The first tri-foldable phone is nearly here – and it's been spotted in the wild

As our list of the best foldable phones will tell you, there are more foldables to pick from than ever before. We don't yet have a tri-foldable phone on the market though – and it's looking increasingly likely that that's about to change.

As Gizmochina reports, Richard Yu, the former CEO of Huawei, has been spotted using what seems to be a tri-foldable handset on an airplane. Well-known tipster Digital Chat Station has chimed in to say this is indeed the device we're looking at.

A tri-foldable phone is a foldable phone with an extra fold, and even more screen space – think about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, but there's an additional panel fixed on to the side, so you're essentially looking at three standard phone screens joined together.

That does of course add to the bulk when the phone is folded up, as you've got an extra layer to deal with. For some users though, that may be a worthwhile trade-off: the main display is rumored to be around 10 inches in size, corner to corner.

Incoming phones

Does this look like a tri-foldable phone to you? (Image credit: Gizmochina)

Just a few days ago we heard that Huawei had managed to reach certain durability standards with its tri-foldable phone – and the sight of the company's ex-CEO using one would certainly back up rumors of an imminent launch.

It's thought that the tri-foldable could make its debut anytime from September onwards. September is also the month when we're expecting the new iPhone 16 series to make an appearance, while the Pixel 9 phones are due to be unveiled this coming Tuesday.

Samsung is the brand most people will think of when it comes to folding phones, despite continued competition from the likes of OnePlus and Motorola. There have been rumors that a tri-foldable is also on the way from Samsung, but it's not here yet.

If Huawei does manage to be the first to market with his particular form factor, it sounds as though the device will come running HarmonyOS Next: a desktop-style operating system that would be able to make full use of those 10 inches of screen space.

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