Is the Tri-Fold Screen Era Coming? Huawei and Honor Join the Fray, Market Competition to Intensify

Is the Tri-Fold Screen Era Coming? Huawei and Honor Join the Fray, Market Competition to IntensifyWith Huawei set to unveil its first tri-fold screen smartphone in September, the landscape of the foldable screen market is poised for a major shift. This news has sparked widespread industry attention, signaling that tri-fold screen phones will be the new focal point in the future of foldable screen markets

Is the Tri-Fold Screen Era Coming? Huawei and Honor Join the Fray, Market Competition to Intensify

With Huawei set to unveil its first tri-fold screen smartphone in September, the landscape of the foldable screen market is poised for a major shift. This news has sparked widespread industry attention, signaling that tri-fold screen phones will be the new focal point in the future of foldable screen markets.

Media reports indicate that Huawei CEO Richard Yu has publicly showcased this new tri-fold screen device on multiple occasions. Its mass production and release mark the first official appearance of this form factor. Meanwhile, blogger "Factory Manager is Guan Tongxue" has revealed that Honor is also actively developing tri-fold screen models, which will undoubtedly break Huawei's monopoly in this field.

Honor CEO Zhao Ming previously stated that Honor's technology for tri-fold screens has matured completely, and the subsequent commercialization timeline will be determined by consumer demand. He emphasized that for Honor, tri-fold technology is not a technical issue, but rather a business decision. Zhao Ming also disclosed that Honor has plans for various foldable screen formats, including tri-fold and scroll-screen designs, but the time is not yet ripe for their announcement.

Zhao's comments reveal that Honor's tri-fold screen technology is ready for mass production and commercialization, and its launch time depends on market response. This suggests that Honor is poised to enter the tri-fold screen competition and engage in a head-to-head battle with Huawei in the field.

Currently, foldable screen phones on the market are primarily divided into two forms: large fold and small fold, with the large fold attracting more attention. According to Counterpoint Research data, foldable phone shipments grew 48% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024, with large fold models seeing a 91% year-on-year increase in shipments. Compared to small fold models, large fold models offer larger screens and richer application scenarios, making them more appealing to consumers, which has led to a substantial surge in their shipments.

It's foreseeable that the emergence of tri-fold screens will further expand the application scenarios of foldable screens, offering a richer user experience. Larger screen sizes and more complex folding mechanisms will provide users with more flexible usage options, catering to a wider range of needs.

The entry of both Huawei and Honor will further intensify competition in the tri-fold screen market. Samsung, a pioneer in foldable screen technology, will face significant challenges from Huawei and Honor. In the future, the tri-fold screen market will become more diverse, with manufacturers continuously pushing the boundaries in technological innovation and product design to offer consumers a wider array of choices.