Huawei confirmed it'll introduce a foldable phone during MWC 2019 in late February. The trade show serves as a launching pad for several products, but it's often missing some truly exciting technology. Foldable phones, however, could be exactly the breath of fresh air this event needs.

As companies decide how to battle declining hardware sales, there's some interest in flexible OLED panels to excite consumers worldwide.

The foldable phone won't be remarkable for its versatility alone, though. Huawei's also developing this product with a 5G-enabled modem. It could very well become the Chinese company's first mobile device to operate on 5G networks. Yet there's reason to believe its foldable phone won't arrive on store shelves until the third quarter.

Between those two features, Huawei could have a groundbreaking flagship to offer. Other rumored features are an advanced multi-camera setup and a more efficient battery.

The entire mobile industry will come together at MWC 2019, which runs February 25-28. If Samsung also brings along its foldable phone, maybe there will be a renewed battle between two of the world's top smartphone manufacturers. That'll be a story to watch in 2019.