Supplies will be limited.
What you need to know
- A report from cnBeta has revealed that Huawei’s first foldable phone, the Mate X, will debut in China at the end of October.
- The Mate X was originally expected to be released in June but was delayed for “extra tests.”
- There is no word on when the Mate X would launch globally, but supplies will be limited at launch due to the difficulties in manufacturing the device.
Foldable phones are set to be the next generation of smartphones, but so far Samsung and Huawei have struggled to get them into the hands of consumers. Samsung was first out of the gate, but it quickly paid the price for rushing the Galaxy Fold after several journalists experienced issues with the display and hinge.
That lead to Samsung recalling the Galaxy Fold and months of waiting as the smartphone maker investigated and improved the device. Samsung has since re-released the Galaxy Fold and began selling units on September 27 in the U.S.
Huawei, on the other hand, was set to release its first foldable phone, the Mate X, in June. However, it pushed back the launch until September to perform “extra tests.”
No doubt, this was in an effort to avoid the mistakes that Samsung made and ensure the display and hinge were ready for consumer use. However, September has come and gone, and there is still no sign of the Mate X.
The good news, is that a new report from cnBeta has stated that the Mate X will launch at the end of October in China. Unfortunately, the report makes no mention of when the global launch will happen. However, it does mention that there will be a limited amount due to difficulties in manufacturing the device.
That alone could be responsible for the Mate X launching in China first, but it could also be that Huawei wants to do a limited release in case any issues occur that force it to do a recall, similar to what happened with Samsung and the Galaxy Fold.
Further proof that Huawei could be readying the launch of the Mate X includes a video going around showing the unboxing of the device. The video has been shared by Slashleaks contributor Teme on Twitter. During the video, the Mate X is never powered on, but we do get to see the device folding and the included carrying case.
Mate X unboxing reveal similar carrying case as Huawei-Gentlemonster smart glasses.#HuaweiMateX pic.twitter.com/XFuzeClyNM
— Teme (特米) (@RODENT950) October 13, 2019
Back in August, we covered a report saying that the Mate X would include some updated specs when it was released. The report stated that the processor would be upgraded from the Kirin 980 to the Kirin 990. Besides the new processor, Huawei is also said to have upgraded the cameras and included what appears to be a TOF sensor, as well as a larger button to unfold the device.
Huawei Mate X first look: Three screen modes, four cameras and five Gs for €2299
