This could be HUAWEI's answer to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

We first heard about HUAWEI working on a Galaxy Z Flip-like foldable phone late last year. The company had reportedly filed a patent with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), showing rough sketches of a clamshell device. Now, TigerMobiles has discovered yet another patent for a foldable HUAWEI phone with a clamshell design.

According to the patent screenshots, HUAWEI filed the application for the foldable phone with the Chinese patent authority CNIPA in August 2019 but only received authorization for it today.

Patent documents show a foldable flip phone with a vertically aligned multi-camera setup and what looks like an elongated second screen at the back. The front of the phone appears to have a notch but we can’t really see the selfie camera setup in it clearly. The phone folds inwards using a rounded hinge mechanism similar to what we’ve seen on the Galaxy Z Flip.

Industry experts believe that HUAWEI is indeed pursuing both clamshells and Galaxy Fold-style in-folding phones. In fact, the Chinese company is expected to launch an aggressively priced foldable phone later this year. It has also reportedly purchased ultra-thin glass, such as the one used on the Galaxy Z Flip, to use on its own foldable devices.

Meanwhile, folks over at LetsGoDigital recently came across a new HUAWEI trademark application mentioning the name “Mate V.” It’s unclear if the name refers to a smartphone or some other device. However, going by previous HUAWEI smartphone names such as the Mate X and the Mate S, it’s very much possible that the Mate V moniker is reserved for a high-end smartphone. Does it belong to this patented clamshell phone or a Galaxy Fold-like in-folding handset? We’ll have to wait and watch.