September is starting off strong. Not just because we’re on the cusp of IFA in Berlin, but also because next week one of the tech world’s most important events will take place: the Apple Keynote, where they’ll introduce the new iPhone 16. It’s one of the most followed events worldwide, and it’s rare that another presentation is scheduled that day. Although not exactly the same day, Huawei called us hours later to present its next big bet: the triple-fold.

“An unwritten rule”. Apple events in general, and iPhone launches in particular, are difficult to schedule in advance. The press, users, and fans only have two eyes and two hands, and it’s impossible and exhausting to follow both events at once. If you give a user the choice between following any presentation or Apple’s presentation, they’ll likely choose to follow Apple’s presentation. This has an obvious impact on the impact of the announcement.

In fact, there are precedents. OnePlus with the OnePlus 6T. Despite announcing on October 8, 2018 that the OnePlus 6T would be introduced on October 30, OnePlus had to move the date forward a day. Because? Because Apple had announced an iPad and Mac event for October 30 on October 18. In the words of OnePlus founder Pete Lau:

“We spent hours talking to our press contacts to get information about how Apple’s announcement could impact the OnePlus 6T launch. We received thoughtful, honest, and considerate feedback. They showed us that if we chose to stick to our original schedule, the launch would happen. If we had seen the OnePlus 6Q on October 30, we would have been overshadowed by Apple.”

An example, but the truth is that it is not very common for a brand from the technology world to make a presentation on the same day as Apple.

Huawei doesn’t care. Knowing this, it is noteworthy that Huawei has chosen such a symbolic date for the launch of its new triple-fold. The company has not confirmed that it will show it, but its CEO Richard Yu (who is occasionally seen using his mobile phone) recently said that it will be unveiled in September. The invitation also leaves no room for doubt. So what date did Huawei choose to present its new triple-fold? September 10 at 14:30 local time in China.

Invitation released by Huawei announcing the launch of the new triple-fold | Image: Xataka

Not a day, but a few hoursThe iPhone 16 will be introduced on September 9 at 19:00 Spanish peninsular time. As in other years, we can expect it to be finished around 20:00-20:30. Huawei will present the triple folding process on September 10 at 8:30 Spanish peninsular time.

There is a time difference and it says a lot about Huawei, which has an important announcement. After all, triple foldables (three screen areas, two folds) are the natural next step in foldables. In any case, September 10 is also a risky date, while the iPhone 16 will continue to be the subject of analysis and commentary both in the press and on social networks.

Apple, this is China. Apple is not among the top five best-selling brands in China, overtaken by Xiaomi, Huawei, Honor, Vivo and OPPO (all local brands). Moreover, HarmonyOS has a market share of 17% in China, while iOS has a market share of 16%. The picture is very different on a global level: HarmonyOS has a share of 4%, while Apple has a share of 19%. It is therefore logical that Huawei does not hesitate to bring its presentation so close to Apple’s. After all, the new triple-double of the Chinese company is expected to remain exclusively in China, at least in the first phase.

We will clear the doubts in just a few days.

Cover image | Xataka

In Xataka |