Huawei secured a highly intriguing foldable smartphone patent

Emerging as a notable name in the foldable smartphone industry, Huawei caught attention once again by obtaining a fascinating patent.

Huawei appears to be venturing into a novel foldable phone design. This was brought to light by a blogger, Jerrold_tech, who unveiled several patent images of this innovative design on Weibo. The drawings showcase a distinct asymmetry in the phone when unfolded: the left side is elevated compared to the right. The rationale for this unique design seems to be the strategic placement of the camera module. When the device is spread out, this camera is situated on the upper left, positioning it perfectly for users as a front-facing camera. Moreover, upon folding the phone, the very same camera arrangement seamlessly transforms into a rear-facing one.

From a side perspective, the camera module distinctly protrudes from the phone's surface. This protrusion ingeniously allows Huawei to maximize the screen real estate when the device is folded. According to the blogger, the ingeniousness of this design lies in its capability to use a singular camera setup regardless of the phone's state - be it folded or unfolded. This ensures consistent camera quality for the user in every mode. Additionally, the patent illustrations indicate that one of the camera components is a Time-of-Flight (ToF) lens, which could be utilized for facial recognition.

It's no secret that Huawei, among other smartphone giants, is continually pushing the boundaries of foldable technology. The company's previous releases include three diverse foldable phones: the outward-facing Mate X, the clamshell P50 Pocket, and the inward-facing Mate X3. While this asymmetrical design seems promising as a future innovation, Huawei hasn't officially confirmed its plans for production, although they certainly have the means to bring it to life.