Foldables are no longer a sideshow. They're central to how leading manufacturers think about the future.
At Mobile World Congress Shanghai, the newly rebranded GLOMO Awards Asia marked a milestone in the long arc of mobile innovation by honoring two book-style foldable smartphones above all others. Honor's Magic V6 claimed both Best Smartphone and Disruptive Device Innovation, while vivo's X Fold6 took Best In Show at its own conference debut — a pairing that speaks to how thoroughly the foldable form factor has moved from curiosity to centerpiece. What was once an expensive experiment is now the terrain on which the industry's most serious competition is being waged.
- The foldable smartphone category has reached a tipping point — no longer a novelty, it is now the stage on which manufacturers fight for premium dominance.
- Two devices from two different companies winning top honors at the same event signals a market diverse and mature enough to reward distinct visions of the same form factor.
- Honor's Magic V6, launched in March, earned dual recognition that validates not just its hardware but the entire philosophy behind how the company engineered the folding experience.
- Vivo's X Fold6 made its official debut at the very conference where it was named Best In Show, compressing launch and legitimacy into a single moment.
- The GLOMO Awards Asia themselves are in transition — a rebranding of nearly two decades of regional recognition, reaching for both continuity and a sharper identity.
- For those watching where premium mobile is heading, the signal is unambiguous: the book-style foldable is no longer competing for relevance — it may be defining the next standard.
Mobile World Congress Shanghai closed this week with the first ceremony of the GLOMO Awards Asia — a rebranding of the long-running Asia Mobile Awards, which have tracked mobile innovation for nearly twenty years. The new name signals both respect for that history and an ambition to evolve alongside an industry that rarely stands still.
The evening's most decorated device was Honor's Magic V6, which took home two awards: Best Smartphone and Disruptive Device Innovation. Launched in March, the Magic V6 is a book-style foldable — the kind that opens like a paperback rather than flipping vertically — and the dual recognition suggests the industry sees genuine merit in how Honor has approached both the engineering and the user experience around the fold.
Vivo's X Fold6 claimed Best In Show - Product, and the timing carried its own weight: the phone was making its official debut at the very conference where it was honored. Like the Magic V6, it occupies the book-style foldable space, meaning both winners are competing directly with each other — a detail that speaks to how crowded and serious that category has become.
Not long ago, foldables were expensive experiments that generated more curiosity than confidence. Now they are winning top honors at a major industry event, with multiple manufacturers competing in earnest. The fact that two companies were recognized for different qualities — one for overall excellence, one for innovation — suggests the category is healthy enough to reward varied approaches. That diversity of execution, more than any single device, may be the clearest sign of where premium smartphones are headed.
The Mobile World Congress Shanghai wrapped up this week with the announcement of the inaugural GLOMO Awards Asia, a rebrand and expansion of the Asia Mobile Awards that have been recognizing mobile innovation for nearly twenty years. The ceremony crowned two standout devices in the increasingly competitive foldable smartphone market.
Honor's Magic V6 took home two awards: Best Smartphone and Disruptive Device Innovation. The device, which launched in March, represents the company's latest entry in the book-style foldable category—phones that open like a paperback rather than flip vertically. The dual recognition signals that the industry sees real merit in Honor's approach to the form factor, particularly in how the company has engineered both the hardware and the user experience around the fold.
Vivo's X Fold6, meanwhile, claimed the Best In Show - Product award. The phone was making its official debut at the conference, so the recognition came at a significant moment for the company. Like the Magic V6, it's a book-style foldable, placing both devices squarely in the same competitive space. The award suggests that judges saw something distinctive in vivo's execution, even as it competes directly with Honor's offering.
The GLOMO Awards Asia themselves represent a shift in how the industry recognizes achievement in the region. The rebranding from the Asia Mobile Awards reflects an effort to evolve the awards program while building on its established credibility. Nearly two decades of history gives the program weight; the new name and structure suggest organizers want to signal both continuity and fresh perspective.
What's notable is how thoroughly the foldable category has matured. A few years ago, foldables were novelties—expensive experiments in form factor. Now they're winning top honors at major industry events, and multiple manufacturers are competing seriously in the space. The Magic V6 and X Fold6 represent the current state of that competition: both are premium devices, both use the book-style design, and both are being recognized as significant achievements by an industry body with real standing.
For anyone tracking where smartphone innovation is heading, these awards offer a clear signal. The foldable form factor is no longer a sideshow. It's central to how leading manufacturers are thinking about the future of mobile devices. The fact that two different companies won recognition—one for overall excellence, one for innovation—suggests the category is diverse enough to reward different approaches. That's healthy competition, and it's likely to drive further refinement in both hardware and software as manufacturers vie for dominance in what may well become the premium smartphone standard.
Citas Notables
The GLOMO Awards Asia are launching this year as an evolution of the prior Asia Mobile Awards, building on their nearly two decades of success.— GLOMO Awards organizers
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does it matter that these are book-style foldables specifically? Couldn't they have gone with the flip design?
The book-style opens like a tablet, giving you a much larger screen when unfolded. It's more practical for productivity and media. The flip design is more compact but less useful once open. Both companies are betting that consumers want the larger canvas.
So this is really about two companies saying the same thing about the future?
Not quite. They're saying the same thing about form factor, but their execution differs. Honor won for innovation—suggesting they did something technically distinctive. Vivo won for overall product excellence. Different paths to the same destination.
The awards themselves are new. Does that change what the wins mean?
It rebrands them, but the credibility comes from two decades of the previous program. It's a refresh, not a reset. The industry still takes it seriously.
What happens next? Do we see more foldables, or does one design win out?
Almost certainly more foldables. Once major manufacturers commit this seriously, the category becomes permanent. We'll see refinement, price drops eventually, and probably new competitors entering. This is the inflection point.
And the consumer? Do they care about these awards?
Not directly. But they care about what the awards signal—that foldables are serious now, that companies are investing heavily, that the technology is mature enough to compete at the highest level. The awards are a conversation between manufacturers and the market.