Huawei Releases Foldable Mate X in China Amid Global Uncertainty
Huawei launches its long-delayed foldable 5G smartphone in China for about $2,400, but keeps its international release plans under review. The company also celebrates shipping 200 million phones this year despite ongoing U.S. trade restrictions.
Huawei officially announces the release of its foldable 5G smartphone, the Mate X, in China on November 15 for a starting price of 16,999 yuan ($2,403). The company initially unveils the device in February but delays the launch to conduct extra testing following the highly publicized screen glitches on Samsung's Galaxy Fold. Huawei and Samsung are actively trying to establish this new category of foldable devices, though the extremely high price tags pose a significant challenge for consumer adoption.
While Chinese consumers get immediate access to the Mate X, Huawei states that its global launch plan remains "under review" as the company bases its strategy on regional 5G network rollouts. This international uncertainty adds to Huawei's existing trade troubles, as the company currently ships its new Mate 30 series without pre-installed Google applications like Gmail and YouTube due to U.S. government restrictions.
Despite these geopolitical hurdles, Huawei reports strong overall momentum by reaching a milestone of 200 million smartphones shipped so far this year. The Chinese tech giant achieves this mark two months earlier than it did last year, highlighting a 27% jump in third-quarter revenue driven largely by robust smartphone sales. The upcoming holiday quarter serves as a critical test for the company as it attempts to sell devices without full Google software support.