From next month, wealthy consumers will finally be able to flex their financial muscles in the direction of the Huawei Mate X − though the handset is coming to Huawei’s native China first.
The foldable device launched at MWC 2019 all the way back in February and it was supposed to hit the market over the summer. However, the Mate X’s release kept getting pushed back, likely thanks to a combination of Samsung Galaxy Fold-gate and the grim fallout from the Huawei Android ban.
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But cheer up rich people (based in China) − there’s not long to wait now.
Huawei has just announced that the Mate X will start shipping to buyers based in China on November 15. The model with 8GB of RAM and 512GB storage will cost 16,999 yuan (~£1870) (Sina Digital via The Verge).
This won’t be the device that was shown off back at MWC though. Since the original announcement of the Mate X, Huawei has decided to tweak the handset’s design, presumably to make it a little bit sturdier. The company has added a button on the back that you can press before unfolding it from smartphone to tablet mode.
In terms of specs, the Mate X features an 8-inch tablet display that folds down into a 6.6-inch phone display, a Kirin 980 processor, triple cameras and a 4500mAh battery.
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We spent some time with the original Mate X and the Samsung Galaxy Fold earlier this year, and we definitely preferred Huawei’s take on the foldable form factor. Here’s what we wrote:
“This looks like it’ll be fantastic whether it’s folded down into a phone or unfurled into a tablet. There will, of course, be issues – this is very much a first-gen product – but if you’re set on picking up a foldable phone this year, then the Mate X feels like the one to choose.”
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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.
