Huawei is about to announce a challenger to Samsung's current foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip 3. The new clamshell phone will be the Chinese manufacturer's second foldable phone this year following the announcement of the China-exclusive Mate X2. Samsung and Huawei are only two of the companies that have been heavily investing in the foldable market.
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 launched alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 3 in August 2021, with recent data suggesting Samsung's more affordable foldable phone grabbed 60-percent of the market share. Reinforcing the popularity of clamshell foldable smartphones, the 2020 Galaxy Z Flip 5G was the third best-selling foldable smartphone during the same quarter. With its newest foldable smartphone, Huawei now appears to also wants a share of the clamshell market.
The Huawei P50 Pocket looks set to feature a clamshell design and launch at a global event in December 2021. There have been reports of a clamshell foldable smartphone from Huawei for months. While it was previously rumored to launch under the manufacturer's Mate line, Huawei looks to have eventually decided on P-series branding instead. With this decision, both of Huawei's flagship lines will now feature a foldable model. Although the specifications of the Huawei P50 Pocket remain unknown, a previously leaked render by Teme (@RODENT950) provides some insight into the possible design. For example, the P50 Pocket includes a circular display that looks like a smartwatch screen as well as an inner main display. The rear-facing camera also appears to be housed within a circular cut-out identical to the outer screen. Huawei's announcement of the product launch also hints at the phone having a unique dual-textured finish.
Might Actually Be Hard To Get In Your Pocket
Huawei will unveil the P50 Pocket on December 23. When it first becomes available for purchase, it is likely to be sold primarily in China. There is also the possibility that the new phone won't come to other regions early, if at all. Huawei's mobile business is struggling as a result of a U.S. ban and this has affected its access to components including chips. So much so that the company has been forced to not only delay the launch of multiple products, but also release them in limited quantities. For example, the Mate X2 foldable smartphone announced earlier this year was only sold in China, and there is a chance that the Huawei P50 Pocket may face the same fate.
Regardless, it is exciting news to see that the Galaxy Z Flip 3 won't be the only option for buyers, at least in China. Motorola hasn't launched a successor to the Razr 5G this year, and TCL decided against launching its own clamshell foldable due to several factors including the cost of components. With the launch of the Huawei P50 Pocket, the foldable space will become slightly more competitive.
Source: Huawei/Twitter, Teme/Twitter