Galaxy Z Flip gets a rival with the new Huawei foldable

The Huawei Mate V is after the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip's foldable crown

The Galaxy Z Flip
(Image credit: Future)

Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy Z Flip 5G - as well a new colour for the clamshell - at Unpacked next month, and while competition from fellow foldables has been thin on the ground, with the Motorola Razr being the only other option, Huawei is reportedly stepping into the fray.

The Chinese tech giant is allegedly working on its own clamshell which apes the design of the Z Flip - even its name seems to take a leaf out of Samsung's book, which is using the 'Z' moniker for all of its foldables because it "intuitively communicates the idea of a fold." 

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Twitter leaker Ben Geskin has posted a number of renders of what is reportedly going to be called the Huawei Mate V, which will look "similar to Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, but with more cameras and a notch with 3D face recognition."

It looks remarkably like the Galaxy Z Flip, although we don't know how big the handset will be. The camera array is more pronounced, taking its lead from devices like the Huawei P40 Pro. There's a sensor alongside the lenses which we're guessing will be ToF or a depth sensor of some kind.  

There's a sliver of an outer display, nestled next to the camera lenses, which is also present on the Z Flip - and something Apple is reportedly finding a workaround for with its rumoured foldable iPhone. Interestingly, rather than opting for a discreet hole-punch front-facing camera, the Huawei Mate V is sporting a notch.

This is't the company's first foldable phone - it launched the Mate X last year although the smartphone never made it over to UK and US markets. The style was similar to the Galaxy Fold in that it folded along the vertical axis, but the screen was on the outside. 

Of course, Huawei is at a disadvantage as it can't offer Google apps, and is facing some challenges in its trading and deals with the UK and US, so the phone may not even launch in local territories anyway, but if it does manage to make it to our shores, the Galaxy Z Flip 5G could have a fight on its hands. 

Source: Tom's Guide

Shabana Arif

Shabana worked at T3.com as News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). She's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down here at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies. If you have any tech or gaming tips, shoot over an email or DM her on social media.