Huawei may be working on a foldable phone with an attached case

Huawei could be working on a foldable phone that could be equipped with a case that can be attached to the device, according to a patent document published on the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) website. Images of the alleged handset suggest it could appear as a tri-fold foldable phone, with the outer panel doubling as a protective case when closed. The company recently launched the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design as the world’s first commercially available triple phone.

Huawei patent document points to foldable with case attached

A patent document on CNIPA discovers by 91Mobiles describes a foldable device, such as a smartphone or tablet, including a protective case. The folding device would have two parts connected by a hinge that could be expanded and unfolded. The document seems to talk about a phone with two panels that could form a larger screen.

The device in Huawei’s patent document has a fixed frame, along with an attached case that is designed to be flexible, as it needs to wrap around the flexible portion of the foldable device when closed. However, the description states that the case will have a slim design, to reduce the overall footprint of the device.

According to the details in the document, Huawei’s protective case could provide protection to the device as it wraps around the bendable part of the screen. The foldable device is said to have an S-shaped design when closed, and the protective case has a transparent section that can be used to view the screen contents when the device is closed.

Huawei’s patent document also describes the use of magnetic components in the device to allow the bending parts of the foldable device to connect to the metal parts inside. It is currently unclear how these components would function, but the document clearly states that the purpose of the third component is to protect the display.

Although Gadgets 360 was able to confirm the presence of the patent document on the CNIPA website, there is no telling whether the company will launch a device with this technology in the future. Like other inventions described in patent documents, the company could change how the technology works before integrating it into future devices.