(Yicai Global) Dec. 15 -- Huawei Technologies is gearing up to release its latest foldable phone the P50 Pocket, the firm’s first with a clamshell vertical fold, as the Chinese tech giant continues to come up with innovative designs to retain its high-end clientele in the face of restrictive US sanctions.

Due to reach the market on Dec. 23, it is not yet known which chip the new phone will be equipped with. Huawei was included on a US blacklist in May 2019 that blocks access to US software and hardware.

So far, phones in Huawei’s high-end P50 series do not have fifth-generation wireless connectivity and are all 4G, according to the Securities Times. The Shenzhen-based firm is unable to obtain the core link filter made with US technology that allows 5G to function.

In response to the blockade, Huawei has been placing its bets on fancy high-end models. It was one of the first smartphone makers to develop foldable phones, such as the Mate, Mate Xs and Mate X2 which bend from left to right. They have proved so popular that Huawei is now China’s best-selling foldable handset brand.

Foldable smartphones saw explosive growth in the third quarter, with sales more than tripling from the previous quarter, according to market research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Global sales should reach 17.5 million units next year, it said.

Editor: Kim Taylor