Huawei wants to beat Samsung by releasing the first smartphone with a foldable screen

Huawei wants to strengthen its status as an innovative manufacturer by being the first to market a smartphone with a screen that folds. He hopes to steal the scoop from Samsung, who seems to be about to release his own foldable smartphone every year.

According to rumors, it is certain that next year will be the year that will see the commercialization of the first one. foldable smartphone. Readers who have been following us for a few years are familiar with the rumor: rumors claim that Samsung is planning to market a smartphone very soon, the main feature of which would be the folding screen.

But this year, things seem to be changing. According to a report by Nikkei, a very serious Japanese newspaper, Huawei has decided to release its own foldable screen smartphone. The ambition of the Chinese is to beat the Korean giant by being the first to commercialize this technological novelty.

Innovate, yes, but what for?

As recalled by The Verge, Huawei is not at his first attempt. The manufacturer has now become accustomed to releasing a device with a characteristic that is felt on other devices. When in 2014 a rumor was about an iPhone with a sapphire screen, Huawei markets a small batch of Ascend P7 Sapphire, which was the first smartphone with a sapphire glbad screen.

2015, when it was mentioned that the Force Touch of the Apple Watch can make its arrival on the iPhone, Huawei has released the first smartphone with a pressure sensing screen, the Huawei Mate S. It is therefore very possible to see to arrive a smartphone with a flexible screen, probably on a variant of another smartphone announced at the same time.

In the examples cited above, one can not help but note that Huawei is only interested in the title of "Premier to launch such technology", without trying to push the technology further or to be the ambbadador of its adoption to the general public. The P7 Sapphire has not known a successor, as well as the Mate S, which had a software integration of Force Touch technology rather succinct (we can zoom in on a part of the photo by pressing more or less strong for example).

So, it is possible that Huawei is quick to release a phone without really thinking about the experience around the flexible screen. This is the best way to disinterested the consumer and kill a technology that looks promising. Especially if the product is as expensive as what is expected at Samsung. Huawei can however offer a price much lower than the estimated 1500 euros, to stand out.

Who is the supplier?

For the more curious, Nikkei's report does not stop there. Not only does it mention an exit early next year, but it also talks about the potential supplier. If the initials BOE do not tell you anything, they could come back in the coming months. Beijing Oriental Electronics is a screen maker that has managed to become a provider of IPS screen from Apple, but also to present a prototype OLED foldable screen, 8K, which would have its place on a tablet for example. 19659012] YouTube Link Subscribe to FrAndroid

There is no doubt that BOE is also looking to make a name for itself, between the hegemony of Samsung Display in South Korea and JDI in Japan.

We hope that Samsung will not be disconcerted with such a rumor and continues to work at its own pace to offer a differentiating experience with its foldable screen. For Huawei, we want them to take innovation more seriously and bring out a product that's worth it.