HUAWEI tipped to launch 3 affordable foldable phones later this year

Huawei’s US troubles may not be over for a long time, but the Chinese company seems to be pressing on with new phone launches. As per a Digitimes report, HUAWEI plans to launch three new foldable phones in the second half of this year.

Citing industry sources, the outlet also reports that HUAWEI could adopt more affordable pricing for the new foldables, “targeting the entry-level segment.”

These new models, along with the foldable phones Samsung is expected to launch this year, could boost the global shipments of the category to seven million units in 2021, up from the 2.8 million units shipped last year, as per Digitimes Research.

Huawei’s last foldable phone was the Mate X2 that launched back in February. However, it’s not something everyone can afford as it costs a whopping 17,999 yuan (~$2,771). Also, the phone is only available in China for now, so access to it is limited.

The new, more affordable HUAWEI foldable phones could see a launch outside the company’s home market if the value proposition is enough to excite buyers in the west. Google services will most likely be absent from the phones and we’re also not sure what their chipset situation will be given the curbs HUAWEI is facing right now.

The company is currently rumored to be readying the P50 series of flagships. The phones were initially expected to launch in March, then April, but as of now, there’s no sign of them launching anytime soon. It’s possible that HUAWEI, like many other smartphone OEMs, is finding it difficult to produce enough units owing to the global chipset crunch.

Anyhow, we’ll just have to wait and see what HUAWEI has in store and how this year plays out for the company. It’s already showing signs of declining smartphone sales and word has it that it’ll cut its shipments in half this year.