First Glimpse of Huawei Mate X: A Foldable 5G Phone
by Ian Cutress on February 22, 2019 3:30 PM EST
Constructing a stage and a booth at a trade show takes a few days. It just so happens that the media end up arriving in the city for the trade show a few days early, in order to attend press events. It would appear that either someone from the media, or a worker who clearly doesn’t care about any NDA, has photographed one of the Huawei billboards which showcases the company’s as-yet unannounced device. The Huawei Mate X is presumably going to be center stage at the press event later this week.
From the image, posted by Hupu @ Pokertea, we can see that Huawei’s foldable device is called the Mate X, and it folds inwards with the display on the outside. One of the sides is slightly thicker, meaning that the fold for the display is not in the middle, and unlike the Samsung Galaxy Fold showcased a few days ago, it doesn’t appear to have a third screen, because the foldable screen is on the outside of the device.
There looks to be a fingerprint sensor on the thicker side of the Mate X, along with what looks like several camera modules. With this setup, the z-height of the camera module is clearly less of a concern, which might enable Huawei to ship something with a nice lens setup. There appears to be three cameras on this section, which could be used both for selfies when closed and facing the user, normal photos when closed and facing away from the user, or normal photography when open, as the cameras will be on the outside.
It is also worth mentioning that the display shows the Mate X as a foldable 5G phone. The Samsung device will be offered in LTE and 5G variants (LTE first), and it will be interesting to see if Huawei will announce if there will be a 5G-less version of the Mate X. The 5G version would, we assume, use the HiSilicon Balong 5G01 modem, paired with a Kirin chipset.
More info on the 24th from Huawei’s Press Conference.
Source: 9to5Google
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Ashinjuka - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
Given the way the smartphone industry works, in 2020 I expect we will see multiple quad-fold Android phones that opens out into an A4 sheet of paper, while the Apple flagship will omit one dimension entirely: the 2D Apple iLine.Whether any given unit of a device line will have a headphone jack or not will be determined at the time of assembly by coin-toss and kept secret until the user opens the package.
MadManMark - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
You completely lost me by not stating why a highly PORTABLE computing device having the same dimensions as an A4 sheet of paper would have any appeal at all. That is far from an obvious attraction.dullard - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
The A4 paper aspect ratio is quite helpful for a portable device. The A4 size is not.With the A4 aspect ratio, you fold it in half and you see the exact same image as you did before, no distortion, no black bars, nothing cut off. Fold it in half again and you still see the exact same image with no distortion, no black bars, and nothing cut off. Just smaller each time.
Any other aspect ratio and your software would have to change aspect ratios with each fold, have black bars, or trim the image.
boeush - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
Given how scuffed-up the edges of most smartphones (including mine) are, that screen-running-over-edge is not a weak point in the design, *at all*... LOL(Not to mention, so far both the Samsung product and this one, would totally preclude the use of any protective/easily-replaceable cases...)
Ian Cutress - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
The bundle of the Samsung Fold clearly showed additional case protection.https://images.anandtech.com/doci/13980/1550690072...
boeush - Saturday, February 23, 2019 - link
I stand corrected on Samsung.On the other hand, I still have trouble picturing how the Mate X could possibly implement a case, given its design.
MadManMark - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
People already buy the Galaxy Edge phones.mkozakewich - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
Those have glass, so scratches aren't as much of a problem.Opencg - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
i agree. curved edges of screens make me trigger them sometimes and they break alot more easily. want a high end phone without gimmicks. screw folding screw cruved edgesCooe - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
False. Samsung's design makes cases possible, if... kinda weird.