A new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip rival could be coming with a unique design twist

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is likely to be one of the best folding phones of the year, but Samsung could face tough new competition from another brand, if a recent leak proves to be accurate.

The details come from 91mobiles, which uncovered details of a patent filed by Honor in China. Accessing the details via the China National Intellectual Property Administration, some of the potentially unique features of the Honor phone have been spied.

Thanks to submitted illustrations, the new Honor folding phone could feature angular corners, giving it a unique look and distinctly different to the usual rounded rivals. That lends it a futuristic look, like something from a sci-fi movie.

The details suggest that the patent was filed in 2022, but was actually granted in May 2024, suggesting that Honor will have intellectual rights over this design. It's a typical folding phone in a clamshell design and the whole cover will likely be screen. The patent illustrations suggest a lozenge-shaped cutout for the cameras, which might indicate a dual camera setup.

Exact details are scarce, but this isn't the first we've heard about an Honor folding phone. Leaker Digital Chat Station - a reliable source of insider information - has said that the screen has no bezel, it's just the frame of the phone. That could mean that Honor really offers a great external screen experience.

That will challenge Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 6 - which I'm expecting to be announced in July 2024 - as well as the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra that's expected to launch in the next couple of months.

Although the Honor phone doesn't have a name, it would make sense that Honor's device is called the Honor Magic V Flip, matching the naming style of the brand's current folding phone.

The challenge that Honor will face is on the software front: Motorola favours a minimalist approach to software, remaining close to Android without too many changes, while Samsung will layer in the One UI that it uses on all its phones. Honor on the other hand, tends to make a number of changes through Magic UI, which isn't always as well optimised as rival brands.

On top of that, the Honor Magic V2 launched in 2024 with Android 13, a whole generation out of date, suggesting that more work is needed to bring the software up to a competitive position.

The rumours suggest that Honor could tease or reveal its new folding phone alongside the Honor 200 launch, due to take place in China on 27 May.