“The Huawei Mate X is the first foldable smartphone in the world with support for 5G connectivity”

For a while now, smartphone enthusiasts have been chanting “Foldable phones are coming!“, just like Ned Stark greeted everyone with “Winter is Coming” in Game of Thrones. It seems that the wave has finally hit the shore, as Samsung pioneered the foldable smartphone category with the launch of the Galaxy Fold. Huawei one-upped the chaebol with the announcement of the Mate X, which seems more ready for a commercial launch. So what makes the Huawei Mate X more exciting? Read on ahead to find out.

Unique Falcon Wing foldable design

Several reports from the ongoing MWC 2019 have suggested that the Huawei Mate X seemed to be more sturdy and durable compared to the Galaxy Fold when opening and folding. This could be attributed to the unique folding design of the Mate X, which the brand is calling Falcon Wing design. Unlike Samsung’s Galaxy Fold, which has an internal display and a smaller display on the outside, Mate X has a single large display that folds over to split into two separate displays. Huawei claims that its unique Falcon Wing design makes use of a stretchable hinge, which ensures that the soft OLED panel can be stretched and bent, without compromising the longevity. Further, the hinge is designed to integrate seamlessly on the device, resulting in a slimmer chassis as compared to the Galaxy Fold. Huawei claims that at 5.4mm when unfolded, the Mate X is one of the slimmest foldable smartphones at the moment.

Three different display form factors for a better experience 

As we have mentioned, the Mate X is equipped with a single 8-inch display with 2,480 x 2,200 pixel resolution when unfolded. In tablet mode, the display offers seamless multitasking and a better viewing experience. When folded, you get dual screens on both sides with one on the front being the primary display and one beside the camera strip being the secondary. The main display measures 6.6-inches, has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and 1,148 x 2,480 pixel resolution, which is closer to offering a smartphone experience than the Galaxy Fold. The secondary screen on the back measures 6.38-inches and has a screen resolution of 892 x 2,480 pixels. The rear display can be used to allow the person being clicked to see how they appear in the picture and more, while the front display can be used to perform routine smartphone tasks. And when you are browsing the web, viewing pictures or streaming video, simply unfold to get more screen estate for a comfortable viewing experience.

Leica-branded triple camera module, which also doubles up as selfie shooter

Speaking of the rear display, the screen has a black strip running along it, which houses the Leica-branded triple camera module and also serves as the grip for the device. The triple camera setup comprises a 40MP (wide angle lens) + 16MP (ultra wide angle lens) + 8MP (telephoto) sensors, which is the same as the camera setup on thr Huawei Mate 20 Pro. Courtesy the rear display, the same setup can also be used to click selfies, which makes it the best selfie camera in the business. The camera setup also gets the same features as the Mate 20 Pro (review) including Master AI for intelligently recognising scenes and optimising settings, bokeh, night mode and portrait mode among others.

Loaded HiSilicon Kirin 980 SoC with Balong 5000 5G Modem

Speaking of the AI camera features, the same are backed by the dual Neural Processing Units (NPU) integrated into the latest and greatest HiSilicon Kirin 980 SoC powering the Mate X. The Kirin 980 SoC is the world’s first 7nm silicone and the die size makes it power efficient as well as power-packed. Moreover, it’s not just the performance that we can expect to be fast but also network connectivity. This is because Huawei has equipped the Kirin 980 with yet another in-house product, the Balong 5000 modem to facilitate 5G connectivity. With this, the Huawei Mate x has become the world’s first foldable smartphone to feature the next-generation 5G connectivity.

World’s fastest 55W charging with 4,500mAH battery

Just like the Galaxy Fold, Huawei has placed two batteries in the two halves of the Mate X. These batteries deliver a combined capacity of a whopping 4,500mAh. Not only does the battery last long, it also charges pretty quickly thanks to the Huawei SuperCharge technology, which is the fastest in the world as of now with 55W output. Huawei claims that the charging tech can juice up your smartphone to 85 percent in just 30 minutes, which is pretty impressive.

To conclude, while Samsung Galaxy Fold managed to create a stir by being the first mainstream foldable smartphone, Huawei Mate X is the one that everyone wishes to become a reality sooner. Furthermore, the smartphone also happens to offer 5G, which is the hottest trend at MWC 2019. Huawei has assured that the smartphone will be launched across the globe by mid-2019 in partnership with major telcos across the world. However, with a price tag of €2,299 (approx. Rs 1,85,000), it will force many to fold their hand (pun intended).