Huawei Schedules Event Just Hours After iPhone 16 Launch
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Huawei has strategically scheduled the launch of its new triple-folding smartphone just one day after Apple's iPhone 16 debut. Although Huawei has faced significant challenges in the U.S. market following sanctions imposed by former President Donald Trump in 2019, the company remains strong in China, consistently ranking among the top five smartphone sellers.
Building on this success, Huawei announced on Chinese social media platform Weibo that it will hold a launch event on September 10, mere hours after Apple's highly anticipated iPhone 16 event.
Richard Yu, head of Huawei’s consumer electronics and automotive intelligence divisions, hinted that the company will introduce a groundbreaking product, something that others have envisioned but failed to create. Yu noted that this product took five years of dedication and investment to develop. Though the announcement was vague, Bloomberg has reported that the product in question is expected to be a triple-folding smartphone. Yu has been seen using the device multiple times and confirmed that it would be available for sale in September.
If these predictions hold true, Huawei will become the first smartphone maker to offer a commercially available tri-fold phone. Based on patents filed by the company, the phone is likely to feature a Z-shaped folding mechanism, which, when fully unfolded, will provide a 10-inch flat display.
Apple's AI Challenges in China
While Huawei’s new foldable phone is expected to showcase cutting-edge technology, it may struggle with performance issues due to ongoing sanctions that have hampered the company's ability to develop advanced chipsets. Huawei’s Kirin chips lag behind those from Apple, MediaTek, and Qualcomm in both performance and efficiency. Despite these hurdles, Huawei continues to innovate in the foldable phone market, with its spin-off brand Honor set to reveal one of the thinnest foldables yet, the Honor Magic V3, at the IFA trade show.
By scheduling their launch event just after Apple's, Huawei seems to be highlighting Apple’s absence in the folding phone market. Apple typically dominates sales following its fall announcements, but this year might be different. The iPhone 16’s AI-powered features, driven by Apple Intelligence and iOS 18, will face limitations in China due to government restrictions on AI technologies. China’s ban on OpenAI’s GPT, which powers many of these features, means Apple will need to rely on local providers and heavily customize its services for the Chinese market—a process that could take months and potentially impact iPhone 16 sales.
In contrast, the latest version of Huawei’s HarmonyOS, dubbed HarmonyOS Next, is designed with a focus on AI experiences, powered by Huawei’s own PanguLM model. This new version will likely drop support for Android apps entirely, instead emphasizing AI-enhanced functions across the system.
Besides the triple-folding phone, Huawei is also expected to showcase the M9 SUV, an electric vehicle from Aito, a brand in which Huawei is a key partner. The M9 will run on Huawei’s HarmonyOS, further highlighting the company’s push into both AI and automotive industries.
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