MWC19 | The Huawei Mate X has been previewed at MWC19 already

Unlike the Galaxy Fold, the Mate X has screens on only one side of the device when unfolded. They fold outwards to make one 8:7.1 display measuring 8 inches diagonally. The other side has a kind of 'handle' containing its cameras, somewhat like that of the Royole FlexPai. It is better designed on the Mate X, however, and seamlessly forms part of one half of the device when folded.

This half comprises a 6.4-inch screen in folded mode. An approximate fifth of it can form a dedicated selfie frame, in which subjects can check and adjust their pose and appearance before using the camera to snap their image. The other 'half' of the phone is a 6.6-inch screen, which expands to the full 'tablet' mode with limited latency as the device unfolds. The Mate X is 5.4 millimeters (mm) thick in this mode, and 11mm when folded.

This new foldable is powered by the Kirin 980, paired with the Balong 5000 modem. Accordingly, Huawei are promoting it as the world’s “fastest foldable 5G phone”. All of this new tech is powered by a 4,500mAh battery, which will be charged using a new 55-watt charger that may only be shipped with this phone.

Unfortunately, guests at the pre-MWC event were not allowed to handle the device on show, which makes estimations of its actual performance and usability difficult at this point. The Mate X will reportedly cost US$2600 at it’s launch, and become available by the second half of 2019.

Nevertheless, the Huawei Mate X looks like a convincing foray into foldable tech, especially for a first generation. We can’t wait to get increasingly in-depth looks at the next-gen device in the future.