Samsung’s Galaxy Fold might be the first foldable phone announced this year, but it will not be the first to hit stores. The phone’s original late April launch was canceled after reviewers discovered durability issues with the display, and Samsung went back to the drawing board. Repairs have been made, recent reports said, but the phone might not hit stores sooner than the holiday shopping season. A few days after Samsung unveiled its first foldable phone ever, Huawei came out with the Mate X handset, and it was clear to anyone following the news the Mate X was easily the best-looking foldable of early 2019. Huawei postponed the Mate X launch a few weeks ago, but it looks like the phone will hit stores soon, at least in China.
When Huawei delayed the Mate X launch, we thought the company is taking extra precautions with the handset after what had just happened with the Galaxy Fold, or that the Huawei ban might be to blame. We then learned the Mate X was still waiting for its 5G certification, which is why Huawei postponed the launch to September at the latest. But Huawei execs said the handset might launch sooner than that, and it looks like that might happen.
Chinese shops have started promoting the phone, as seen in the following image that was posted on Weibo (via Huawei Central). A late July or early August launch makes sense for the handset, which is what Huawei hinted at recently, at least for its home market.
The posters do not list an actual release date for the handset, but they do show the foldable phone in a couple of poses and confirm the handset will have 5G support.
The Mate X will cost around €2,299 ($2,577) in Europe, but the report notes the price will be more affordable in China, at 14,999 yuan ($2,180). It’s unclear when the phone will be available in Europe once it launches in China.
