Samsung's Galaxy Fold 2 may see more competition from the next Huawei foldable phone, likely the Mate X2, which looks to be ditching Huawei's current design for one more inspired by Samsung's device.
This is based on a newly found patent (PDF) made by Huawei and spotted then rendered by LetsGoDigital. While only awarded in April 2020, this application was made in July 2019, meaning that Huawei has had plenty of time to work on improving or making physical prototypes of this design.
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Huawei's Mate X and Mate Xs use a unique "falcon wing" design, with the single-piece display wrapping around the outside of the device when folded. However, Samsung, Motorola and other foldable phones have opted for a more book-like approach, with the main display hidden within the fold.
The cameras are of particular interest here. There is only one unit visible on the front next to the exterior display, with no sign of a punch-hole or notch on the inside. The Mate X only had one camera array that could be used either as a front-facing or rear camera depending on how you hold the phone.
As for the sensors themselves, there are four total, one more than you'll find on the Mate X. Given that the bottom lens is square shaped, it's likely there will be a new periscope zoom lens, with the fourth likely being a time-of-flight sensor. We make this assumption because of the recently released Huawei P40 Pro also has this shape of camera for its own zoom sensor, which uses mirrors to reduce the height of the camera while still allowing the phone to make use of higher quality optical zoom.
Keep in mind that patents are not a reliable indicator of a company's future direction. Many companies stake claims on ideas they may never use, and if one of these ideas does get made, it could still be years before we see it in a retail product.
However, there are some supporting factors. A new Huawei foldable is expected to appear in October this year, at the same time as the Mate 40, the successor to the Huawei Mate 30.
The Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 will be the Korean company's second attempt at a larger foldable device. After the Galaxy Z Flip was well-received earlier this year, it has a good chance of nailing it this time after the problems that plagued the original Galaxy Fold, while also adding new features like a 120Hz refresh rate display and an S Pen Stylus.
