It seems like Huawei is planning to release two variants of the Huawei Mate X. This foldable smartphone was announced back in February with Kirin 980. The device was supposed to be available for purchase by now, but that didn’t happen. Two Huawei Mate X variants are coming, though.
Huawei opted to postpone the launch of the Mate X in order to avoid the Galaxy Fold-like issues. The company wants to make everything perfect before pushing the device to the market.
Having said that, a new variant of the phone was spotted, with the all-new Kirin 990. Most people immediately thought that the Mate X will launch with the Kirin 990 only, without the Kirin 980. Well, that may not be the case, as both Huawei Mate X variants may still make it to the market.
Both Kirin 980 & Kirin 980 Huawei Mate X variants are coming
Huawei Business Group Chairman, Richard Yu, stated that the Mate X may become available in October, according to Digital Trends. He said that the company was planning on release the Mate X in August, but opted against it after all.
He said that the slow rollout of 5G, and the continued app development in order to utilize that large display are to blame. That’s where he said that the phone may arrive next month, while he also mentioned a new model.
Mr. Yu said that the company is “considering an upgrade to the new chipset”, clearly referring to the Kirin 990. This more or less confirms that the Kirin 980 variant will launch for sure, while the Kirin 990 option may follow soon after.
Just to be clear, both of these phones may end up supporting 5G. The Kirin 980 does not have a 5G chip built-in, but if paired with the company’s Balong 5000 5G modem, 5G connection is possible.
Huawei’s Kirin 990 is an all-in-one solution
The Kirin 990, on the other hand, is an all-in-one solution by the company. This chip was announced at IFA 2019, and it includes a 5G modem, so it doesn’t need the Balong 5000.
It is still unclear when the Kirin 990-powered Mate X may launch. Mr. Yu was asked to give out more detail, but he was unable to do that. He did indicate that it may take several months for that to happen, if Huawei opts to proceed with that idea.
The Huawei Mate X will be a direct competitor to the Samsung Galaxy Fold. The Galaxy Fold will make it to the market first, though. These two phones do take a completely different approach to a foldable smartphone, so they will probably appeal to different people.
The Huawei Mate X is made out of metal and glass, and it folds outwards. The phone comes with two OLED displays, an 8-inch one, and a 6.6-inch panel.
The device sports 8GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a 4,500mAh battery. That battery supports 55W fast charging, while you’ll find 40, 8, and 16-megapixel cameras on the back of this phone.