Huawei today announced its own smartphone with a folding display, the Mate X. Unlike Samsung’s entry, it looks polished and ready.

“The Huawei Mate X’s revolutionary form factor is achieved by Huawei’s relentless effort in R&D,” Huawei CEO Richard Yu said in a prepared statement. “It represents a voyage into the uncharted. As a new breed of smartphones, the Mate X combines 5G, foldable screen, AI, and an all-new mode of interfacing to provide consumers with an unprecedented user experience. The Huawei Mate X will be the first key for consumers to open the door to 5G smart living.”

The announcement is a blow to Samsung, which announced its Galaxy Fold last week ahead of MWC, formerly called Mobile World Congress. The Fold looks impressive when unfolded, but the external screen is relatively tiny and has massive bezels. I predicted this would be the case, and that Huawei and other China-based tech giants will continue to out-perform Samsung going forward.

The Mate X, by comparison, seems like a complete product that is read for the market today. Its display measures 6.6-inches when the device is folded and it expands into a tablet-like 8-inch form factor when opened. Unlike the Fold, the Mate X has a single screen on the outside of the device, not a small exterior display and a separate, larger internal display. This design also allows Huawei to use the same LEICA camera system for both the front and rear of the device.

The Mate X is also outfitted with 5 Gbps 5G connectivity and is powered by a massive 4500 mAh battery with fast charging capabilities.

Tagged with Huawei, Huawei Mate X