It looks like Huawei could be working on a new foldable to take on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip.
According to details from leaker and concept designer Ben Geskin on Twitter, the China-based telecom equipment maker is working on a vertical folding device. Geskin says the phone will allegedly be called the ‘Mate V.’
Further, Geskin tweeted that the Mate V will have a notch on the display and support “3D face recognition,” which Geskin suggests is similar to the face unlock system Huawei included on its Mate 30 Pro phone. That system relies on 3D technologies like a time of flight (TOF) sensor to recognize users and authenticate them.
Finally, Geskin explained in his tweet that the Mate V will look like the Galaxy Z Flip, but will include more cameras.
New foldable from Huawei allegedly called 'Mate V' is coming 👀 Looks similar to Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, but with more cameras and a notch with 3D face recognition pic.twitter.com/kpwQhIHVId
— Ben Geskin (@BenGeskin) July 7, 2020
Included renders show notch display and vertical camera array
Geskin included two images with his tweet that show renders of what the Mate V could look like. The first shows the front and back of the Mate V both while folded and unfolded. The top half of the phone’s rear includes a vertical camera array, although it isn’t clear how many cameras the phone will have.
Additionally, it appears there will be a space below the camera bump. It’s not immediately clear why, but some users replied to Geskin’s tweet saying the space was likely for a small display. The Galaxy Z Flip, for example, has a small external display for checking the time and notifications without opening the device.
Additionally, the render shows a thin rectangle with rounded corners next to the camera array. This will probably be where the phone’s flash and other sensors will reside.
The inside of the phone features a nearly edge-to-edge display and a boxy notch. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely a foldable phone like this will have bezels as small as the render.
The second image shows several side profiles of the device while folded and unfolded. You can see the power and volume buttons on the right side as well as the SIM slot, charging port and speaker grill along the bottom. The hinge looks just like the one on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip.
All in all, it’s an interesting rumour. Huawei already has one foldable, the Mate X, so it isn’t surprising that the company is working on other ones. Considering the positive response to the Galaxy Z Flip, it also doesn’t come as a surprise that Huawei is working on a vertical foldable. It remains to be seen what the finished product looks like, however. These renders — which should be taken with a grain of salt — make the alleged Mate V look just like the Z Flip. While I imagine there will be similarities, there will likely be some major differentiators with the finished product as well.
Source: Ben Geskin (@BenGeskin)
