To say Huawei rained on Samsung’s parade when it unveiled the foldable Mate X just days after the launch of the Galaxy Fold would be an understatement. Most would agree that Huawei’s take on the foldable form factor looks far superior to Samsung’s, and now the Chinese firm has invited its rivals to… take inspiration from the Mate X.
Folding phones may be one of the biggest talking points at MWC 2019, but so far only Huawei, Samsung and Royole have actually launched true folding handsets that consumers will be able to buy.
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The majority of phone makers are waiting. Almost certainly because they want to gauge the public’s reaction before ploughing millions into their own product. Huawei has invited them all to use the Mate X as their inspiration.
“If we always target ourselves as the technological leader in the industry, we should not be surprised or shocked if other companies follow our lead,” Anson Zhang, the managing director of Huawei UK’s Consumer Business Group, told Trusted Reviews in Barcelona.
“It’s fair enough. If everyone concentrates on delivering the best technology benefits to consumers, then that’s the best way to do it in this industry. It’s fair enough.”
Zhang added: “This kind of copying happens every single day. We introduced the first dual camera smartphone, in the Huawei P9. Then we introduced the [P20 Pro and] Mate 20 Pro with the first triple lens camera. We can see some other companies that have now done the same.”
I’m sure HTC and LG will have a thing or two to say about Zhang’s P9 claim, but you get the point.
Huawei has taken a very different route to Samsung with its folding phone and, right now at least, it looks like the likelier blueprint to catch on.
Read more: Galaxy Fold vs Huawei Mate X
Unlike the Galaxy Fold, which has one external screen and one internal screen, the Mate X has two screens − one at the front and one at the back − that face outwards at all times. It also looks much thinner than the Galaxy Fold, and actually folds flat.
How do you feel about folding phones? Do you prefer the Galaxy Fold to the Mate X, or vice versa? Let us know on Twitter @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
