The Huawei "Mate V" could have a thermal management system as foldable as its clamshell form-factor

Rumors of a clamshell foldable smartphone from Huawei were kickstarted when the OEM trademarked the term "Mate V", and have now progressed to the point of a purported launch before the end of 2021. Now, the OEM itself has added to these leaks by patenting what it calls a "heat pipe" with a "foldable portion".

This new electronics component ostenslbly works along the same lines as the long, flat copper pipes that run through many modern-day smartphones for the same purpose. However, this one is made of a stack of thin flexible "pillars", thereby conforming to and moving smoothly with a smartphone's hinge if necessary.

This foldable-ready module connects dual racks of what can be small cones, cubes or spheres that can run throughout both non-flexible halves of a clamshell smartphone. They can be made from a choice of appropriate materials (titanium, aluminum or copper included) to help dissipate heat within a given device as necessary.

Huawei has also specified that this new kind of heat pipe can be found in a sandwich of polymer, alongside layers of other materials, to complete the thermal management system. Accordingly, speculation that this new technology might be found inside the "Mate V" on its rumored December 23, 2021 launch is now rife.

On the other hand, as the IP in question has only been published by the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) on November 25, 2021, it may not become part of Huawei's allegedly expanding foldable line-up until a second-gen Galaxy Z Flip rival is ready to go.

Buy a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 on Amazon