to a previously witnessed prototype with a double hinge design. More importantly, the device is rumored to feature a 10-inch inner display when open.
A punch-hole selfie camera is speculated for the "far left" of the internal display. A specification rumor states the tri-fold phone will contain HiSilicon's Kirin 9 series SoC. Additionally, DCS suggests this tri-fold device will debut "earlier than the Huawei Mate 70."
The publication states that the Mate 70 isn't expected to hit the shelves until Q4 2024, which could mean we're closer to the world's first tri-folding device than we realize. Take this with a grain of salt, but speculation states we could see anywhere from now until September.
Huawei's tri-folding phone is expected to debut with a "premium" price tag. Users on Weibo have also started wondering if the company will include a stylus due to its size.
The idea of a "tri-fold" phone piqued consumer interest reports claimed Huawei started developing such a device earlier this year. That post stated the Chinese company started "mass-producing" a device that would fold twice to form a "Z" shape. Similarly, early rumors claimed the device would offer a 10-inch internal display, which continues to be the running theory.
Unfortunately, the device never arrived during the first half of the year as the report claimed. So, we'll have to see if this next rumored timeframe pans out.
The other side of that report dealt with Samsung who were supposedly putting the "rollable" phone idea back on the table. The Korean OEM did show off a prototype of a rolling phone during CES 2024, so maybe that theory holds water.
