Huawei’s take on the folding phone market, the Mate X, finally has a release date and price. Customers in China will be able to purchase the phone for ¥16,999 – about $2,400 – starting November 15. There’s no word on when it will hit the international market, let alone the US.
The device features a Kirin 980 chip, 8GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and 5G connectivity, powered by a 4,500 mAh battery. The folding display covers an 8-inch diagonal, or a 6.6-inch one when folded. Unlike the Galaxy Fold, the bendy panel is exposed when the device is folded. Replacing a broken screen will cost ¥2,699 (about $380). Not awful, but not exactly cheap either. For comparison, Samsung’s Galaxy fold costs $1,980 includes free screen repairs within the first year of using the device, and one $150 repair thereafter.
The company did not elaborate on when it will arrive outside China other than saying it’s keeping an eye on how 5G develops in other markets. You might not want to make a purchase quite yet anway. Aside from the fact it’s probably a good idea to wait out any potential kinks, the company teased it plans to release an updated model with the Kirin 990 in March.
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