Huawei was the first brand to launch a tri-fold smartphone with its Mate XT Ultimate back in 2024, and it seems it is looking to expand the tri-fold design to the flip-foldable segment. A new patent shared by xleaks7 x PostFast showcases a vertical tri-fold design, which is something we’ve yet to see from any brand in the market.

While this is just a mockup of what might eventually make its way to Huawei’s Pura lineup, the concept is quite impressive. Just like the Mate XT Ultimate, the vertical tri-fold features two hinges that help it retract to a neatly compact form factor.
Huawei vertical trifold (Source: xleaks7 xPostFast)
The S-shaped device opens up to reveal a large screen, which can be shrunk to 1/3 of its size. The patent description also mentions a special shield that helps reduce signal loss when the phone is folded.
It remains to be seen if Huawei will bring this patent to reality, but we’re certainly curious.