Huawei patent shows off its plans for a Galaxy Z Flip-like clamshell foldable

Huawei Clamshell Foldable Patent
Huawei Clamshell Foldable Patent (Image credit: TigerMobiles)

What you need to know

  • Huawei is, unsurprisingly, developing a clamshell foldable phone.
  • A newly unearthed patent with China's patent office shows off a rough sketch of what the company is working on.
  • The company has recently also applied to trademark the 'Mate V' moniker.

In a move that should surprise no one, Huawei is planning to take the fight to Samsung and Motorola with its own take on a clamshell foldable phone à la Galaxy Z Flip, patents discovered by TigerMobiles reveal.

Given that the patent is just a mockup, of course, don't expect to see too many details about the finished product here. What the images do reveal, however, is that the company is indeed working on a phone that folds vertically. They also show the planned camera setup for the device, with an array of rear cameras stacked vertically in the upper left corner of the phone.

Interestingly, there also seems to be a small touch screen just beneath the camera array, which would line up with a previous story indicating the company was experimenting with the use of touch screens around the rear camera array. Presumably, this could be used to facilitate selfies with the rear camera.

The selfie camera, it seems, will be hosted inside a notch above the screen — so, I guess, it's time to say "Welcome back!" to one of the most loathed design changes on smartphones in the last few years.

The images also reveal that the company had filed for the patent all the way back in August 2019, almost three months before Motorola announced its revamped RAZR and rejuvenated interest in the foldable phone form factor.

In related news, the company was recently also found to have filed a trademark application for the 'Mate V' moniker (via LetsGoDigital). When half folded, a clamshell phone does look like a V, no?

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Muhammad Jarir Kanji
2 Comments
  • I wonder if this patent would stand against Motorola and Samsung's parents in a patent court outside of China. But I imagine that Huawei will top both of them. Irrelevant outside of China for now given no Google Services or apps. But no doubt they will figure it out eventually.
  • I would not say that. I decided to give the p40 Pro a go and I have to say I'm impressed by how well the phone works. I am also supprised by how many of the apps I use are available on it to. Add the camera its one of the best phones this year. I am also on a fb group that is all about the p40 line and what was interesting was the amount of people that have not installed gsm on their phone and left it with just hms. Over 3 quarter of people who voted had not installed gms. Not eveyone will like it not having gms installed but the more people who start using the devices the more support it will get and the more people will see gms is not needed. What will be interesting is if/when the USA govermant give the go ahead to use gsm again. Will huawei put it back on or go without it.