As our list of the best foldable phones shows, there are more foldable phones to choose from than ever before. However, we still don't have a three-part folding phone on the market, and it's looking increasingly likely that that's about to change.
According to Gizmochina, Richard Yu, former CEO of Huawei, has been spotted using what appears to be a three-way foldable phone on a plane. Well-known tipster Digital Chat Station has chimed in to say that this is indeed the device we're looking at.
A tri-fold phone is a folding phone with an extra crease and even more screen space – think the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, but there's an extra panel fixed to the side, so you're essentially looking at three standard phone screens joined together.
Of course, this does add bulk when the phone is folded, as there's an extra layer to deal with. For some users, though, it may be a worthwhile trade-off – the main display is rumoured to measure around 10 inches from corner to corner.
Incoming Phones
Just a few days ago we heard that Huawei had managed to hit certain durability standards with its triple-folding phone, and seeing the company's former CEO using one would certainly back up rumors of an imminent launch.
The three-folding foldable phone is believed to debut any time from September onwards. September is also the month we expect the new iPhone 16 series to appear, while the Pixel 9 phones are set to be unveiled next Tuesday.
Samsung is the brand that comes to mind most when it comes to foldable phones, despite continued competition from the likes of OnePlus and Motorola. There have been rumours that Samsung is also preparing a tri-fold foldable phone, but it hasn't arrived yet.
If Huawei does manage to be first to market with its particular form factor, it looks like the device will come with HarmonyOS Next: a desktop-style operating system that could make the most of those 10 inches of screen space.
