The Huawei Pocket 2 clamshell foldable phone is displayed since the Pocket 3 has yet to be introduced. | Image credit-PhoneArena
Coming from a company that released the tri-fold Mate XT last year, you have to wonder what Huawei has up its sleeve as it is set to unveil its “most innovative” product next month. Yu Chengdong, Huawei’s Consumer Business Group chairman, whom you might know by his Americanized name of Richard Yu, said that Huawei could offer ‘beyond imagination products’ for this year.
When the company held its annual meeting late in 2024, Yu did hint that Huawei will release products that no one could imagine in 2025. The most innovative of these products is expected to be unveiled in March which is just a month away. Yu says that after this product is released, people from all over China will rush to buy it. And don’t worry about the pricing because he adds that everyone will be able to afford it.
During the annual meeting last year, Yu hinted that the new, innovative, and mind-blowing device will be a mobile phone. That has set off speculation that the phone will be a new foldable clamshell smartphone, possibly the upcoming Pocket 3 model. The rumored release date matches as the Pocket 3 should be introduced after the Chinese Spring Festival, in February or March.
“Huawei is expected to launch a product in March that no one can think of. After the product is on the market, people all over the country will rush to buy it and everyone will be able to afford it.”-Yu Chengdong, chairman, Huawei’s Consumer Business Group
Last month we passed along the words of a leaker who said that the Pocket 3 will be thinner, smaller, and lighter than the Pocket 2. Once again, as with every Huawei phone, there is a huge question about the application processor and whether Huawei supplier SMIC can break the 7nm process node floor that U.S. sanctions have created. Blocked by the U.S. from being able to obtain an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine from Dutch manufacturer ASML (the only company in the world that makes this important chip-making tool), The Pocket 3 might have to stick with a 7nm application processor (AP) putting Huawei two generations behind the 3nm node most flagship phones are being powered by this year.
The Pocket 3 will also provide tough competition to other clamshell foldables in the marketplace such as the Galaxy Z Flip 6, the Motorola Razr + (2024), and the Honor Magic V3.
Considering that Huawei has remained innovative despite the U.S. sanctions, it should be interesting to see what the company unveils next month.
