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Huawei has patented a rather interesting design over at CNIPA (China National Intellectual Property Administration). The company patented a clamshell-style design for a foldable smartphone.
Could this phone become Huawei’s Galaxy Z Flip competitor at some point?
Could this become Huawei’s Galaxy Z Flip competitor? Well, yes, it’s possible, if it ever becomes a reality. This phone does remind us of the Galaxy Z Flip, mainly due to its clamshell design.
As you can see, this phone folds right down the middle. It has a rather tall main display, and a notch at the top of it, it seems. Bezels on the device seem to be quite minimal, though.
The hinge is not visible when the phone is unfolded. It is visible when it’s not, though, but it fits into this design really well. The power / lock button is placed on the right, along with the phone’s volume rocker keys.
Now, the back side of the device is quite interesting. You will notice that the phone’s cameras are moved to the right. There seem to be several sensors included in that camera module, but we can’t see how many in these images.
They’re hidden here, and we don’t know if that means they could be hidden in the final product, or did Huawei did it on purpose in these sketches. In any case, some additional camera-related sensors are included on the back as well, next to the cameras.
The device could feature a tiny display on the outside
What’s interesting here, is the space below the main camera module. You will notice a blank, black space down there. Well, that could be reserved for a tiny display.
If it is, that display would be really small, similar to the one on the Galaxy Z Flip in terms of size. Well, maybe a little larger, but still extremely small. It could be enough to show you who’s calling, the time, your message icons, and so on.
It is also worth noting that this phone seems to be quite thin when unfolded. Even when folded it does not seem to be that thick, at least not based on these sketches.
Huawei actually trademarked the ‘Mate V’ name quite recently. Could that be the name of this clamshell foldable smartphone? Well, it is possible, that’s for sure.
Do note that this is just a patent at this point, though, a design patent. It may become a reality in the future, but nothing is guaranteed. Companies usually patent a ton of such designs, and not many of them become an actual product.
Huawei should be working on the Galaxy Z Flip competitor, though, that’s for sure. The Huawei Mate X and Xs are compelling offerings, but improvements are need, as is with every foldable smartphone these days, basically.
