Huawei has patented its new foldable smartphone, which commentators tip will unveil late this year. According to its WIPO patent, the smartphone unfolds into a ‘tablet size’, and remedies previous design flaws.
The news comes as Huawei faces intense scrutiny from Western governments, over national security risks associated with the Chinese company’s products. Huawei has continued to oppose such allegations.
LetsGoDigital first noticed the WIPO patent, describing a foldable smartphone with a flexible display screen, and middle hinge. The device is reportedly ‘tablet-sized’ when unfolded.
Speaking to cNET last year, Huawei Consumer Group CEO, Richard Yu, revealed the company had a working prototype of a foldable smartphone, however, a better design was needed.
The prototype reportedly had a few ‘gaps’ between screens. At the time, a 2018 launch was not excluded.
Huawei’s new foldable smartphone patent incorporates several hard and soft components, for a more seamless open-and-close.
Huawei filed its original patent nearly a year ago in homeland China. According to Patently Apple, despite previous reports, Apple received its foldable smartphone patent about 16 months earlier. Huawei was granted its European patent on March 29th, 2018.
