The flip phone playing field is set to get more crowded.
Huawei is tipped to launch an entry-level flip phone within the first half of next year, according to a Thursday post by a tipster Revegnus on X. The clamshell-style phone could start for as low as $735, the leaker says, and is expected to be part of Huawei’s P Pocket lineup.
Last year, Huawei launched the Pocket S, its first entry-level flip phone and a scaled-down version of P50 Pocket. It shares the same design language as its pricier sibling, namely a standout feature of two large circles on the cover panel. One circle serves as the camera bump, while the other is a 1.04-inch round cover screen. Both phones were released in China only.
Although flip phones and their book-style counterparts are increasingly receiving commercial releases by major phone-makers, foldable phones still make up a small sliver of the broader smartphone market. However, industry research firms expect the foldable phone pie to grow. IDC reports that it expects worldwide shipments of foldable phones to reach 21.4 million units in 2023. This represents an increase of more than 50% over the 14.2 million units shipped in 2022. By 2027, it says, foldable phones should capture 3.5% of overall market share, which translates to more than 48 million shipments.
Huawei’s Pocket P50 first came out in 2022.
According to Revegnus, Samsung seems to be working on a similar phone. In August the tipster tweeted that, “rumors of ongoing testing for the launch of the Galaxy Z FE (lite model), after the Fold/Flip 6.”
Samsung’s Fan Edition, or FE, series represents a scaled-down version of its main flagship lineup. Earlier in October, Samsung revealed its $600 Samsung Galaxy S23 FE. This phone includes many of the same features as the $800 Galaxy S23, but makes a few compromises to hit the lower price.
Given the tipped launch timelines, the Huawei’s new flip phone could be introduced alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6, which are expected to receive a launch in August next year.
