The patent shows a foldable phone concept with a single bendable screen, rather than two different screens attached by a hinge.
Huawei is apparently working on a smartphone that will be dramatically different from its recently launched the P20 and P20 Pro. A new patent has been discovered that shows the world’s third-largest smartphone maker is exploring the idea of a smartphone with a foldable display. According to Dutch site LetsGoDigital, the patent was originally filed on September 19, 2017, but it has been recently published on the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) website.
Huawei’s patent shows the foldable smartphone will be different from ZTE’s Axon M, a phone with dual displays. Unlike the Axon M, the Huawei-made foldable phone does not feature two different displays, but a single panel that can be closed like a book. The mechanism is similar to the rumoured Microsoft Surface Phone. Unfortunately, we still don’t know much about the mysterious Huawei smartphone with a foldable display.
Chinese technology giant has been developing a foldable smartphone for a while now. Back in October, Huawei’s CEO Richard Yu told CNET that the company has a “working sample” for a foldable smartphone. Yu also said that the device, which is still in development, needs improvements to its design and flexible display tech before its launch. According to report, Huawei’s foldable smartphone could be released sometime in 2018.
Huawei isn’t alone working on a foldable smartphone. Both Apple and Samsung are already working on smartphones with bendable displays. Samsung has confirmed that it’s been working on a foldable smartphone, believed to be known as the Galaxy X. There have been reports in the past few months that claim that Apple is internally working on a foldable smartphone that could be released as early as 2020. Evidently, Apple has teamed up with South Korea’s LG to build a foldable phone. Foldable smartphones have been in the work for years. However, no major company has managed to commercially launch a bendable smartphone in the market yet.