The company says there are improvements
under the hood, including a redesigned four-
layer screen and upgraded “falcon wing” hinge.
It also gets Huawei’s latest homegrown Kirin
990 chipset, a four-lens camera system and can
be used on a wider range of high-speed 5G
network bands.
However, the Mate Xs also faces a distinct
disadvantage because it lacks the full Android
operating system by Google. The Trump
administration last year blocked Huawei’s access
to U.S. components and technology on national
security grounds, part of a wider trade and tech
war between the U.S. and China.
Instead, the Mate Xs runs a stripped-down
open source version of Android. Users can still
download apps but they’ll be from Huawei’s
own app store, not the Google Play store.
Huawei, the world’s No. 2 phone maker, faces
competition from Samsung and Motorola,
which recently launched new folding
screen smartphones.
Faced with stagnating sales as consumers
hold on to their devices longer, smartphone
makers have turned to foldable technology to
rejuvenate the market. It’s unclear, however,
whether the pricey devices will appeal to more
than just die-hard tech enthusiasts.
There are also questions about reliability.
Samsung’s first folding device, the Galaxy Fold,
was plagued by reports of screens breaking
after it was unveiled last year, delaying its launch
for months.
The phone is expected to go on sale in March
priced at 2,499 euros ($2,700) though it’s
unlikely to be widely available in the U.S.