Huawei's Mate X is finally releasing next month after facing delays. If you live outside of China, however, you will miss the chance of becoming an early adopter as the foldable phone is only premiering in its homeland. At least, for now.
The Chinese tech giant introduced the Mate X earlier this year at the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona. It became an instant rival to Samsung's Galaxy Fold, but Huawei insists that its design approach is entirely different from the Korean company's take.
While the Galaxy Fold opens like a book to reveal a wider screen inside, the Mate X has a wraparound outside display that's accessible even when the phone is closed.
Huawei announced the Chinese debut of the Mate X on Weibo and at an event in Shenzhen. The company said that the foldable device will go on sale for 16,999 yuan, roughly $2,400, on Nov. 15, adding it had already shipped 200 million units so far.
"Huawei has made the Huawei Mate X available in the China market on Nov. 15. A global launch plan is under review," a spokesperson for Huawei said. "Our strategy is based on carriers' 5G roll out in different regions."
While this certainly is good news for Huawei, those who have decided to pass on the Galaxy Fold and wait for the Mate X sure are disappointed with the news. A global launch could happen in the near future, but until the company makes an announcement, fans will have to wait.
Foldable phones have seen some obstacles this year for sure. Huawei initially planned for a summer launch, while Samsung had an embarrassing blunder after early reviews of the Galaxy Fold revealed some vulnerabilities. There's a rumored foldable Razr phone as well, and apparently, its release has been delayed as well.
While foldable phones are a revolutionary take on smartphones, many have questioned the durability of these mobile handsets. And rightfully so, considering you'd have to spend more than $2,000 on a smartphone.
It's also worth noting that the Mate X won't be arriving with the Google apps and services a lot of people are accustomed to using. It will run on an open-source version of Android instead, as a result of the ongoing trade war between China and the US.
Huawei's expensive and limited offerings have always been sought after in China. If and when you see the Mate X overseas still isn't clear.
