Huawei is about to release its tri-folding MateXT: Challenging the new form of folding screen phones

Huawei is about to release its tri-folding MateXT: Challenging the new form of folding screen phonesToday (September 3rd), Huawei's Terminal announced a new member of the "Ultimate Design" brand: MateXT. Yu Chengdong, Executive Director, Chairman of the Terminal BG, and Chairman of the Intelligent Automotive Solutions BU of Huawei, forwarded this Weibo post, revealing that it was sent from the MateXT Ultimate Design

Huawei is about to release its tri-folding MateXT: Challenging the new form of folding screen phones

Today (September 3rd), Huawei's Terminal announced a new member of the "Ultimate Design" brand: MateXT. Yu Chengdong, Executive Director, Chairman of the Terminal BG, and Chairman of the Intelligent Automotive Solutions BU of Huawei, forwarded this Weibo post, revealing that it was sent from the MateXT Ultimate Design. This indicates that Huawei is about to release a new folding screen phone, which is highly likely to be the long-awaited first tri-folding phone.

Huawei's "Ultimate Design" is positioned as high-end and endorsed by Andy Lau. It was formally launched on September 25 last year at Huawei's autumn new product launch conference. Consumers speculate that the MateXT will be the first folding screen phone of the Ultimate Design series, and it is expected to be a tri-folding design. Interestingly, in Huawei's promotional video, the number "3" flashes by, followed by the countdown "three, two, one" in Cantonese, seemingly hinting at the presence of three folds in the new product.

In August this year, Yu Chengdong was seen on a plane using a tri-folding phone. The left side of the three screens displayed message lists, and the right side displayed webpage content. When fully unfolded, the inner screen was significantly larger than ordinary large folding phones. The protective case on the side also seemingly concealed a stylus. Yu Chengdong also mentioned in Dong Yuhu's live stream, "The next generation of folding screen phones is something everyone can think of, but no one can make it. We've been thinking about it for five years, and it may finally be coming out soon."

From the details of the leaked images, even in the folded state, Huawei's tri-folding phone does not appear bulky. Based on previous leaks, the model is expected to adopt a complex structure of inward folding + outward folding + dual hinges. The screen size is expected to reach approximately 10 inches, providing a tablet-like user experience. The centered single hole is located on the leftmost screen, and the core processor is expected to be Huawei's self-developed Kirin 9 series platform.

Currently, many mobile phone manufacturers have iterated through multiple folding screen phones, but in the tri-folding field, there are currently no products officially on the market. This is because tri-folding places stricter requirements on screen flexibility and durability, as well as hinge strength, which increases the difficulty of mass production.

Samsung showcased two tri-folding phones named Samsung FlexG and FlexS at CES 2022. The former adopts a "G" folding method, folding the phone screens on both sides towards the middle, making it appear rather bulky. The latter uses an "S" folding method, where the outer screen of the phone is part of the folding screen. When unfolded, the folding section is hidden inside, and the other two screens together with the outer screen form an ultra-large screen.

In May this year, TCL Huaxing also showcased a Tandem tri-folding prototype phone at the 2024 SID event, capable of freely switching between "S" and "G" folding methods.

It is understood that Huawei has been laying the groundwork for tri-folding phones for many years. As early as 2022, it had already applied for several patents related to tri-folding screens. On February 21, 2024, Huawei applied for a patent named "Folding Screen Device," showcasing a new form of three-fold electronic device. The main structure includes three shells, two hinges, and a flexible screen, connecting the three shells using one inner folding hinge and one outer folding hinge.

Institutions predict that Huawei will experience a period of intensive new product releases in the second half of the year, further solidifying its layout in the folding phone market, from the mid-range to the high-end. On September 2, Huawei officially announced that it will hold a "Huawei Meets the Extraordinary" brand gala and HarmonyOS Intelligent Travel new product launch conference on September 10 (next Tuesday) at 2:30 PM, where it will unveil new smartphone products.

The launch of the Huawei MateXT will have a significant impact on the folding screen phone market. It represents Huawei's bold attempt in the folding screen field and is an exploration of future phone forms. If Huawei can successfully bring tri-folding phones to market, it will further solidify its position in the high-end phone market and bring new development directions to the entire folding screen phone market.