Huawei is planning to launch three foldable smartphones in the second half of 2021, claims DigiTimes.
The company launched the foldable Mate X2 in February, which has an in-folding design, unlike its predecessor. In our review, we found it to be one of the best foldable smartphones around. Starting at 17,999 Chinese Yuan (~$2,765), the device is quite expensive and it’s only available in China at the moment.
The report says that the forthcoming foldable Huawei phones will have entry-level price points to boost demand. No specifics were provided.
It remains to be seen how the company will pull this off. The launch of its flagship P50 series has been delayed, presumably because of a shortage of critical components. Huawei’s ability to procure components has been severely affected because of restrictions imposed by the US.
Earlier, Samsung was also expected to launch a relatively affordable foldable phone this year. The Galaxy Z Fold Lite was rumored to cost between $900 and $1,100. A recent report says that the company will only release two foldable smartphones this year – the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3. They will likely be amongst the best Samsung phones of 2021.
The Z Flip 5G is currently Samsung’s least expensive foldable phone with a starting price of $1,199.
Based on these prices, Huawei’s affordable foldable handsets should cost no more than a thousand bucks.
Xiaomi recently unveiled its first foldable device, the Mi Mix Fold, and Oppo, Vivo, and Google are also expected to enter the category this year.
According to estimates from Digitimes Research, foldable smartphone shipments will increase from 2.8 million units last year to 7 million units in 2021.
