The smartphone that folds in two is a little too simplistic for Chinese manufacturers. Huawei is looking further with the Mate XT, a smartphone that folds in three and caused a sensation when it was announced. While the American Apple remains conservative with the iPhone 16 Pro and focuses on AI, the Chinese giant reminds us of its good memories with this concentration of innovation. Huawei becomes the first smartphone manufacturer in the world to market a device of this kind. An advance that inevitably gives ideas to its main competitors.
Xiaomi has a patent for a tri-fold model
Xiaomi, which is preparing the global launch of its first folding clamshell smartphone, does not intend to let Huawei take the lead. A patent published by the National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) shows that the idea has been gaining ground at Xiaomi for several months. Filed in December 2022, the patent presents a design comparable to that of the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate by adopting a Z shape. The folding is comparable to what can be found on a Galaxy Z Fold6, except that the operation is repeated a second time. Part of the panel acts as the “main” screen, avoiding the use of a second screen as on a Z Fold.
On the other hand, the camera module is smaller than that of the Mate XT. However, it remains difficult to compare an existing model with a device appearing in a patent. This is also the big difference between the two manufacturers since Huawei seems to be several months ahead of its rival. It is rumored that Xiaomi could unveil a three-part folding smartphone (or a prototype) at MWC 2025. The device could join the manufacturer’s Mix range, which includes the Xiaomi Mix Flip and Mix Fold 4 that we got our hands on.
Other manufacturers are interested in the tri-fold smartphone
Ahead of the competition, Huawei is not the only manufacturer to think about this format. Samsung Display has been showing prototypes with screens with two hinges for years. Successively, we could see the Galaxy Flex G, Flex S or Flex Note at trade shows with such a format.
Several manufacturers, or screen specialists, have also shown concepts or filed patents along the same lines. Examples include Oppo, Microsoft, TCL, and Tecno’s Phantom Ultimate 2 concept. There is no doubt that 2025 should hold many surprises for us, which Europe may discover from afar. Indeed, it is unlikely that the three-folding models will leave the Chinese market in the short term. Huawei has no interest in doing so given its situation and the American embargo, while its rivals are simply not ready.
Source: www.journaldugeek.com
