Huawei Is Rethinking Its Screen Design — Three Directions Being Tested

Friday, 27 March 2026 at 10:47

Huawei is apparently not settled on where it's going with display design. The company is actively researching three distinct screen forms for future smartphones — flat, mildly curved, and full waterfall — and the fact that all three are still on the table suggests no internal consensus has been reached yet.

That's actually more interesting than a straightforward product announcement.

Key Points

Huawei is evaluating three screen forms: straight flat displays, equal-depth micro-curved screens, and super-curved waterfall displays
Flat screens offer practical benefits — easier screen protection, no accidental edge touches, simpler durability
Equal-depth micro-curved screens aim to balance comfort and aesthetics while avoiding the problems of aggressive curvature
Super-curved waterfall displays offer visual impact but bring durability concerns and accidental input issues
No decision has been announced — this is active research rather than a confirmed product direction

The Industry Has Been Having This Argument for Years

Curved screens arrived with fanfare, divided opinion immediately, and have been slowly retreating ever since. Samsung backed away from aggressive curves. OnePlus went flat. Xiaomi offered both and watched buyers consistently choose flat. Huawei researching all three options simultaneously suggests the company wants data before committing rather than following a trend.

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The equal-depth micro-curved option is the most interesting of the three. It's essentially an acknowledgment that pure flat feels dated to some buyers while aggressive curves cause genuine usability problems. A shallow, consistent curve across the entire screen depth — no dramatic waterfall edges — could thread that needle if executed well.

Waterfall Screens Aren't Dead, Just Complicated

The super-curved waterfall design looks stunning in press photos. In daily use it's a different story — accidental touches when gripping the phone, screen protectors that either don't exist or cost a fortune, and repair costs that make cracked edges genuinely painful. Huawei including it in the research doesn't mean it's coming back prominently. It means Huawei is being thorough.

Flat screens, meanwhile, have momentum right now across the Android market. They're cheaper to protect, easier to repair, and a growing segment of buyers actively requests them. Huawei ignoring that shift would be a mistake.

No timeline on when this research translates into product decisions. But the direction Huawei chooses will likely define its flagship aesthetic for several generations.