The first tri-foldable phone is nearly here – and it’s been spotted in the wild
One more fold
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
As our list of thebest foldable phoneswill tell you, there are more foldables to pick from than ever before. We don’t yet have a tri-foldable phone on the market though – and it’s looking increasingly likely that that’s about to change.
AsGizmochinareports, Richard Yu, the former CEO of Huawei, has been spotted using what seems to be a tri-foldable handset on an airplane. Well-known tipsterDigital Chat Stationhas chimed in to say this is indeed the device we’re looking at.
A tri-foldable phone is a foldable phone with an extra fold, and even more screen space – think about theSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, but there’s an additional panel fixed on to the side, so you’re essentially looking at three standard phone screens joined together.
That does of course add to the bulk when the phone is folded up, as you’ve got an extra layer to deal with. For some users though, that may be a worthwhile trade-off: the main display is rumored to be around 10 inches in size, corner to corner.
Incoming phones
Justa few days agowe heard that Huawei had managed to reach certain durability standards with its tri-foldable phone – and the sight of the company’s ex-CEO using one would certainly back up rumors of an imminent launch.
It’s thought that the tri-foldable could make its debut anytime from September onwards. September is also the month when we’re expecting the newiPhone 16series to make an appearance, while thePixel 9phones are due to be unveiled this coming Tuesday.
Samsungis the brand most people will think of when it comes to folding phones, despite continued competition from the likes of OnePlus and Motorola. There have been rumors that a tri-foldable isalso on the wayfrom Samsung, but it’s not here yet.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
If Huawei does manage to be the first to market with his particular form factor, it sounds as though the device will come runningHarmonyOS Next: a desktop-styleoperating systemthat would be able to make full use of those 10 inches of screen space.
You might also like
Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.
Huawei’s tri-fold phone is so expensive you could buy four PS5 Pros for the same price
Huawei posts the first official image of the tri-fold Mate XT, and reveals storage options
NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, November 10 (game #252)
