Huawei could announce foldable phone next year, ‘technology is ready’

Huawei plans to become the first company to launch a foldable phone. Gene Jiao, Huawei’s President of Consumer Group, Middle East & Africa, told indianexpress.com that “it’s (foldable device) not a trend, it is a reality”, suggesting such a smartphone can be expected as early as next year. However, will Huawei be first could depend on whether other companies like Samsung.

Jiao did not divulge features and specifications of Huawei’s foldable device, but is confident there will be a market for such a phone. However, he is also sure that such a device won’t replace the existing phone form factor anytime soon, which suggests a foldable phone would remain niche in the initial stages.

A foldable phone, he said, should be able to offer an incremental value to end users. “We need it, but we have to answer why we need it,” Jiao explained.

Where there has been a lot of chatter on foldable phones, nothing really concrete has come out on timelines so far. These are not easy devices to make. A foldable smartphone requires special batteries and flexible displays as well as a reimagined user interface that factors in the new screen. Jiao clarified that “the technology is ready” to create a foldable smartphone and “there are no technical challenges” left.

As per a Nikkei Asia Review report from July, Huawei is using bendable OLED displays made by China’s BOE technology group. It is the same company which has been supplying the Mate 20 Pro’s OLED panel.

Jiao said Huawei’s foldable smartphone will run on EMUI, based on Google’s Android mobile operating system. “EMUI is the best user interface in the world. We are so confident about EMUI,” he said.