Huawei Mate X Revealed As Apple Files Patents For Folding iPhone

So, as if we didn't have enough to keep up with when it comes to technology, apparently we now need a folding smartphone.

Huawei has revealed its first phone to feature a foldable screen, less than a week after rival firm Samsung showed the world its own version.

PA

According to the Forbes, the Mate X has a single 8-inch OLED display that can be folded like a book. The fold is backwards instead of inwards which means that the screen continues to face out even when folded.

The BBC reports that the Mate X is set to go on sale at a starting price of £1996 ($2,600;) and is due to be released this summer.

PA

Rival firm Samsung revealed its Galaxy Fold on 21 February and dubbed it the 'world's first Dynamic AMOLED Infinity Flex Display'.

It seems Apple's response to this came in the form of patents covering its plans for creating a folding iPhone.

Samsung

With the documentation in mind, Foldable.News asked Dutch industrial designer Roy Gilsing to come up with a representation of what it would look like.

He designed the imaginary 'iPhone X Fold', a handset with two displays - the outer screen featuring a 1:3 aspect ratio and the inner has a 2:3 aspect ratio.

The device switches between iPhone and iPad-mode and can be used in both portrait and landscape and allows a partial fold, turning it into a mini-notebook with touchscreen keyboard.

This sounds incredible although I can't help but feel like you could grab yourself a Bluetooth keyboard and have the same experience for much less than what these new contraptions will be inevitably selling for.

The Sun reported the news that Samsung confirmed Brits will pay about £1,800 for the Galaxy Fold when it arrives. While Apple's most expensive smartphone to date is the iPhone XS Max, which sets buyers back £1,449, it's anyone's guess how much the new iPhone could sell for.

Speaking to Foldable.news, Gilsing said: "It would be so cool to hold an iPad-size screen in your pocket. And it's really convenient to make calls and chat with a long style phone."

And it's not only Huawei, Apple and Samsung in the running to release foldable devices, in fact, Xiaomi, Motorola, LG and Oppo all have developments for these smartphones.

More opportunities to smash the screen - bring it on.

Topics: Entertainment, Technology, Apple

Rebecca Shepherd

I'm Becky - a journalist at LADbible. I graduated with a First Class BA in Journalism before going on to cover criminal court cases, medical tribunals and breaking news for the national media - which inevitably and eventually became as glum as it sounds. Can often be found rocking a bag for life - which I made a 'thing' way before Rihanna. You can contact me at [email protected]

@RJShepherd94