Earlier today, we caught a glimpse of Huawei’s bending device that has been leaked for the better part of 2019. Christened Mate X, the device has now officially been released and marks the second handheld that can be folded, albeit in limited ways after the Galaxy Fold.
The Mate X arrives at a time when other phone makers are figuring new ways of avoiding the notch or innovating around it to achieve an all-display device.
It is worth noting that we started seeing foldable concepts from as early as 2011, and the dream is finally here.
When folded, the Mate X is a dual-display phone but transforms into a tablet once opened. It unfolds up like a book and can be held in a variety of ways. Its usability can take advantage of three different screen sizes: the primary smartphone mode is a 6.6” with a resolution of 2480 by 1148; right behind it is a 6.38” screen served by 2480 by 892pixels; and lastly is an 8-inch screen on the backside of the device with 2480 by 2200 pixels (the highest of the three) that also functions as a tablet. When stretched, the unfolded piece of technology is actually very thin at 5.4 mm.
The Mate X has also successfully avoided a notch or camera cut-out that is present on the Galaxy Fold.
The backside of the device (when held in tablet mode) has a strip that holds the triple camera setup that has been developed in partnership with Leica. The strip is also instrumental in improving the ergonomics of the device (it looks like the Kindle Oasis).
The Mate X is equipped with 5G radios and is powered by Huawei’s in-house and latest SoC, the Kirin 980. The handheld is juiced by a 4500 mAh cell, with additional improvements in charging (Supercharging) that fills up the battery from 0-85 percent in half an hour.
The foldable handheld will hit stores by mid-2019 and will start from Euro 2,299 or an equivalent of KES 261,000.
“The HUAWEI Mate X’s revolutionary form factor is achieved by Huawei’s relentless effort in R&D. It represents a voyage into the uncharted. As a new breed of smartphones, HUAWEI Mate X combines 5G, foldable screen, AI and an all-new mode of interfacing to provide consumers with unprecedented user experience. The HUAWEI Mate X will be the first key for consumers to open the door to 5G smart living,” says Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei CBG.
