Chinese smartphone manufacturers are focusing on tri-fold models

The Chinese smartphone manufacturers Xiaomi and Honor appear determined to follow in the footsteps of Huawei Technologies and launch their own tri-fold models. Public records reveal that both companies have each applied for a design patent for a smartphone with two hinges. According to an application published by the National Chinese Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), Beijing-based Xiaomi applied for a design patent for a dual-hinged smartphone with three rear cameras as early as 2022. This patent application was made public on September 3. Honor, a spin-off of Huawei, also applied for a design patent for a tri-fold smartphone in 2021, according to CNIPA records. This patent application, published in April, showcased a Z-shaped, dual-hinged foldable device and a round camera. These patent applications reflect how major Chinese Android manufacturers are betting on new foldable models to compete with Apple's iPhone in the premium segment of the world's largest smartphone market. Lei Jun, founder, chairman, and CEO of Xiaomi, introduced the company's foldable smartphone model, the MIX Fold 3, in Beijing last August. According to market research firm IDC, foldable phones with artificial intelligence are expected to boost smartphone sales on the Chinese mainland, with total shipments set to increase by 3.1 percent to 279 million units in 2024. At a media event in July, Honor CEO George Zhao Ming stated that the company is already preparing patented technologies for a range of devices, including tri-fold and "rollable" smartphones. However, he added that the company needs to weigh the right timing for releasing these smartphones. Other domestic Android smartphone manufacturers are already tapping into buyer interest sparked by Huawei's Mate XT, which begins retail sales this Friday. Tecno, a brand of Chinese budget smartphone manufacturer Transsion, recently released an online video preview of its Phantom Ultimate 2, a Z-shaped tri-fold concept smartphone with a 10-inch display. Honor launched the Magic V3 in July, which is promoted as the world's thinnest foldable smartphone with integrated artificial intelligence. More than 6.5 million consumers have already registered to purchase the Huawei Mate XT tri-fold 5G smartphone through the company's e-commerce store Vmall. The strong demand for the eye-catching Mate XT, which is in limited supply, has prompted resellers in Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei, the world's largest electronics wholesale market, to triple the handset's selling price. While Huawei charges 19,999 yuan (2,800 USD) for the 256-gigabyte model of the Mate XT, many resellers have listed the new phone between 60,000 and 70,000 yuan as the number of inquiries rises. Mainland China is the world's largest market for foldable smartphones, accounting for half of global shipments in the second quarter according to data from market research firm Canalys. More than 1.5 million foldable phones were shipped to the mainland in the last quarter, a 21 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023. Huawei led the segment in the first half with a 56 percent market share, followed by Honor with 13 percent.