Huawei is finally going to release the Mate X next month. However, availability will be limited to its home country of China. The price of the phone will apparently start at 9,999 yuan, which is roughly $1400. However, in Europe, the price will start at 2299 euros, which is around $2600.
So far, there is no word on an international release. However, going by previous reports, we might see the phone go on sale in international markets by November.
Mate X Will Presumably Come Without Google Services, Just Like The Mate 30 Series
The Mate X was originally slated for a June release, but the company delayed it after the initial Samsung Galaxy Fold debacle. When the South Korean giant’s foldable phone was given out to media outlets, a good many of them reported various screen issues. As a result, Samsung took it back to the drawing board and fixed the underlying issues.
To avoid the same fate, Huawei also postponed the launch of its foldable device. The company tweaked the display design, although the specifics have not been unveiled. Either way, let’s hope that the screen will be sturdy enough to withstand everyday use. Moreover, as foldable phones have a different form factor than conventional phones, the Chinese company wanted to give developers some time to adapt their apps accordingly.
During IFA, CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group Richard Yu told journalists that the company originally wanted to release the phone in August. However, because of the issues mentioned before and the rollout of 5G, it was delayed. At that time, Yu had indicated that the company intends to start selling the phone across the world by October.
Since the phone is ready to go on sale in China, it is not known why other markets have to wait. It’s worth mentioning that the Mate 30 phones that were announced today will not have Google apps and services. So, speculatively speaking, there is a possibility that the company wants to test the waters first before releasing another phone without official support from Google.
In China, this isn’t really an issue, as consumers there use local apps. However, for other consumers in Asia and Europe, this can be a deal-breaker. It’s entirely possible to sideload apps and services, but most consumers aren’t tech-savvy enough to do that.
A Kirin 990-Powered Version Is Also On The Cards
When the Mate X was first announced at the MWC, it had Kirin 980 SoC under the hood. Thanks to the Balong 5000 modem, 5G connectivity was also a part of the package. However, during IFA, Yu said that the company might also release a Kirin 990-fueled version.
Huawei’s first bendable phone features an out folding design, unlike the Galaxy Fold. Whether this approach is more durable than an infolding mechanism remains to be seen. In its unfolded state, the display measures 8-inches. The phone features a quad camera system, with a 40-megapixels wide-angle unit, a 16-megapixels ultra-wide camera, an 8-megapixels telephone sensor, and a Time of Flight camera. Powering the show is a gigantic 4500mAh capacity cell. The company’s proprietary 55W SuperCharge technology is also supported. The device will only be available in one color option called Interstellar Blue. Per a TENAA listing, three memory variants will be available: 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM, 8GB RAM + 256GB ROM, and 12GB RAM and 512GB ROM.