What you need to know

• The Huawei Pura X Max undercuts rumored wide foldables from Samsung and Apple by launching first.
• Huawei calls it the first “horizontally wide” foldable, though the Google Pixel Fold explored similar territory.
• Preorders are live in China with a 1,000 yuan deposit, but global availability remains unclear.

The smartphone industry has spent years making foldable phones with tall screens, but now Huawei is taking a different approach. The new Pura X Max goes straight after the rumored iPhone Fold and Samsung’s "Wide" Galaxy Z Fold, arriving well before its competitors can even get out of the gate.

Samsung and Apple have been rumored for months to be working on wider foldable phones, but Huawei beat them to it. The Pura X Max is now official, and preorders are already open in China, according to Huawei's Weibo post.

So what makes this thing different from the leading book-style foldable phones out there? Instead of the typical tall, remote-control-like cover screen, you get a short, wide device that feels natural to use closed. The outer display is expected to measure around 5.5 inches, while the inner display could be a 7.69-inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio.

Beating the giants to the punch

Huawei is calling it the industry’s first horizontally wide foldable, though sharp-eyed fans will remember the original Google Pixel Fold attempted something similar.

We don’t know all the specs yet, but rumors say the phone will use the Kirin 9030 chipset, which is also expected in the upcoming Pura 90 series. The official details will be revealed at the April 20 launch event.

There are five color options (as seen in Huawei’s Weibo post): black, white, blue, gold, and orange. The gold and orange versions might be Collector’s Edition exclusives, but Huawei hasn’t confirmed this yet.

To preorder, you need to pay a 1,000 yuan deposit (about $140), and full payment starts on April 20. The final price is still unknown, and it’s not clear if the phone will be sold outside China.

Android Central's Take

I’m genuinely glad someone finally built a foldable that doesn’t punish you for watching a video or typing an email. Still, since the company can’t use Google services worldwide, it makes sense for them to try bold new hardware ideas. The real benefit for users here isn’t just the Pura X Max, but the message it sends to Samsung and Apple: Stop dragging your feet.

Grade: B+

This has been a particularly strong year for phone releases, with Vivo, OPPO, and Huawei shining bright with their devices. The tri-folding Mate XT set things off at the start of the year, and camera-focused devices like the Vivo X200 Ultra and Find X8 Ultra showcased just what's possible when Chinese brands dedicate resources in this area.

It isn't just about cameras either; the latest slate of flagships shows just how powerful these phones have gotten. Battery tech has evolved considerably over the last 12 months as well, with 7,000mAh batteries now considered a mainstay. I got to use all the phones launched by Chinese phone manufacturers this year, and I'm grading the performance of each brand based on the devices it launched over the course of 2025. Let's get started.

Vivo: A+

There's no doubt that Vivo is now my favorite Android brand. It has delivered the best cameras over the last two years, and it overhauled its software efforts in 2025, launching OriginOS globally. The Vivo X300 Pro is my go-to recommendation if you want the best cameras available today, and it is a great all-rounder as well. Vivo is doing all the right things in the mid-range with devices like the V50 and V60, and the foldable X Fold 5 continues to hold its own against the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

OPPO: A

OPPO also had a standout year, and the Find X9 Pro is an outstanding device — it is my daily driver, and I don't see myself switching to another device for another month at least. The brand is once again selling phones in Western markets, and that is a positive move.

I like what OPPO is doing with foldables as well; the Find N5 launched nearly a year ago, but it continues to be great. The only area where the brand needs to do better is wearables; it makes decent smartwatches, but they're somehow still limited to China — I'd like to see these debut in more markets around the world.

Huawei: A

Huawei just isn't letting the trade ban get in the way of delivering outstanding phones. The Mate XT is the most innovative phone I've used, and the tri-folding device is incredible. The Pura 80 Ultra has one of the best zoom lenses around, and the all-new Mate X7 takes foldable cameras to new heights. While Huawei's software efforts are still lagging behind industry standards, it's clearly leading in hardware design.

I also like how Huawei is building a broader ecosystem. The Watch Ultimate 2 is my favorite smartwatch, the 12-inch MatePad Pro is the best Android tablet I've ever used, and the brand rolled out several standout earbuds this year. And with recent devices like the Mate X7 offering the ability to install MicroG during initial setup, it's easier than ever to get Google services installed on Huawei's phones.

POCO: B

Honestly, I can't fault what POCO did this year. The F7 Ultra showcased the brand's imaging efforts, the X7 Pro proved to be a great budget phone, and the F7 held its own against rivals. With the F8 Ultra, the brand has a legitimate rival to what Vivo and other brands offer in the $700 segment.

POCO needs to do better in India, its biggest overseas market. By not bringing the F8 Ultra to India, it is ceding ground to Realme. Outside of that, the software needs an overhaul, but that's more on Xiaomi than POCO.

Realme: B

I started paying more attention to Realme again in 2025, and I like what the brand is doing. As an F1 enthusiast, it's exciting to see the brand partner with the Aston Martin F1 team, and the GT 7 Pro and GT 8 Pro Dream Edition devices are terrific. I'm excited about the Ricoh collaboration as well; as other Chinese brands have demonstrated over the years, there's plenty of benefit to be gained from partnering with a camera giant, and I'm keen to see where that takes Realme.

If anything, it looks like Realme is now the brand that gets all the limited edition models within the BBK umbrella. This used to be OnePlus' specialty, but that's no longer the case in 2025, as evidenced by the Realme 15 Pro Game of Thrones edition.

Honor: C

Honor continues to make good phones, but its software efforts lag behind its rivals. I'm not talking about update policy — Honor is in line with Samsung and Google when it comes to flagship updates — but the state of the UI itself. While Honor has been saying that its software is made entirely in-house, it still has vestiges of EMUI, and it's just not cohesive.

While Honor phones have decent cameras, the inconsistencies are becoming evident, and phones like the Magic 8 Pro aren't as good as the Vivo X300 Pro or the Find X9 Pro. Honor itself says it doesn't want to be highlighted to its Chinese brethren, instead inviting comparisons to Google and Samsung. Given Honor's struggles with its cameras and their inability to measure up to OPPO and Vivo, it's no surprise the company is unwilling to pit itself against the best the industry has to offer.

Xiaomi: C

Xiaomi needs a reset — that much is clear from its product positioning and strategy. The Xiaomi 15 and 15 Ultra were strong launches, and I liked using the 15T and 15T Pro. However, the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus was underwhelming (yet again), Xiaomi isn't doing anything to address long-standing software issues, and it doesn't have a coherent vision around what it wants to do with its ecosystem globally.

Then there's the delay with the Xiaomi 17. While its immediate rivals debuted their flagships globally — the Vivo X300 Pro and Find X9 Pro are available in India and the U.K. — there's no sign of the Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Pro, or the Pro Max. Xiaomi isn't bringing these devices outside China, and that lack of consistency is hurting the manufacturer.

ASUS: D

I want to like ASUS's devices, but the Taiwanese brand just doesn't make it easy. This year's phones have been great (as always), but an obstinate stance on software updates — where its phones will only get two platform updates — basically killed any interest in its phones. Combined with the likes of Redmagic getting its act together and delivering better software, and I just don't see the point of ASUS when its devices just don't provide a good value.

OnePlus: F

Where do I even start with OnePlus? There was a time when the company could do no wrong. In 2025, it felt like it got everything wrong. The OnePlus 15 turned out to be a massive letdown, with the phone being a downgrade from the OnePlus 13, and the new OnePlus 15R is even worse — the phone doesn't even have a telephoto lens, and it costs $699. Even its Nord devices have been mid at best this year.

The way I see it, OPPO no longer sees value in OnePlus, and it's entirely possible it is just running out the clock on the brand. All the interesting bits to do with OnePlus — the Hasselblad partnership, unique limited edition devices, and fun software — have been integrated into other brands anyway.

Huawei clearly knows what it's doing when it comes to foldables, and the tri-folding Mate XT continues to be the most innovative phone around. While the Mate XT is so much more than a technical showcase, Huawei still makes regular book-style foldables, and its latest model — the Mate X7 — brings a bigger battery and better cameras.

Huawei unveiled the Mate X7 in China on November 25, and introduced the foldable globally at a launch event in Dubai on December 11. The foldable will go on sale in select regions in Southeast Asia in the coming weeks, where it will cost the equivalent of €2,099 ($2,459).

I've always liked Huawei's design aesthetic, and the Mate X7 looks similar to its predecessor. The foldable has a ultra-sleek profile that's in line with the Vivo X Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 7, and Huawei switched to a newer camera housing at the back that makes the X7 stand out. The foldable has a great in-hand feel, and at 235g, it isn't heavy in the least; Huawei somehow managed to bring down the weight by 4g while adding a bigger battery.

I'm using the red variant of the Mate X7, and it has a vegan leather back that's terrific to hold and use. Huawei also has the device in black, but if you need a model that will turn heads, the leather variant is the one to get.

The camera module juts out quite a bit, but as it is centered, there's now wobble whatsoever when using the Mate X7 on a table, and in this area, it has a key advantage over the Z Fold 7. I like the in-hand feel thanks to the rounded edges and beveled sides, and the weight distribution is ideal.

The Mate X7 also gets IP58 and IP59 ingress protection, making it that much more durable — only Google delivers better protection on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Coming in at 4.5mm unfolded and 9.5mm folded, the Mate X7 isn't quite the thinnest foldable around, but honestly, it feels just as great to use as the Z Fold 7 or X Fold 5.

Where the X7 differentiates itself is the panel; both the 6.49-inch cover screen and the inner 8-inch OLED panels have better brightness than previous years, and it makes a genuine difference in outdoor use. Color rendition is better as well, and there's increased vibrancy. You get 120Hz refresh on either screen, and they both include 1,440Hz PWM as standard.

The hinge itself has a smooth articulation and stays unfolded at various angles, and this hasn't proved to be an issue at all. Huawei has been making foldables for well over half a decade now, and continual tweaks to the hinge over the years has resulted in a lighter and better design. There is a marginal crease along the inner panel, but it isn't as evident as previous years, and with just a day of use, I don't notice it.

What you will notice is the cameras. Huawei always did a great job in this area, and the Mate X7 takes things to another level. The foldable gets a new 50MP main camera and 50MP 3.5x tele lens, with both modules featuring OIS. The 40MP wide-angle lens is the same as last year.

I used the Mate X7 in Dubai, and was able to take photos of the Burj Khalifa along with other landmarks. Foldable cameras have come a long way in the last two years, and having used the Vivo X Fold 5 and Z Fold 7 extensively this year, I can say with some confidence that the Mate X7 takes better photos than any other device in this category.

The main camera does an incredible job in any lighting scenario, delivering photos with good vibrancy, dynamic range, and great detail. The tele lens is significantly better than what you get on any other foldable, and while the wide-angle has issues maintaining the same color balance at times, it is a reliable shooter as well.

If anything, the only limitation on the Mate X7 has to do with the internals; the foldable is powered by Huawei's in-house Kirin 9030 Pro, and while it uses a nine-core design, it is built on a 6nm node, and doesn't quite has the same efficiency as Qualcomm or MediaTek powered devices. I didn't see any issues in the day I used the Mate X7, and to Huawei's credit, it did a great job optimizing the foldable to the platform. But there's no denying the fact that it isn't as powerful as the Z Fold 7 or X Fold 5; I'll test how it holds up in gaming and other intensive tasks in the review.

Where it does a better job is the battery; even with heavy use that involved taking hundreds of photos and a few dozen videos, the Mate X7 managed to last the entirety of the day. Huawei's 66W charging standard is a known quantity, and I'll test charging times and battery longevity in my review.

Switching over to the software, the Mate X7 runs EMUI 15 out of the box. It has a clean UI with plenty of usable features, and you don't see any AI-assisted utilities on the device — which in itself feels refreshing. The software build I'm using isn't final, and while Huawei's devices don't include the Play Store, the brand lets you pre-install MicroG and GBox while setting up the Mate X7, and that makes it easier than ever to then sideload the Play Store and install all the Google services you use.

I'm just getting started with the Mate X7, and will have more to share on the phone over the coming weeks. There's clearly a lot to like with the foldable, and Huawei isn't letting trade limitations come in the way of delivering a fabulous overall device.

What you need to know

• Google became the fastest growing premium smartphone brand with 105% YoY growth in early 2025.
• Apple leads the premium market with 62% share, despite only a 3% YoY growth.
• Foldable smartphones remain niche, while 80% of high-end sales focus on GenAI capabilities.

New data suggests that more people are spending on premium smartphones as their sales have shot up by 8% YoY in the first half of 2025, according to Counterpoint Research's new report.

The research firm says that this high shift was brought in by "strong premiumization,” meaning premium devices have become easily available thanks to increased financing options and expanded trade-in programs.

What's more interesting is that while all the brands showed an uptick in sales, Google outshone as the fasted growing premium smartphone brand seeing 105% YoY growth. The report suggests that its sales basically doubled since last year, as more people are opting to buy the Pixel 9 series.

Google has been pushing into new markets and ramping up marketing for the Pixel phones. The company has been leaning into making these devices stand out by focusing on its AI features and super clean software, rather than just talking about specs, which has really worked in the tech giant's favor.

That said, Apple continued to reign as the largest brand during H1, despite only seeing a 3% YoY growth, it took up 62% of the overall premium smartphone market. While Samsung took the 2nd spot, on the list, seeing a 7% growth, thanks to the AI-powered Galaxy S25 series, which seems to have outdone its predecessor (20% market space).

"Going forward, the Z Fold 7 is also expected to perform better than its predecessor owing to significantly upgraded hardware," Counterpoint added.

Speaking of Huawei that secured third place; the brand is consistently keeping iPhones at bay in China, due to uniquely designed phones like the tri-folding Mate XT , seeing a 24% growth YoY, despite only taking 8% of the share in the market.

Xiaomi also grew in the premium smartphone market in China. The company is pushing its premium strategy not just with its smartphones but with all its products, including electric vehicles (EVs), and smart home devices (IoT), which is keeping the company's spot in the top five.

Additionally the firm adds that foldables still remain a "niche," as few people are reaching for it due to its unique form factor. That said, Counterpoint notes that 80% of high-end smartphone sales were for devices with GenAI.

When travelling this summer, it's really important to pick the right phone. For the most part, it's probably going to be the device you're using on a day-to-day basis. But if you're in the market to find a phone, then this guide might help. Here's everything the team has to say about their picks and which phone they're travelling with.

Shruti Shekar: Google Pixel 9 Pro

I want to make sure wherever you're traveling, you have the right device for all of your needs. For me specifically, it's having a good battery life and a great camera for all the pictures I'm going to take.

I've travelled with both the iPhone 16 and the Pixel 9 Pro, and I do like both of them. With the iPhone 16, you've got a good camera and a great battery. However, I have come to realize that I simply can't live without my Pixel 9 Pro due to Circle to Search. I've expressed how important this feature has been for me, and I think it's really handy while traveling.

Derrek Lee: Motorola Razr Ultra 2025

I've been a flip phone guy since the launch of the Motorola Razr 2023 series, which is why it should come as no surprise that my go-to phone is the new Razr Ultra 2025. Not only is this phone quite powerful, but it also has a great set of cameras, and the flip phone form factor makes it very pocketable, which is especially perfect when you're on the go or on a run.

It's also great for social media, thanks to features like Camcorder mode and the sturdy hinge that acts as a tripod, so you can record all your aesthetic TikToks with ease during your travels.

Jerry Hildenbrand: Google Pixel 8a

To me, the best phone I can use while travelling is one I won’t miss as much if it gets lost or stolen. The Google Pixel 8a has great battery life and can do everything I need a phone to do. As a bonus, I would only cry a little bit if I lost it.

Nick Sutrich: Honor Magic V3

The Honor Magic V3 is one of the best phones I’ve ever used, and while I could list numerous reasons for this, I’ll keep this brief by focusing on the hardware design. Unfolded, it’s just 4.35mm thin, making even the new Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge look a bit bulky.

Even folded, the phone feels no thicker than a normal smartphone — it’s 3 entire millimeters thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 6 — yet features a screen that’s easy to use one-handed on the outside and a near-tablet-sized screen on the inside. Hard to beat that when you’re on the go!

Patrick Farmer: OnePlus 13

When I’m looking for a new phone, my number-one requirement is that it’s good at being a phone. I don’t need a bunch of fancy AI features or a trendy UI, just give me great battery life, versatile cameras, and a nice, vibrant display. In other words, give me the OnePlus 13. This device has all of the power you could ever need, plus a large, stunning display and a durable build that you can count on.

Andrew Myrick: Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold

Part of this is recency bias, but if I had to pick, I'd probably take the Pixel 9 Pro Fold over the Z Fold 6. You can blame the new M3E design changes, along with the full Linux terminal, and the upcoming native desktop mode.

Harish Jonnalagadda: Huawei Mate XT

I started using the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate at the start of the year, and it has transformed how I view foldables. The tri-folding design allows you to use it as a regular phone, a traditional fold-out device like the Find N5, or you can unfurl it into a tablet-sized 10.2-inch panel. The OLED panel boasts outstanding colors and is incredibly thin. It is heavier than regular phones, but it isn't anywhere as unwieldy as I'd imagine when looking at the renders.

Installing the Play Store was straightforward, and once that was set up, I got Gmail, Chrome, and all the other utilities I rely on daily without any hassle. The cameras are much better than I thought; it has a distinct edge over other foldables. While I was initially hesitant to use it because of the smaller 5,600mAh battery, the Mate XT consistently lasts all day, even when I'm on the road.

Michael Hick: Google Pixel 9a

My Pixel 9a battery never quits on me, and that’s really important when you’re relying on cellular data. It’s not the thinnest Android phone due to its bulky 5,100mAh capacity, but the 6.3-inch display makes it easier to grip than your typical 6.8-inch flagship. The display itself gets bright enough to look decent on a sunny beach, and it takes far better photos than most mid-range phones.

What you need to know

• Rumors allege Huawei is working on a tri-fold sequel to the Mate XT with a few notable upgrades.
• There's supposedly potential for an upgraded processor and camera imaging system.
• A tipster claims the device could launch in the "second half" of 2025, which might line up with the original's September launch last year.

A round of early rumors suggests Huawei is in the process of developing its next tri-fold phone.

These rumors surfaced from a well-known Chinese tipster, Digital Chat Station (DCS), on Weibo (via Android Headlines). The tipster alleges that Huawei is working on a sequel to its Mate XT tri-fold, which could be called the "Mate XT 2," if we're being incremental. There's supposedly more going on with this next phone by way of hardware upgrades.

DCS claims the tri-fold could sport a brand new, upgraded SoC (processor), possibly built off an "N-1" generation chip. In response to a comment, DCS said the chip could be Huawei's Kirin 9020. Additionally, the phone's imaging power could go up a level, though it's unclear just how far Huawei is willing to push its cameras.

Considering how early these rumors are, there's nothing concrete to go on (aside from the chip's apparent name drop). More than that, the tipster alleges Huawei's "Mate XT 2" could launch sooner than we think.

The phone could be eyeing a "second half of the year" timeframe, which kind of sounds like what the Chinese OEM did in 2024.

The Tri-Fold Surprise that is the Mate XT

Huawei came out of nowhere with its tri-fold, the Mate XT, in September last year. Without talking about its eye-watering price tag (¥19,999/~$2,808), the device features a 10.2-inch display when fully unfolded. The phone quickly turns from something handheld to a phone-tablet. The publication reiterates the device's use of the Kirin 9010 processor, so it would make sense that Huawei might upgrade that key specification.

Additionally, the Mate XT debuted with a triple camera array, consisting of a 50MP lens with f/1.4 aperture, a 12MP ultrawide-angle lens, and a 12MP periscope lens.

With rumors suggesting we could see an imaging upgrade, maybe Huawei's looking at the ultrawide and periscope lenses. Of course, it would be nice if that primary lens jumped to 100MP or more, but we'll just have to wait and see.

Aside from Huawei, we're also expecting Samsung to step into the tri-fold world for the first time. The phone could be called the "Galaxy G Fold" and feature a 9.9-inch display when fully unfolded.

What you need to know

• Jackie Chan appeared in a People Magazine interview, where a short clip of him showing off his pandas on TikTok revealed his foldable smartphone.
• We suspect the phone to be either an Honor Magic V3 or a Huawei Mate X6.
• However, due to Jackie Chan's long-standing public preference for Huawei phones and his history of recommending them, our guess strongly leans towards the actor owning the newer Huawei Mate X6.

Jackie Chan recently sat down with People Magazine to reflect on his life and career, from unforgettable film sets to surprising family revelations. The video gives viewers a peek into his memorable moments, as he shares stories looking back at some of his photos.

A short snippet of the video has been doing the rounds on TikTok, where Chan shows off his Pandas to the world. While these Pandas are definitely adorable, what caught our attention was the phone he was using. It looks like one of the latest foldable devices, due to the obviously visible hinge in the center.

When we looked a little closer, we saw that the phone is small enough to be held in one hand, and sleek too, when unfolded.

The device's form factor has led us to believe that it could either be the Huawei Mate X6 or the Honor Magic V3. Upon comparing screenshots from the video clip with his Honor Magic V3, Android Central's Nick Sutrich noted that they appeared to be identical phones. He specifically pointed out the battery icon, hinge piece, and corners of the device as being a match to the Honor Magic V3.

Meanwhile, others on the team speculate that Jackie Chan actually uses the Huawei Mate X6. It's a bummer that we don't get to see the rear panel of the device; it would've made it easier to guess. As for why we think it's mostly a Huawei Mate X6, it's because Chan has a history of owning Huawei phones.

The actor has been spotted using Huawei phones since 2016, and in 2019, when a fan gave Jackie a Huawei phone at an event, he reportedly pulled out three Huawei phones and said, “I use Huawei and have several of them. Chinese people should use domestic products. Wherever I go in the world, I would recommend it to others."

Later in 2023, the actor was spotted shopping for a new phone in a Huawei store in Chongzhou, China. Chan was seen browsing through different models and inquiring about them with Huawei staff.

According to someone present at the store, the actor wanted to buy the newly launched Mate 60 but was told it was out of stock and could only be pre-ordered. Later, he ended up getting the Huawei Mate X3. Considering Jackie Chan's fascination with the brand, our speculation is leaning towards the fact that the actor owns the new Huawei Mate X6, which was launched in November 2024.

What you need to know

• Huawei introduces the Watch 5 in 46mm and 42mm sizes with titanium and stainless steel finishes.
• The Fit 4 and Fit 4 Pro are the new fitness trackers with premium materials, water sports tracking, and specialized modes like professional trial running and pro-level golfing.
• Alongside the wearables, Huawei announced the FreeBuds 6 with a dual-driver unit and the MatePad Pro tablet featuring a 12.2-inch Tandem OLED PaperMatter Display with anti-glare technology.

Huawei has announced a bunch of wearables under its “Fashion Next” theme in Berlin on Thursday (May 15). Alongside the wearables, the company has also introduced new earbuds and a tablet.

The prominent ones in the lot happen to be the new Huawei Watch 5 series, and for the first time, the company is making it available in two notable sizes, measuring at 46mm and 42mm.

Both Huawei Watch 5 models look premium in design and feature titanium and stainless steel finishes, giving buyers a significant number of options. For wear resistance, these smartwatches are equipped with spherical sapphire glass.

The health monitoring features are promised to be superior with the incorporation of the company’s TruSense System paired with multi-sensing X-Tap tech, enabling users to monitor their health effortlessly through their fingertip measures for more “accurate, faster, and comprehensive health insights, ” the company notes in a shared press release. Additionally, there are gesture controls that support "Double Slide" and "Double Tap" motions for intuitive interactions.

Huawei Fit 4 Series

The Huawei Fit 4 series is another set of fitness/health-focused products that include Huawei Fit 4 and Fit 4 Pro. These are also made through premium materials like sapphire glass and use of aluminum body and titanium alloy bezel. While they have a strong build, the Fit 4 Pro manages to be slimmer with 9.3mm in thickness.

Both fitness trackers also feature water sports (route) tracking functionality, next to an air pressure sensor with a promise to enhance overall outdoor sports data measurement accuracy. The Pro model further includes sports modes like professional trial running, pro-level golfing, and a new barometer for elevation gain data in mountain climbing.

Huawei FreeBuds 6

The FreeBuds 6, on the other hand, are a pair of open-fit earbuds that feature a dual-driver unit and claim to deliver strong and punchy bass. They are offered in a sleek and ergonomic design and incorporate features like stable and clear calls for better communication.

Lastly, the MatePad Pro is the latest 12.2-inch tablet that equips a Tandem OLED PaperMatter Display, which further supports anti-glare and anti-reflection capabilities. The tablet can also be paired with Huawei’s Glide keyboard, which boasts typing convenience. It also features a charging compartment to store the stylus.

All these products can be purchased through the Huawei Store, and the Huawei Watch 5 starts at £399.99. The Huawei Watch Fit 4 starts at £149.99, and the Pro model at £249.99. The FreeBuds 6, on the other hand, are available at £139.99, and the MatePad Pro pricing is yet to be determined. These products, however, are very unlikely to make their way to the U.S. market since it’s Huawei.

• Smartwatch deals: Best Buy | Walmart | Amazon | Samsung | Dell

There are few consumer tech products that are as interesting as the Mate XT; Huawei somehow managed to create a tri-folding design that actually holds up to daily use, and the device gives us a great preview of where foldables are headed. There are so many things to like in the Mate XT; it is the thinnest foldable you can buy today, with Huawei outmatching the Find N5 in this regard.

The phone has unmatched flexibility; you can use it as a regular slab phone, a fold-out device, or a full-fledged 10.2-inch tablet, and I switched between all three modes extensively in the two months I had the foldable. The internals aren't quite on par with the best that Qualcomm has to offer, but I didn't run into any slowdowns as such, and the battery life is fantastic considering the sheer size of the device.

But the most impressive feature has to be the cameras; most foldables have a camera system that doesn't measure up to traditional flagships, and this is one of the main reasons why I still haven't switched to one as my daily driver. I enjoyed using the Find N5, but it doesn't deliver the same caliber of photos as the Find X8 Ultra or Vivo X200 Pro.

This is where the Mate XT has a distinct advantage; Huawei put its best imaging modules into the device, and the foldable easily pulls ahead of every other device in this category. I tested it against the Find N5, and there's no question that Huawei did a stellar job with both photos and videos. What's interesting is that the Mate XT manages to hold its own against the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, and that is an achievement in and of itself.

The Mate XT produced photos with accurate color rendition; it was an overcast day, and the foldable did a good job highlighting that. The Find N5 has cooler colors, and it had issues with shadows, often failing to deliver the same level of detail around the edges.

Both foldables did a decent job in this image, but once again, the Find N5 has increased contrast and saturation, and it doesn't quite have the same accuracy. It also loses out on detail when you zoom in to the image.

You get great versatility with the Mate XT as well, and the phone delivers the same caliber of photos with the wide-angle and tele lenses. The wide-angle camera has a greater field of view, and it produces better quality of photos than the Find N5.

Similarly, the Mate XT did a good job preserving color balance at 2x and 5.5x zoom, and you get a good amount of detail.

The biggest difference is with portrait shots; in this photo, the Mate XT got all the details right and correctly blurred out the background while having both phones visible, and it took several tries to get a similar result on the Find N5.

In a similar vein, the Mate XT does a great job in low-light situations, producing consistent colors and managing highlights well.

What's notable is how well the phone holds up against the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, which has one of the strongest camera packages of any 2025 device.

Xiaomi does a better job overall as the sensor is able to take in greater light, and the brand's camera tuning delivers cleaner photos with great vibrancy. That said, the Mate XT is pretty close, and that is praiseworthy.

The differences between the two is diminished in low-light scenarios, particularly when using the wide-angle lens.

On the whole, Huawei did an incredible job with the Mate XT. While the main attraction is clearly the panel that unfolds to a 10.2-inch tablet, the cameras and great battery life turn it into a fantastic daily driver. Yes, it is the costliest phone around — by a significant amount — but the device is an all-rounder like no other.

What you need to know

• Huawei launched its latest foldable, the Pura X, which makes you double take at its clamshell, book-style fusion.
• The device remains small like a clamshell with a 3.4-inch cover screen, but opening it produces its wide, immersive 6.3-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio.
• The Pura X boasts HarmonyOS Next, which drops away from Android app support, as well as its Harmony Intelligence AI assistant.
• The foldable is on sale in China for roughly 7,499 yuan and there is no word on whether it will make an overseas appearance.

Huawei's latest phone launch is here and it's truly walking the line between foldable designs.

The Chinese OEM debuted the Pura X foldable phone today (Mar. 20); however, the device seemingly teeters between clamshell and bookstyle foldable designs (via The Verge). When folded, the Pura X looks like your standard clamshell foldable; however, you'll note that the hinge is to the left, like a Galaxy Z Fold 6. On the front, the Pura X features a 3.5-inch OLED display with a max 120Hz refresh rate and a 1440 Hz high-frequency PWM dimming.

Above that rounded corner square cover screen is the Pura X's triple camera array. The horizontal housing features a 50MP primary lens with f/1.6 aperture and OIS (optical image stabilization). This is joined by a 40MP ultra-wide angled lens and an 8MP telephoto lens.

Opening the Pura X is where things take a more book-style turn as Huawei provided it with an immersively wide 6.3-inch OLED display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. The company states it features 2,500nits of peak brightness and 1,440Hz PWM dimming.

Huawei really doubles down on the width and broadness of this foldable's display, stating users can enjoy such a view in landscape or portrait mode. For viewing videos, Huawei says users can experience a "broad field of vision" when in landscape and even gaming. However, going vertical sees "pictures and text displayed more widely with clear content."

The Pura X contains a wide variety of Huawei's AI and HarmonyOS software. The cover display features alternating "intelligent lighting effects," the ability to turn photos into stickers on the lock screen, and cute/interactive pets. Users can also use the camera in the phone's folded state for sharp selfies and more. Huawei also added its in-house AI assistant, Pangu, via Harmony Intelligence. As The Verge notes, this is the first of its phones to do so.

Huawei's latest device boasts HarmonyOS Next (OS 5). One of the main highlights of this software is its notable lack of Android app support. The company discussed this new vision of its software in 2024, stating it would be built on its own custom architecture instead of the Android Open Source Project.

Internally, the Pura X steps up its cooling game with the " ultra-cold three-dimensional cooling system." Huawei says this technology improves the phone's heat dissipation and efficiency. What's more, the foldable contains a 4,720mAh battery with 66W wired charging. Those purchasing it in China will find 12GB of RAM and the choice of 256GB and 512GB internal storage. Moreover, the Collector's Edition takes things up to 16/512GB and 16/1TB.

The Huawei Pura X starts at 7,499 yuan (~$1,034) in Stylish Red, Stylish Green, Moon Shadow Gray, Zero White, and Phantom Night Black. For now, the phone remains restricted to the Chinese market. There's no word when/if it will make its way overseas.

I get over 75 phones over the course of a year, but there are a half-dozen or so that I'm particularly interested in using; in 2024, that list included the Vivo X100 Ultra, Xiaomi 14 Ultra, Honor Magic V3, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Find X7 Ultra, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

But in the last six months, I've only wanted to use one device: Huawei's Mate XT. I generally like using foldables, and the Magic V3 and X Fold3 Pro combine sleek designs with great camera packages, but there isn't another foldable like the Mate XT. The tri-folding design makes it unique, and that in itself is worthy of attention.

I wasn't able to get the Chinese version of the Mate XT, but Huawei thankfully launched the foldable globally, and I headed to Malaysia to get my hands on the phone. I've used it for just over three days now, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that this is the most exciting phone I've used in quite a while.

The model I have is the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design, and it comes with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Given the unique design and innovative tri-fold panel, it isn't surprising that this is the costliest phone in the world today — it costs €3,499 ($3,600), twice as much as the Find N5 foldable.

That said, the Mate XT is a halo product, much like NVIDIA's RTX 5090 and Audeze's CRBN2 headset. As a technical showcase, it is one of a kind, and while I wasn't sure about its durability when I got started with the device, it's holding up astonishingly well. This is the thinnest foldable around, and it makes the Find N5's 4.21mm profile look chunky. Coming in at just 3.6mm when fully unfolded, it is sleeker than just about any other device I've used recently — I can't think of any other gadget that's as sleek.

The crease is visible to a greater extent than on the Find N5, but it isn't an issue in regular use. The Mate XT is relatively thick at 12.8 when folded, and at 298g, it is the heaviest phone around today. However, you don't necessarily feel that heft when using the device, and while it is thicker when fully folded, it is still pocketable — I didn't have any problems carrying it around.

The tri-fold design sees two hinges; one folds inwards, and the other outwards. This means that there's a portion of the panel on the right that doesn't have much in the way of protection, and while my unit didn't take any tumbles yet, I'm not willing to take that risk — I'm using the case bundled in the package.

While the oversized OLED panel is the key talking point of the Mate XT, Huawei did a great job with the design of the foldable; the red model looks stunning, with the gold accents around the hinges and camera module accentuating the design very well. The leather back has a great in-hand feel, and the Mate XT isn't anywhere as unwieldy as I thought it would be.

The unique nature of the phone means that you can use it in three modes. The standard is the fully folded design with the outer panel, and in this configuration, you get a 6.4-inch panel with a 2232 x 1008 resolution. It is wide enough that using the cover screen wasn't a problem, and while it isn't as good as the Magic V3 or Find N5 in this regard, it's a much better sight than the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Unfolding the Mate XT once gets you a traditional book-style inner panel that's 7.9 inches, and in this mode, it's similar in usability to most foldables around. But when you unfold once again, you get the full 10.2 inches, and the Mate XT basically transforms into a tablet.

The Mate XT has a singular advantage as a media consumption device thanks to the 10.2-inch OLED panel, and it is truly incredible to stream Netflix or YouTube content. The 16:9 ratio means you don't get much letterboxing either, and content is immersive like no other device today. The fully unfolded mode is also great when it comes to reading, and it's just plain cool to have this much screen real estate on a pocketable device.

The panel goes up to 90Hz (not 120Hz as every other foldable), and while that is a limitation, there's still some fluidity when navigating the interface. There isn't as big a difference between 90Hz and 120Hz as there is when you go from 60Hz to 90Hz, so it wasn't an issue as such.

Huawei is continuing to use its own silicon, and the Mate XT is powered by the 7nm Kirin 9010. While it isn't as good as the equivalent Qualcomm or MediaTek designs, it does a decent enough job in regular use as well as gaming, and I'll go into greater detail in an additional post.

I used Huawei's Pura 70 Ultra last year, and the cameras on the Mate XT are just as good — if anything, they're among the best of any foldable around. The 50MP main camera is flanked by dual 12MP lenses, and it takes fantastic photos. Similarly, the phone has standout battery life thanks to a 5600mAh battery, and there's 66W charging.

Software is still a huge point of contention with Huawei phones as the brand doesn't have access to Google's services. That said, installing the Play Store is pretty straightforward via GBox, and while it runs in a sandbox, you get to easily install and update anything you need without too much of a hassle. The phone has the requisite hooks made possible by microG, so if you're in the Google ecosystem, using the device is similar to just any other Android phone.

Just like the RTX 5090, the Mate XT is all about bragging rights. There are other foldables that do a great job in their own right, but there isn't anything that's quite as innovative as the tri-folding device. It costs much more than any other phone today, and it isn't exactly aimed at the average user — this is an enthusiast product through and through. As such, value doesn't really come into the equation, and Huawei is instead positioning this as a tech showcase that you can actually use day-to-day.

What you need to know

• Huawei's "innovative product launch" on X may have teased the upcoming global launch of the Mate XT Ultimate Design.
• The OEM refrained from confirming the product in question; however, its teaser image seems to cultivate such speculation.
• The Mate XT, the world's first tri-fold, debuted in September 2024 with a 10-2.inch display when fully unfolded with a 3K resolution, and an eye-watering price tag.

Huawei may have teased good news for consumers who've been eyeing the world's first tri-fold.

Recently, Huawei posted an "innovative product launch" teaser on X, which leaves speculation to wonder if its the company's tri-fold (via Android Authority). The Chinese OEM said, "Be part of the extraordinary as we unveil the ultimate." The final part "the ultimate," seemingly refers to the Mate XT, also known as the Mate XT Ultimate Design.

Additionally, the post features a teaser image that looks like the Z-Shape we often see the Mate XT in for promotional photos.

The brief teaser ends by saying the full reveal will occur on February 18 in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia.

It's worth noting that nothing is confirmed by Huawei at this point. Aside from users speculating it could be the Mate XT in its X thread, the company has only responded with "Stay tuned!"

As a reminder, Huawei launched the world's first tri-fold — to Samsung's surprise — in September 2024. When fully unfolded, the device features an immersive, tablet-like 10.2-inch display. The interesting thing about this phone is that users can use it in different "modes" or "states." Using a singular screen will grant you a more slab phone-style 6.4-inch OLED display while unfolding an additional screen provides a 7.9-inch experience.

At its maximum, the Mate XT is said to utilize the company's "golden ratio" of 16:11 in 3K resolution.

Huawei also highlighted its newly developed hinge for the Mate XT, which can accommodate internal and external bending. This was done to aid its durability with continuous opening and closing in a user's daily life.

The circular camera array offers three lenses: a 50MP primary lens, a 12MP ultrawide-angle lens, and a 12MP periscope lens. A wealth of Huawei's AI met users in China several months ago. AI features to help users write, edit pictures, and more were among its initial highlights.

The Mate XT, given its design, was quite expensive, starting at ¥19,999 (~$2,808). It seems likely we'll see a high price here in the U.S. should this teaser point toward the tri-fold. But, perhaps we are looking at a global launch of the Mate XT as the publication states it received "confirmation" that Huawei would do so in Q1 2025.

What you need to know

• An X post by AI analyst claimed that the new DeepSeek AI is being powered by Huawei’s Ascend 910C chip.
• Although the model was first trained on Nvidia's H100, the company is now shifting gears to get a more domestic product.
• The X post also claims that DeepSeek might train its next AI model using 32,000 Huawei 910C chips.

DeepSeek AI is the new bot on the block these days, and this Chinese AI model is going head-to-head with other U.S.-based AI companies.

While understanding how this large language model is gaining its skills, in a recent X post, AI analyst Alexander Doria confirmed the chip that powers DeepSeek. Doria stated that DeepSeek’s R1 large-language model (LLM) was first trained using Nvidia’s H100 but now it fully functions on Huawei’s Ascend 910C chip to generate responses. (via Tech Advisor.)

Even though the 910C chip isn't as dominant as the Nvidia's H100, the Chinese company wants to keep the chip domestic instead of going with U.S. based cores, reducing their reliability on expensive chips. Presumably, DeepSeek is testing its LLM to operate as good as it did on Nvidia chips.

"910C are (slightly) less performant and, even more importantly, does not come yet with a good interconnect which is critical for training," Doria added.

This could potentially bridge the gap between companies needing expensive chips that could power their AI models, functioning on par with big tech AI. Additionally, Doria stated that DeepSeek might train its next AI model (V4) using 32,000 Huawei 910C chips. However, it remains to be seen how the Chinese chip maker will meet this demand, however 'chip independence' is something that the Chinese companies are working on, to help them become autonomous.

The DeepSeek R1 is a reasoning model that's built on the V3 large language model and is claimed to be developed at a fraction of the cost— under $6 million to train its model. When compared to U.S. brands like ChatGPT that shelled out millions of dollars to create almost the same AI experience.

"The next chip, the 920c, is aiming for B200 performance (the current Nvidia flagship)."

Despite using a moderately powerful chip, DeepSeek's AI is outperforming U.S AI rivals like chat GPT AI model. For instance, DeepSeek V3, has become extremely efficient at complex tasks like coding and essay writing.

DeepSeek's impact has already started to take effect as Nvidia, took a massive hit on Monday, losing $593 billion in market value as tech stocks tanked, marking the biggest one-day loss any company has ever seen on Wall Street.

What you need to know

• A report claims Samsung has added a "double-folding phone" to its development plans, which could fold "inward" for durability.
• The phone is suspected to launch with a nine to 10-inch display when unfolded, similar to Huawei's Mate XT.
• A report from September claimed Samsung was moving toward its rollable phone concept shown during CES 2024.

Rumors of a tri-fold or "double-folding" Galaxy device return as a report claims Samsung is rethinking such a device.

A report by ETNews claims Samsung "recently added a double-folding phone to its development lineup" (via Android Authority). Huawei's release of the Mate XT is likely a strong catalyst for Samsung as it seeks to debut a similar device. The publication's report states that the Korean OEM's version could fold "inward."

An alleged insider claims this is done to improve its durability as folding outward would make the phone "vulnerable to drops and impacts."

Rumors purport its specifications, claiming this double-folding device could offer a display size of nine to 10 inches when fully open. Supposedly, the device will remain similar in size to a "regular" slab phone when collapsed. This seems plausible as the Galaxy Z Fold 6 looks like a regular smartphone when closed, but fully expanding it gives it more of a tablet vibe.

With this report, the publication's source claims that Samsung's partners "have also begun development projects." Additionally, the company is rumored to have the "release model finalized" by the end of November.

The post states Samsung could debut this double-folding/"multifold" device in 2025. Allegedly, the company may slip this phone in alongside its annual launch of the Flip and Fold series.

This report goes against Samsung's rumored course of action following the Mate XT's launch. In September, rumors claimed the Korean OEM was distancing itself from a device with two hinges in favor of its previously showcased rollable concept. The company had filed patents for a tri-fold device in South Korea and the U.S., but the device never came to fruition.

Speculation suggested the device could arrive with a 12.4-inch display when "rolled out" completely. It was also rumored to feature an under-display selfie camera.

The report also highlighted Samsung's displeasure with its recent Flip 6 and Fold 6 devices. Those phones had fallen "short of expectations," likely pushing the company to seek other avenues.

With rumors going back on previous reports, it's best to take this speculation with a grain of salt.

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What you need to know

• Rumors claim Samsung is reportedly shifting its focus to a rollable-style smartphone following Huawei's tri-fold.
• The device is supposedly seeking a second-half of 2025 launch with a 12.4-inch display when fully expanded.
• Samsung showcased a rollable phone prototype during CES 2024 called the "Rollable Flex."

Rumors claim Samsung is reeling following Huawei's recent tri-fold launch, thus provoking the company to seek a new form factor.

A report from TheElec (Korean) purports that Samsung is "shifting its product direction" to the rollable phone device (via SamMobile). Rumors suggest this device could launch sometime in the second half of 2025, meaning it's possible this could either be revealed alongside or in place of, a potential Galaxy Z Fold 7. 

Early speculation states this rollable device may feature a 12.4-inch display. This estimate is likely based on the display once fully "rolled out." Additionally, the publication adds the phone could sport an under-display selfie camera.

Other specifications and, more importantly, how the device might look are still unknown.

The post adds that Samsung is pursuing this new rollable form factor due to Huawei's tri-fold launch: the Mate XT. Diving into its past showed that Samsung reportedly filed for a patent for a tri-fold phone in South Korea and the U.S. However, the phone never came to pass due to unspecified reasons.

Moreover, it seems that Samsung's recent Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Fold 6 foldable devices have fallen "short of expectations." Shifting to a new, potentially exciting device could help the company boost its earnings outside the typical slab phone-style Galaxy S series release.

The idea of a "Galaxy Rollable," or whatever it may be called, isn't surprising as we've seen this before from Samsung during CES 2024. The prototype was dubbed the "Rollable Flex" and could deliver a screen that was "five times larger" than its rolled (default) state. One worry of the prototype during its CES showcase was its durability.

The phone will likely have an astronomical amount of moving parts considering it expands and rolls to deliver different display sizes.

Samsung was also spotted showing off its "In&Out Flip" phone, which looked like its clamshell device, but could fold 360 degrees. With Huawei dropping a tri-fold, it seems Samsung isn't interested in working on that project as it chases the next big thing.

It's worth remembering that the idea of a rollable phone was seen previously as the LG Rollable. The phone was fleshed out for the most part as a live hands-on video showed what could've been if LG ever dropped it for consumers. Unfortunately, the company shut the project down before it could ever launch.

Now, with rumors suggesting Samsung is chasing a similar form factor, its official word is all we need.

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What you need to know

• Huawei has launched the first tri-fold phone in China with an immersive, tablet-like 10.2-inch experience when fully unfolded.
• The Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design features a textured leather back panel with a circular, triple camera array consisting of a 50MP primary lens with OIS and a f/1.4 aperture.
• The device is available in China for a starting price of ¥19,999 (~$2,808). 

The Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design has officially launched as the world's first tri-fold phone, and it's not cheap.

Huawei's Mate XT features a textured leather backing and gold finishes around its design. With rounded corners, the Chinese OEM looks to create a comfortable experience no matter the orientation. When fully closed and used as a single screen, the Mate XT features a 6.4-inch OLED display with a 240Hz refresh rate and 1,440Hz PWM dimming rate.

Users can unfold the phone's display once to expand the viewing experience to 7.9 inches. Finally, when Huawei's tri-fold device is fully open, users will find an immersive, tablet-like 10.2-inch display. This final display measurement enables 3K resolution and Huawei's "golden" screen ratio of 16:11.

Huawei stresses that users can utilize the Mate XT in any configuration (singular, double, or triple) and that the device OS will accommodate their choice. When folded, the phone measures 12.8mm in thickness, less than a full millimeter thicker than the Galaxy Z Fold 6. With the dual-screen view, it measures 7.45mm at its thickest point, and when fully unfolded, it measures as little as 3.6mm thick.

Durability is a hot topic, so the company states its screens feature a "composite" laminated structure. This reportedly keeps the phone's displays thin while retaining enough strength to withstand wear and tear. Similarly, the company developed a new hinge structure that achieves "internal and external bending for the first time." Huawei says that its dual-track system aids in stable folding/unfolding.

The circular camera array offers three lenses: a 50MP primary lens with OIS (optical image stabilization), a 12MP ultrawide-angle lens, and a 12MP periscope lens. Huawei touts its XMAGE imaging system on the Mate XT and that its rear array offers 10 variable aperture levels. The primary lens can go from f/1.4 to f/4.0, likely aiding users in taking photos in various lighting conditions and focal points.

The device's front-facing selfie camera has an 8MP lens. The Mate XT only has one forward-facing camera, and it's positioned on the initial singular display before unfolding.

Huawei has implemented a few key features on the Mate XT, such as those with a heavy AI background. The on-device AI tools can help users "write, polish, or translate" text and edit pictures. Moreover, the company's AI assistant can be surfaced and used in split screen mode.

Additionally, the Mate XT features Tiantong Satellite Communication. This isn't the first Huawei phone to use satellite communication, and a similar method has been seen on the likes of Google's Pixel 9 through Satellite SOS. Huawei's version is expected to function similarly as consumers can keep in touch with important contacts even without a cellular signal.

Huawei has included its HarmonyOS 4.2, 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of internal storage in the Mate XT.

Energy-wise, the tri-fold contains a thin silicon-based 5,600mAh battery. Huawei parades its "long-lasting" abilities but doesn't offer information about how much time users may get from it. It's entirely likely that the battery's longevity will depend on how many screens you're using and to what extent. However, the phone receives 66W wired fast charging and 50W wirelessly charging.

Huawei's Mate XT Ultimate Design has launched in China, starting at ¥19,999 (~$2,808). Consumers can purchase the device in a red or black colorway. It's unclear if this device will see a global debut.

What you need to know

• A rumor from a Weibo tipster claims Xiaomi is beginning to develop a tri-fold device to compete with Huawei and Samsung.
• Little information is known about the device's specifics; however, speculation states a prototype could appear during MWC 2025.
• Huawei's upcoming tri-fold phone was spotted with its former CEO, and rumors suggested it could launch in September.

As more brands pitch their foldable takes, the industry looks to advance towards newer form factors, and now Xiaomi is rumored to enter the fray with its take.

The latest rumor stems from Smart Pikachu, a Weibo tipster who claims Xiaomi is working on a tri-folding phone (via PhoneArena). Take this rumor with a grain of salt as the tipster's post didn't offer any additional information about other aspects of the device.

The report adds that Xiaomi could be preparing for a more interesting MWC 2025 showcase if this tri-fold device exists. The publication suggests the Chinese company could show off an early prototype of the foldable to start building interest.

Other speculation from Gizmochina states Xiaomi could feature its HyperOS 2.0, the Leica camera system, and Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon chip.

Users have started wondering if Xiaomi will upgrade/improve the crease experience of its foldable if this tri-fold rumor is accurate. Additional posts have started to notice the tri-fold trend as they mention the recent rumors and live photos about Huawei's version.

Huawei's tri-fold device was spotted in the hands of its former CEO earlier in August. The device appeared quite large in hand, almost tablet-like, as rumors claimed it may feature a 10-inch display when unfolded. Speculation states Huawei's tri-fold will likely debut with a "premium price tag" alongside HiSilicon's Kirin 9 series SoC to power it.

Interestingly, Huawei and Samsung were rumored to have a couple of new foldable prototypes in the works. The devices would take on a "Z" shape. With Huawei's version seemingly further along, rumors claim it could debut in China in September. Samsung was reportedly working on a "rollable" style foldable, as shown during CES 2024. That showcase was paired with an "In&Out Flip" that could fold its display 360 degrees.

While we wait to see if this Xiaomi rumor is true, the company launched its new foldable duo in July. The brand debuted the Mix Fold 4 and its first clamshell, the Mix Flip. With the latest rumors about Xiaomi, it seems OEMs are quickly scrambling to bring a third form for its foldables to take on.

What you need to know

• A photo of Huawei's former CEO, Richard Yu, has started circulating social media because it seems he's holding a tri-folding phone.
• A Weibo tipster stated the device is similar to a prototype they've seen with a 10-inch inner display alongside speculation that it could launch before Q4 2024.
• An early report claimed that Huawei started "mass-producing" a tri-fold phone in February and that it would feature a display similar to the running theory.

The foldable world could be in for a shake-up as a photo suggests Huawei's tri-fold device is very real.

According to Gizmochina, a photo of Huawei's former CEO Richard Yu preparing for a flight shows him supposedly holding a tri-fold phone. Enhancing the image offers a vague look at where the device might bend (or fold) to open/close. Additionally, it looks like the far left of the device is slightly bent, potentially indicating the first hinge's placement.

Chiming in is Chinese Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station (DCS), who claims that the device in question is the real deal. They claim the photographed device is similar to a previously witnessed prototype with a double hinge design. More importantly, the device is rumored to feature a 10-inch inner display when open.

A punch-hole selfie camera is speculated for the "far left" of the internal display. A specification rumor states the tri-fold phone will contain HiSilicon's Kirin 9 series SoC. Additionally, DCS suggests this tri-fold device will debut "earlier than the Huawei Mate 70."

The publication states that the Mate 70 isn't expected to hit the shelves until Q4 2024, which could mean we're closer to the world's first tri-folding device than we realize. Take this with a grain of salt, but speculation states we could see anywhere from now until September.

Huawei's tri-folding phone is expected to debut with a "premium" price tag. Users on Weibo have also started wondering if the company will include a stylus due to its size.

The idea of a "tri-fold" phone piqued consumer interest reports claimed Huawei started developing such a device earlier this year. That post stated the Chinese company started "mass-producing" a device that would fold twice to form a "Z" shape. Similarly, early rumors claimed the device would offer a 10-inch internal display, which continues to be the running theory.

Unfortunately, the device never arrived during the first half of the year as the report claimed. So, we'll have to see if this next rumored timeframe pans out.

The other side of that report dealt with Samsung who were supposedly putting the "rollable" phone idea back on the table. The Korean OEM did show off a prototype of a rolling phone during CES 2024, so maybe that theory holds water.

What you need to know

• Huawei will move away from the Android Open Source Project for HarmonyOS Next.
• The next version of the company’s mobile operating system will be built on its own custom architecture.
• The move will drop support for Google apps, but it will improve performance and efficiency on Huawei devices.

Huawei will be fully moving away from Android apps on its devices with the next version of HarmonyOS, called HarmonyOS Next. The new version of Huawei’s in-house operating system was previewed this week at HDC 2024, the company’s developer conference. As reported by GizmoChina, HarmonyOS Next will leave behind the Android Open Source Project, and will instead be built on Huawei’s custom architecture. 

The decision comes with some significant consequences. After losing support for Google apps a few years ago due to economic sanctions, Huawei devices will now lose support for Android apps altogether. A big benefit to using the Android Open Source Project is compatibility with Android apps. Developers can tweak the AOSP as they see fit, but still benefit from the exhaustive list of apps built on AOSP architecture.

As extreme examples, both the Humane AI Pin and Rabbit R1 are built on the AOSP architecture. They’re not Android devices in the conventional sense, but they use the AOSP codebase. That means they are technically compatible with Android apps. It’s how tinkerers were able to crack the Rabbit R1 and load up Android launchers and apps on the device with no translation, emulation, or other extreme efforts required.

Since HarmonyOS is built on AOSP, it can download and install Android apps. That will change when HarmonyOS Next releases with Huawei’s custom architecture. Developers will need to be ported to the Hongmeng kernel and system, according to GizmoChina. This process has been underway since 2023, but it’s unclear how many apps are available on HarmonyOS Next right now. The company says that popular apps Taobao, Yiche, and Bilibili are all running natively on the platform. 

The move might work in China, as many apps are consolidated and offer many functions in the same place. For example, WeChat is the world’s largest standalone mobile app and serves as a messaging service, social media platform, and mobile payments provider. It’s effectively WhatsApp, Facebook/Instagram, and PayPal all in one — if we’re comparing WeChat to its Western equivalents. So, if Huawei got a handful of core apps on HarmonyOS Next, it could be successful even without Android app support. 

Due to sanctions from the U.S. and other governments, Huawei phones haven’t been a viable consideration for most people outside of China for years. That becomes even more true now that Android apps will be left behind completely when HarmonyOS Next launches.

However, it’s not ready yet. Huawei says that HarmonyOS Next is currently in the beta testing stage and is looking for roughly 3,000 developers and beta testers. It’s been a slow and steady development process for HarmonyOS Next, and that‘s unsurprising. This will be a significant Huawei and comes with a lot of risk.

Huawei needs to pull every bit of performance it can  out of its devices

Looking at the broader circumstances Huawei is facing, the move to build HarmonyOS on its own architecture over the Android Open Source Project actually makes a lot of sense. The aforementioned sanctions have limited Huawei’s ability to source equipment needed to create cutting-edge processors. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), which designs and fabricates Huawei chips, can’t import equipment due to U.S. sanctions and treaties with other countries. 

Something called an Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUV) machine allows chipmakers to produce faster and better chips than they could using older Deep Ultraviolet Lithography (DUV) equipment. That‘s why Huawei’s latest smartphone chip was made using the 7nm process, while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has already developed mobile chips using the 3nm process.

There are reports that SMIC may be able to make 5nm chips using the DUV equipment it has, though it would be costly and inefficient. Either way, Huawei‘s chips would still be behind the competition.

Moving to a custom HarmonyOS Next version built on its own architecture could increase efficiency and make the most out of its meager microprocessors. In fact, that’s exactly what Huawei is hoping for. The company says HarmonyOS Next will bring 30% faster performance overall and a 20% lower power draw. Ditching AOSP, then, could be a good thing. If Huawei can deliver top-notch performance using HarmonyOS Next and get crucial developers onboard, Huawei users in China might not miss Android apps. 

Still, this decision highlights the difficulties Huawei has faced since it was sanctioned massively by the U.S. government and others. If the company had access to state-of-the-art equipment, international sales, and Google apps, perhaps it wouldn’t need to move away from the Android Open Source Project. However, when you consider what Huawei’s options are, choosing competitive overall performance and battery life over expanded app support may be the right move. 

What you need to know

• Huawei was the leader in global folding phone shipments for the first time in the first quarter of 2024.
• The company overtook Samsung, which was the previous shipment leader, amid concerns that Samsung is becoming complacent with its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip brands.
• Honor and Motorola found success outside of China, signaling that North American brands are struggling to attract buyers. 

According to the latest reports from analyst firms Counterpoint Research and IDC, the smartphone industry appears to have fully recovered following a down period. The overall market is expected to grow by four percent year-over-year, and foldable phones are particularly seeing widespread shipment growth. The interesting part of the data, which is based on the shipment results of Q1 2024, is that the biggest foldable players in North America aren't the ones growing. 

If you've been following the folding phone market in the U.S., that probably isn't all that surprising. Samsung was the only major manufacturer making folding phones widely available in North America for years, and that only recently changed with the emergence of Google and OnePlus last year. To call the sector competitive might not be entirely true. OnePlus reportedly has no plans to release a OnePlus Open successor any time soon, and the Google Pixel Fold is still a flawed device. Then you have Samsung, a company that seems to be resting on its laurels with the Z Fold and Z Flip brands.

With that context in mind, it makes sense that other brands are overtaking Samsung in terms of foldable shipments and growth. For the first time, Huawei is the leader, which may be shocking to North American users. Foreign brands aren't just winning in China, either. Companies like Honor and Motorola are finding success in other regions. All of this will put a lot of pressure on brands working in the North American market to improve, specifically Samsung with the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 series. 

What the numbers say

The figures for foldable shipments in Q1 2023 and Q1 2024, provided by Counterpoint, paint two completely different pictures. Last year, Samsung dominated the first quarter, representing 58% of all folding phone shipments worldwide. This is important to remember because Samsung's downturn in Q1 2024 can't be attributed to the Z Fold and Z Flip release cycles. Even though Samsung will likely see success following the launch of the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6, the company performed far better under the same conditions last year. 

Flash forward to the first quarter of this year, and the situation is completely flipped. Foldable phone shipments from Samsung decreased 42% year-over-year, and the company represented just 23% of global shipments in Q1 2024. By comparison, Huawei's shipments grew a whopping 257% year-over-year, allowing the company to claim the spot with a 35% share of global shipments. 

Aside from the movement among manufacturers, the type of foldable phones being purchased is also shifting. In Q1 2024, book-style foldables represented 55% of all folding phones shipped. It's the first time since 2021 that book-style foldables accounted for more sales than clamshell foldables. Put together, all the data points to consumers worldwide buying foldables other than those sold in North America. 

Honor and Motorola are winning outside of China

Huawei is an interesting case because while we can't discredit the company's success, it's impossible to talk about it without considering government sanctions. Tensions between the U.S. and China have made it difficult or impossible to buy and use Huawei devices outside of China. In some ways, it's more impressive that Huawei is succeeding in spite of trade restrictions. However, in this context, Huawei isn't really competing with North American brands. 

Honor and Motorola, on the other hand, are finding success outside of China. Both companies have seen expansive growth between Q1 2023 and Q1 2024. Motorola's folding phone shipments are up a staggering 1,473% year-over-year, driven by last year's Razr Plus and Razr 2023 devices. Honor's shipments are 460% year-over-year, which is still a wildly impressive figure. According to Counterpoint, Honor's Magic V2 foldable was the best-selling foldable phone in Western Europe in Q1 2024. 

Samsung's Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 are both natural competitors to the Honor Magic V2 and the Motorola Razr, respectively. The fact that consumers are shifting to Honor and Motorola phones instead just goes to show how Samsung is falling behind. 

This isn't surprising, considering the state of North American foldables

Samsung was the first to really make folding phones mainstream, and it has been the market leader in foldables from the beginning. However, it's clear that Samsung foldables don't offer the most cutting-edge technologies anymore. The last time we really saw an upgrade from a Z Fold device was with the Z Fold 3, as the Z Fold 4 and Z Fold 5 were both iterative improvements. Other phones have completely caught up, with the Honor Magic V2 offering a form factor about as thin as a slab-style phone. 

There's no better example of this than the OnePlus Open, which entered the U.S. market as basically a carbon copy of the OPPO Find N3. The OnePlus Open is widely considered the best folding phone in the U.S., and that's thanks to OPPO's tech. If Samsung—the South Korean electronics giant that has dominated the North American foldable market—wants to return to the top, it'll need to make future foldables competitive with those from Chinese brands. 

Despite offering a comfortable middle ground between phones and laptops, both Samsung and Apple saw a surprising decline in tablet sales in the first quarter of 2024, raising questions about the future of these devices, particularly while players in China, such as Huawei and Xiaomi, enjoy a healthy increase in tablet adoption.

In 2023, worldwide tablet shipments declined 17.4% year over year in the fourth quarter, the largest decline since 2016. For the calendar year 2023, tablet shipments totaled 128.5 million units worldwide, a decline of 20.5% compared to 2022 and the lowest annual volume since 2011.

"With no significant improvements to the economy and consumers allocating their money to things beyond consumer electronics, tablets may not be very high on the priority list," said Anuroopa Nataraj, senior research analyst with IDC's Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers. 

Recent numbers suggest that after over two years of decline, worldwide tablet shipments posted a year-over-year growth of 0.5% in the first quarter of 2024; even though this may seem small, the sales were about 30.8 million units, but it doesn't look good for Samsung and Apple.

Samsung vs. Apple vs. the world

Samsung saw a decline in tablet shipments this quarter, with around 6.7 million units sold—a decrease from the 7.1 million units sold in the same quarter of 2023. Research manager Jitesh Ubrani at IDC points out this could be due to the slower economy. "It's essentially due to a slowdown in consumer demand in the U.S. for tablets, especially the premium tier," Ubrani told me over email. "Beyond that, there's also been an uplift in PCs, which steals a share of wallet."

It's not for a lack of trying on Samsung's part. Last year, Samsung launched the Galaxy Tab A9, Galaxy Tab A9 Plus, Galaxy Tab S9 FE, and Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus in the last quarter of 2023, later introducing the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2024) in the first quarter of 2024. According to Samsung's Q4 earnings report, the company seeks to maintain sales momentum by expanding Galaxy AI to existing and new flagship products across foldable devices and tablets.

However, Samsung might face challenges keeping up with the premium range and the features that users may find appealing on iPads. Additionally, Ubrani says that even in the mid-lower tiers, Samsung faces competition from Amazon and TCL in the U.S.

"To turn things around, Samsung can resort to bundling, which they have done and continue to do with wearables today. Beyond that, enabling new use cases—which is one of the toughest things to do for tablets—or servicing niche audiences (e.g., What iPad Pro is doing) is likely the only other way out."

On the other hand, Apple has also seen a similar decline in iPad sales this quarter. Even though it's at the top of the list, Apple faced a bit of a lull last year as sales declined 8.5% year over year. Per IDC's report, Apple focused on clearing out inventory of older models before the expected launch of new models. However, it could still ship out 9.9 million units this quarter. Ubrani feels that Apple's recent refresh of the iPad Air and iPad Pro will go a long way and turn things around for the tablet business.

While Samsung and Apple may be at the top of the charts, Huawei held third place this quarter with impressive year-over-year growth of 43.6% and shipments of 2.9 million units. IDC interprets that the Chinese tech giant likely benefitted from the resurgence of its smartphone business and grew its market share by 2.8 basis points compared to last year.

Xiaomi also retained its spot in the top five, with a remarkable yearly growth of 92.6% and 1.8 million units in shipment. According to Ubrani, a few factors have helped the company boost tablet shipments.

"Xiaomi has been focusing on promotions, and most importantly, demand in Asia is recovering quicker than in the US. Asia also has lower penetration rates, so an uptick in demand is expected." The report stated that even outside China, its largest market, Xiaomi grew by triple digits across almost all regions where it ships.

How can these top players shake things up?

While Samsung and Apple continue to dominate the smartphone market, analysts suggest they have to start focusing on consumer spending habits and trends as they seem to be shifting.

One crucial area of improvement could be innovation, as year-on-year tablet upgrades mainly focus on hardware changes like faster processors, better screens (iPad Pro's OLED upgrade), or sleeker designs—but these may not be enough for customers to spend the extra money on tablets. 

These tech giants could explore software upgrades like implementing AI features that will address why tablets are bought in the first place—accessibility and ease of multitasking on the go. Integrating features like Galaxy AI into tablets could help benefit students, a demographic that could benefit from more accessible tablet options. This would provide a portable computing option with a smart assistant that summarizes lectures or helps them organize their day.

It's worth noting that this demographic focuses on value. With the surging prices of smartphones, consumers are likely more interested in spending less on a tablet or not buying one at all. This is where bundling and promotions come into play, as Ubrani pointed out, especially for families looking for cost-effective options for kids and teens.

Finally, the sheer number of tablet options available could lead to "decision paralysis." By considering users' needs and budgets, Samsung could benefit from simplifying its lineup while ensuring it continues to introduce unique features that make the choice less stressful. Nevertheless, it's clear that the current strategy isn't panning out, and Samsung may need to rethink its tablet strategy going forward if it wants to better compete with smaller brands.

The rumor mill says that Huawei is working on a high-end VR/AR headset to compete with offerings from Apple and Meta.

Trademark filings indicate it will be called the Vision Pro, and it's probably built to launch as a China-only product, at least initially. It seems that it should be built with quality parts, including a Sony micro-OLED 4K display, and is designed to be both lighter and cheaper than Apple's Vision Pro. It also has dibs on the name in China, which has to irk at least a few people in Cupertino.

It sounds cool. I love the concept of VR and AR; it allows people to virtually experience things they may not be able to do in the real meatspace world, and playing games is a great bonus. I have mixed feelings about the available equipment to use VR, though. That gets better with each hardware cycle, and a premium headset from Huawei that doesn't cost as much as a used car is a welcome idea.

Having said that, and rooting for Huawei to release the thing, it's too little too late for everyone outside of China. Huawei is dead, even if the company doesn't want to die.

In 2020, Huawei was the largest smartphone maker on the planet and one of the biggest tech product OEMs in the world. The company made really good phones, tablets, laptops, accessories, and equipment that companies like AT&T need to provide you with phone service and internet.

That was before the crash. Right or wrong, the U.S. government decided that Huawei products — specifically its 5G telco equipment — posed a security risk. I have no idea if it did, and neither do you. All I know is what people whose job it is to know things like this told us there were issues. I guess that's not technically true because I also know Huawei was selling good equipment at good prices and was about to corner the "5G market" in the U.S. Plenty of people with deep pockets did not like that one bit.

The U.S. blacklisted Huawei and prevented any company that wants to sell products here from doing business with it. That means no buying parts, selling parts, and no providing software to the company at any price. Doing so would mean you were blacklisted, too. 

Other countries followed suit, and even if Huawei wasn't blacklisted, hurdles were put in place to slow or stall the company's presence in a large part of the world. By the end of 2020, Huawei's market share dropped to 8%, and in early 2021, the name disappeared from all those charts you see, and the company was lumped in with "other." 

Huawei did a lot of things to tarnish its reputation, too. The company has either been found guilty of intellectual property theft or has settled out of court with Motorola, Cisco, PanOptis, and MPEG LA. A jury also found the company had "misappropriated" trade secrets from T-Mobile, and the U.S. Justice Department has found evidence of financial fraud and violation of sanctions against Iran. Further evidence says Huawei may have also had financial ties to North Korea.

Finally, there was Meng Wanzhou. Ms. Wanzhou was the board deputy chairperson and CFO of Huawei as well as the daughter of the company's founder. She was placed under house arrest by Canadian authorities while the U.S. sought to extradite her.

During messy extradition extradition hearings, the U.S. announced it had resolved the case against Ms. Wanzhou. As part of this deal, Ms. Wanzhou admitted she had lied to HSBC (Hong Kong Bank) to continue financial transactions in the U.S., and these statements supported the evidence of Huawei violating trade sanctions with Iran.

Regardless of how you feel about these other companies or the U.S. government, you must admit this is not a good look, especially for a company under intense scrutiny over ties with Chinese state intelligence. 

When all the dust settled, Huawei was unable to build tech products that would sell in the West. Even in countries where Huawei products were available, sales plummeted.

This doesn't mean the company makes bad products. Its phones and tablets are some of the best you can buy and compare very favorably against products from Samsung or Apple. They just have a 100% home-brewed operating system using software geared towards the Chinese market without any support or services from Google. After all, it's tough to sell Android products that aren't supported by Google and have no access to the Play Store.

A VR/AR headset will be the same. I have no idea if Huawei's Vision Pro will run Android, but there's a good chance it will. Huawei can use the free and open version of Android in any way it likes, and the OS would work well on a headset. Meta uses it on the Quest 3 because it works so well.

When it comes to the software and cool things you can do with it, we should expect an experience tailored for China. Companies like Meta or Rovio are not allowed to provide apps to Huawei, and even TikTok will have to jump hurdles to do business with Huawei and stay alive in the U.S. 

This doesn't mean it will be bad, but it does mean it will not be what you're used to and what you like already. Countries like Belgium or Mexico, where you can buy Huawei products, are filled with people who already aren't purchasing them. A cheaper (and arguably better) version of Apple's fancy new VR/AR headset may attract some, but it's more likely that consumers will continue to ignore the company.

This is a shame, but it's also a hard truth. My personal feelings aside (I think Huawei phones and other Android products should have never been banned), there's no doubt that sanctions will kill Western sales before it ever launches, if it launches at all.

Maybe Huawei can save itself in the future, or something can change so the U.S. will change its position on the company. Maybe not. 

Either way, a VR headset is not going to save the company and isn't going to drive any new revenue streams.

What you need to know

• Huawei today announced a new flagship clamshell foldable, the Pocket 2. 
• The Pocket 2 has the most rear cameras of any flip-style foldable, with four arranged in a circular bump. 
• The Huawei Pocket 2 will be available in China, but there is no official confirmation on whether there will be a global launch yet.

Huawei has officially launched its latest clamshell foldable, the Huawei Pocket 2, in China. It's the company's first flagship flip-style foldable since 2021 when it released the Huawei P50 Pocket. More importantly, the smartphone has a nearly 7-inch main screen and five total cameras, which makes it competitive with the best folding phones currently available. 

The problem is, you probably won't be able to get one. Huawei is still caught in the middle of a trade war between China and the U.S., and that's part of the reason why the Pocket 2 features a 7nm processor in 2024. Additionally, while the Pocket 2 is available in China, it's unclear when or if Huawei will release the smartphone globally. 

Huawei is keeping a design for the Pocket 2 that's very similar to that of the P50 Pocket and the budget Pocket S. There's a small, circular cover display measuring 1.14 inches next to the rear camera system. Huawei managed to stick four cameras in that tiny camera bump: a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide sensor, an 8MP 3x telephoto lens, and a 2MP UV sensor.

Admittedly, that fourth sensor is a bit of a gimmick, but Huawei says that it can be used for things like detecting UV intensity levels and discovering skin spots that aren't visible to the untrained eye. Still, the four rear sensors on the Huawei Pocket 2 are the most we've seen on a clamshell foldable yet. 

You should also keep in mind that since the Pocket 2 is a foldable, all of the cameras are basically selfie cameras (with the exception of the UV sensor). You can use the cover display, however tiny it may be, as a viewfinder to take selfies with the rear camera system. 

The main screen is an LTPO OLED panel measuring 6.94 inches. As for the chipset, we don't know exactly which one the Pocket 2 uses. However, the 7nm Kirin 9000S processor is almost certainly what powers the Huawei Pocket 2. It's a competent chip, but it won't hold up against the best from other chip fabricators like TSMC. It comes with 12GB RAM, and the storage options range from 256GB to 1TB. 

You can order it in China starting today directly from Huawei. The Pocket 2 starts at around $1,000 and comes in four colors. But again, we don't know whether Huawei will launch the Pocket 2 worldwide yet. 

What you need to know

• Huawei is reportedly in the process of creating a "tri-fold" phone that it may release sometime during the "first half" of 2024.
• The report states Samsung is developing a "rollable" foldable phone, despite the company stating in 2022 that it has no plans to pursue such a device.
• OPPO and Vivo have bowed out of the foldable industry due to a "significant" drop in foldable market share, according to reports.

A new report states Samsung and Huawei are ramping up efforts to create new foldable designs amid their competitors waving goodbye.

According to Hankyung (Korean), a Chinese source states Huawei is beginning to "mass produce" a "tri-fold" device, which folds twice to form a "Z" shape (via SamMobile). The source adds Huawei's tri-fold phone features a 10-inch display when fully open.

Speculation suggests Huawei is attempting to simultaneously target the PC and tablet market with this new foldable design. The Chinese OEM is also looking to reclaim the top spot on home soil as it's been dominated by Apple's iPhone.

The source states this new device from Huawei could be released during the "first half" of 2024.

On the flip side, the report states Samsung has been developing a "device with a rollable screen." However, there are rumors that Samsung could be interested in a tri-fold device similar to what its Chinese competitor is cooking up.

Speaking of China, OPPO and Vivo have reportedly dropped out of the foldable industry. The catalyst behind this decision is supposedly due to a "significant" drop in both respective companies' foldable market share in 2023. Regarding the former, OPPO launched its 2023 Find N3 and N3 Flip globally in October with a 7.8-inch and 6.8-inch internal display, respectively.

That said, neither company has indicated plans to cease foldable development, and the well-received OnePlus Open was co-developed by OPPO, so take that with a grain of salt.

While there's still little else known about Huawei's supposed tri-fold device, the company reportedly has a new flip foldable on the way. A company insider stated on Weibo that the device goes by the codename "LEM" and that a conference is expected to serve as a showcase and launch for the phone in February. The device is expected to be "compact," resembling that of the Pocket S from 2022.

The device is expected to be China-exclusive, as well.

For Samsung, the idea of a "rollable" foldable isn't surprising. The Korean OEM showed off such technology during CES 2024 and was simply described as "a unique device." The company also showed off a prototype for an In&Out Flip that could be folded 360 degrees. However, it remains to be seen if this report proves true for a potential rollable Samsung foldable, considering the company denied having any interest in the idea in 2022.

According to Samsung, there are limitations a slidable phone would face, which would affect the quality of the display's surface. Moreover, the company said it would rather focus on creating good quality foldable phones instead of trying to force a rollable phone to create a new market.

What you need to know

• Reports from a Huawei insider on Weibo suggest the company will host a conference in February to launch a new small foldable phone.
• While the insider doesn't specify the form factor, the device is expected to be a compact foldable, potentially resembling a flip phone.
• The upcoming Huawei foldable may belong to the Pocket-series, and indications point towards its exclusivity to the Chinese market.

Huawei has been making waves with its foldable phones in China, and word is that the company is launching a new one next month.

A Huawei insider has revealed on Weibo that the Chinese phone maker is planning to hold an event in February to ring in the New Year and introduce a "new small foldable product" with the codename "LEM," as per Gizmochina.

According to sources, pre-orders for the device might kick off right after the Chinese New Year on February 10.

We're still in the dark about the details of the upcoming device. But rumor has it that this new foldable phone is set to pack Huawei's in-house 5G Kirin chipset.

According to IThome, which got the scoop from Weibo, the mystery handset will be positioned in mid-range territory like Huawei's Nova series.

The insider didn't say whether Huawei's next foldable is a Fold or Flip-style. But given the buzz about it being a "small" foldable, it's safe to assume that this is a flip phone. Plus, it seems like this upcoming device will be exclusive to China.

Huawei has a trio of foldable smartphone lineups on the market. The Huawei Mate X and Mate Xs are the high-end models. The X models flip open like a book, while the Xs variants fold outward.

Meanwhile, the Huawei Pocket lineup is a flip-style smartphone similar to the Galaxy Z Flip lineup. So, the upcoming Huawei foldable is likely to belong to that series.

The Huawei Pocket S debuted in late 2022 as the latest model on the block. But Huawei is not making these releases a yearly ritual, unlike the rest of the Android OEMs.

We don't know much about it yet, but the fact that it's even in the works is pretty exciting. Here's to hoping it's a solid return to form for Huawei.

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What you need to know

• Huawei's next affordable smartwatch is tipped to come in black gunmetal and polished steel colorways.
• The Huawei Watch GT 4 is rumored to come in two sizes, 41mm and 46mm, with prices supposedly starting from €299 (~$267) to €399 (~$427).
• Huawei recently teased a launch event for its next affordable smartwatch, which is slated to take place in Barcelona on September 14.

Huawei is hosting an event on September 14, and it's likely that they'll be announcing their next affordable smartwatch, the Huawei Watch GT 4. Ahead of the event, a new leak has revealed some of the other color options that the watch might be available in.

Live images of the supposed Huawei Watch GT 4 have been leaked, showing off two color variants in black gunmetal and polished steel, as spotted by MySmartPrice. Based on the photos below, the Watch GT 4 will come with two strap options: a plastic one in black and a leather one in caramel brown.

Both straps are removable, so you can easily switch them out to change the look of your watch.

The variant with a black plastic strap boasts a black gunmetal finish, while the one with a leather strap has a shiny steel finish. If you're wondering what size Huawei Watch GT 4 to get, previous leaks suggest that there will be two options: 41mm and 46mm.

A previous leak hinted that the Huawei Watch GT 4 might come with a metal strap option, which could make it more expensive than the plastic or leather strap versions. According to MySmartPrice, the 41mm and 46mm models will retail for €299 and €399, respectively.

The Huawei Watch GT 4 is rumored to have some pretty impressive specs, including 10W and 18W wireless charging, Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, and a two-week battery life. The Huawei Watch GT 4 is expected to have a variety of fitness tracking features, but the specific details are still under wraps.

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What you need to know

• Huawei silently launched the Mate 60 and Mate 60 Pro, with many online suspecting it features 5G connectivity, though the brand has yet to confirm.
• The Mate 60 Pro delivers a 6.8-inch FHD+ LTPO display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 50MP primary lens, and a 5,000mAh battery.
• The base Mate 60 is slightly watered down, delivering a 6.6-inch non-curved display and a 4,750mAh battery.

Huawei's latest flagship phone launch snuck in without a word as the company launches the Mate 60 and Mate 60 Pro in China.

According to Huawei, the Mate 60 Pro features a 6.8-inch FHD+ LTPO display with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. The brand has curved the display at its four corners for "comfort" while also improving its Immersive display technology for "professional" colors and precise touch inputs.

The Mate 60 Pro delivers a circular triple camera array consisting of a 50MP primary sensor with OIS (optical image stabilization), a 12MP ultra-wide angle lens, and a 48MP telephoto sensor with OIS. Furthermore, users can record videos at 4K resolution while its front-facing selfie camera offers 13MP.

The Mate 60 Pro utilizes the Ark multimedia engine to power mobile gamers through some intensive sessions. Huawei states the Ark engine helps to "instantly" load games and provide a smoother graphical experience.

Powering all of this is the Mate 60 Pro's 5,000mAh battery with 88W wired charging support. Wireless charging support sits at 50W.

However, the most curious aspect of the device is its supposed 5G capability. As reported by Reuters, users online have started noticing the network speeds of the device match that of a phone sporting a 5G chip. This could mean that Huawei has developed its own 5G network chip, potentially working around U.S. restrictions that have kept it from acquiring 5G technology to use in its phones.

At the moment, Huawei has yet to confirm if the Mate 60 Pro contains 5G support. Although, Huawei's statement to Android Authority says it has no plans to bring the device to the U.S. market, which is no surprise.

Additionally, the device comes prepared for a world with satellite connectivity for messaging and calls. Huawei informs that the Mate 60 Pro will let users continue to connect with those important even when a typical cellular connection is absent. Users can edit their satellite-sent messages, and they can also send location information if they need to be located by the emergency services.

Huawei is delivering 12GB of RAM paired with internal storage options of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. The Mate 60 Pro lands in China with an ocean green-like color, as well as White Sand Silver, South Waxy Purple, and Yadan Black colorways. The brand lists its 12/512GB iteration for ¥ 6,999 (roughly $960).

While the base Huawei Mate 60 contains most of what its Pro sibling has to offer, they are watered down a bit. The differences begin with its battery shrinking slightly to 4,750mAh and a shortened, non-curved 6.6-inch display. The rear triple camera array on the Mate 60 provides a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide angle lens, and a 12MP telephoto lens. Its front-facing selfie camera remains the same at 13MP.

Wired charging also sees a thirty-watt decrease, landing it at 66W. But its wireless charging sticks to 50W.

Huawei is offering the Mate 60 in China with the same RAM/internal storage options and colorways, too. However, since some of the internal specs are slightly less, those in China can grab the Mate 60 for ¥ 5,999.

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What you need to know

• A Huawei executive claims the newly launched Watch 4 has a blood glucose monitoring feature.
• Huawei says the smartwatch will alert the wearer when it detects irregular blood sugar levels.
• The watch is said to achieve this topically by using specific health indicators that can be read in as little as 60 seconds.

Huawei claims that its new smartwatch has a non-invasive blood glucose tracking feature that uses only a set of health metrics and does not require any additional hardware.

Yu Chengdong, Huawei’s consumer CEO, posted a demo video on Weibo showcasing how the new feature works. It should be noted that the Huawei Watch 4 does not function to provide blood sugar readings per se; it only alerts you when it detects that your blood sugar level is high and you may be at risk of hyperglycemia.

Huawei’s promotional video shows that an alert will appear to display a hyperglycemia risk assessment for the wearer. The smartwatch does this by measuring "10 health indicators in 60 seconds," according to Yu.

Huawei Central notes that these metrics include "heart rate, pulse wave characteristics, and more," suggesting that the watch is limited only to monitoring your blood glucose level topically.

A screenshot of the video provides details about the hyperglycemia alert, stating as follows (machine-translated): "You may have short-term blood sugar fluctuations. A diet high in sugar, oil, and fat may increase the risk of high blood sugar. Please continue to wear it."

In recent years, smartwatches have become increasingly sophisticated in their health-tracking capabilities. Many of the leading Android smartwatches, such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series and earlier models, can now take electrocardiograms (ECGs) to diagnose atrial fibrillation and monitor blood oxygen levels. Huawei's latest wearable device takes a step further by offering non-invasive blood glucose tracking.

Yu claims it is the industry's "first smartwatch that supports high blood sugar risk assessment research." Apple was also reportedly working on the same feature for its Apple Watch series. According to a Bloomberg report, Apple intends to combine chip technology called silicon photonics with absorption spectroscopy to measure blood sugar levels.

Non-invasive blood glucose tracking is a major breakthrough for people with diabetes. It eliminates the need for finger pricking, which can be painful and inconvenient. It also allows people with diabetes to track their blood sugar levels more frequently, which can help them better manage their condition.

Huawei's non-invasive blood glucose tracking technology is still in its early stages, but it has the potential to revolutionize the way people with diabetes manage their condition. If it is successful, it could make it easier for people with diabetes to live healthier and more normal lives, but only if it is accurate and approved for public use by regulatory bodies.

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 What you need to know

• Huawei has announced its flagship P60 series in China. 
• All three models are powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. 
• They are announced next to the foldable device Huawei Mate X3.

The next flagship models are announced in China by Huawei today. These include the P series alongside the foldable smartphone, the Huawei Mate X3. The new Huawei P series comprises Huawei P60 Pro, Huawei P60, and the Huawei P60 Art.

The Huawei P60 Pro and Huawei P60 look relatively identical in design and on paper. Both sport 6.67-inch LTPO screens with Full HD+ resolutions and have refresh rates up to 120Hz. They additionally support the global P3 color gamut and feature TÜV Rheinland certification.

The P60 models measure 8.3mm in thickness and weigh 200 grams, making them thinner and lighter. On the rear, both models come with a striking design, particularly with the Rococo White variant that these devices ship in. In addition, there are three other colorways to give users more options.

All three Huawei P60 models come with Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. And while it's not the latest and greatest from Qualcomm, many of the best Android phones are powered by the 8+ Gen 1, which may help keep costs down while still providing plenty of power and efficiency.

The P60 series comes in multiple storage options with up to 512GB and support expandable storage option for up to 256GB.

The cameras slightly differ in all three models of the Huawei P60 series; they are the key differentiating factors for consumers to choose from. The Huawei P60 Pro, which comes as a successor to the P50 Pro, features a 48MP primary camera with dual aperture (f/1.4~f/4.0) aided by a 13MP ultra-wide angle lens and another 48MP lens that acts as a night vision telephoto camera.

The Huawei P60 also features some of the same lenses, including the 48MP primary camera and 13MP ultra-wide angle lens. It, however, has a different telephoto lens with a 12MP resolution.

The Huawei P60 Art, on the other hand, has both the 48MP lenses as the Pro model; the 13MP ultra wide-angle camera is replaced by another 40MP ultra wide-angle camera. The camera island on the device also slightly differs from the other two siblings. 

All three models have a selfie camera in common: a 13MP ultra-wide angle lens. Moreover, they all ship out of the box with Huawei's proprietary Hongmeng OS 3.1. Also, all three models are IP68 rated for water and dust resistance.

Keeping the lights on, the Huawei P60 Pro and the regular P60 are 4,815mAh batteries with the company's 88W fast charging support. The Art model, however, has a larger 5,100mAh battery with the same fast charging speeds.

Lastly, all Huawei P60 series comes with new two-way Beidou satellite message services, which lets you send texts and locations despite not having a signal during emergency scenarios.

As for pricing, the Huawei P60 costs CNY 4,488 (~$657) for the 128GB variant, and the 512GB model is priced at CNY 5,988 (~$877). The 256GB variant of the P60 Pro retails at CNY 6,988 (~$1,023), and the 512GB model costs CNY 7,988 (~$1,170). The 512GB P60 Art variant retails for CNY 8,988 (~$1,316), and the larger 1TB storage option costs CNY (~$1,610).

Along with the P60 series, Huawei also launched its new Mate X3 foldable, which features a stunning new design and water resistance.

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What you need to know

• Huawei launches its next-gen foldable device in China.
• It comes with a 7.85-inch foldable screen next to a 6.4-inches exterior screen.
• The device is powered by Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC.

The next-gen foldable device Huawei Mate X3 is now official in China. The successor to the Mate Xs 2 has been announced today, which claims to be the thinnest and lightest foldable device that the company has ever made.

The foldable model, unlike the predecessors, this time comes with an inward folding display accompanied by an exterior screen similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 4. The Mate X3 also comes in stunning colors comprising Feather Sand White, Feather Sand Black, Feather Sand Purple, Qingshendai, and Dawn Gold. The last two colorways, however, come with a leather finish, while others use glass.

The new inner foldable screen measures 7.85 inches with a 2496 × 2224 pixels resolution. It is an OLED panel that supports a 120Hz refresh rate and has a punch hole cut out at the top right corner of the display when unfolded. The larger display offers split-screen multitasking, both vertically and horizontally is further customizable.

In addition, there is Hover mode with a large screen that folds in half to give users a Hover movie mode and video call mode and acts as a viewfinder similar to what we have seen on some other foldable phones.

The exterior screen measures 6.4 inches diagonally and supports adaptive refresh rates ranging from 1Hz~120Hz. The external display has a glass cover screen of Kunlun, which promises drop resistance. The device also comes with an IPX8 water resistance rating for additional protection, something not often seen on a non-Samsung foldable.

On the design front, the Mate X3 is made of a lightweight and precise structure, which is curved on all sides and edges. Coming to the hinge, it claims to be thin and reliable, featuring a new double-rotation water drop hinge.

Underneath, the Mate X3 is powered by Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC and carries a decent 5,060mAh battery (for Collector’s edition) and a 4,800mAh battery (for Non-Collector’s edition) that support Huawei’s 66W wired charging, next to 50W wireless charging.

Due to the persistent trade ban, Huawei products cannot use Android and Google ecosystem of products; hence, the Mate X3 comes with Hongmeng OS 3.1 OS out of the box. The device supports expandable memory for up to 256GB, and the RAM settles for up to 12GB.

The Mate X3 equips a triple rear camera system for optics, including a 50MP primary camera, a 13MP ultra wide-angle camera, and a 12MP periscopic telephoto camera. There is an 8MP front camera for selfies too.

The Huawei Mate X3 also becomes the world’s first foldable phone featuring satellite connectivity next to two-way Beidou satellite message. The latter will be able to send preset text, location information, and the current status, even with the unavailability of a signal in remote places.

The foldable device also has a unique antenna system. As Huawei explains it, “when folded, the signal quality is greatly improved through intelligent dual-mode tuning technology. When unfolded, it adopts wrap-around antenna layout and smart antenna switching technology to sense signal changes in real-time, automatically select the optimal antenna, and have a stronger signal.”

The Mate X3 is currently available in the Chinese market. It retails at CNY 12,999 (~$1999) for the 256GB storage variant, the 512GB costs CNY 13,999 (~$2050), and there is an even bigger storage option at 1TB that costs a whopping CNY 15,999 (~$2340).

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What you need to know

• Huawei is all set to launch its next foldable device next week.
• The Mate X3 will feature a more prominent foldable display than the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
• The foldable smartphone would also debut with a Satellite Communication feature.

Huawei is gearing up to launch its next iteration of the foldable device, the Huawei Mate X3. The teaser images (via Gizmochina) are being shown on Huawei's social media handles, which indicate the foldable this time would be light and sturdy.

The launch of the successor to the Mate Xs 2 is set for next week, on March 23.

Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, has revealed some information on the next flagship foldable from Huawei. Young indicates that the Mate X3 will feature a large 7.85-inch foldable display on the inside. The external display is said to measure 6.45 inches, and both panels further support LTPO technology.

In comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a 7.6-inches foldable display and the outer display measures around 6.2 inches.

Young also mentions that the Mate X3 will utilize a UTG (Ultra Thin Glass) for the display, corroborating with what Huawei has been teasing lately. The Gizmochina report further states it is supposedly a Kunlun glass, the same high-strength drop-resistant panel used in the Huawei Mate 50 Pro that debuted in 2022. Moreover, the aforementioned displays should feature a 2K resolution.

Lastly, the Huawei Mate X3 will be the first foldable device from the company to incorporate the recently announced Satellite Communication feature. In addition, we might also see a new Huawei Watch Ultimate alongside the foldable device launch next week.

Huawei makes some great foldable smartphones; unfortunately, its trade ban from the government doesn't allow them to enter the U.S. market. The devices from Huawei also miss out on the Google ecosystem and associated apps for the same reasons.

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Update (Feb 2, 7:30 pm ET): Updated with a statement from Qualcomm about how this affects its current licenses.

What you need to know

• Huawei is on the verge of facing yet another ban from the U.S.
• The Biden administration is likely to halt new licenses for U.S. tech firms from exporting items to Huawei.
• The aim appears to tighten Huawei's controls in getting components like 4G chips from the U.S. makers.

It looks like Huawei is receiving yet another ban from the U.S. government, only this time from the Biden administration. The country's government is said to have stopped approving new licenses for U.S. tech companies that export items to China-based Huawei.

As noted by Reuters, which cites sources/people familiar with the matter, the Biden administration is developing a new denial policy for shipments to Huawei, which may include 4G, WiFi 6/7, A.I., computer, and cloud-related products from the U.S. firms.

President Trump's administration imposed Huawei's first major ban in 2019, blacklisting the firm and imposing export restrictions with some exceptions. It was a major plow to the company, which was rising quickly and making itself known in the industry with impressive Android phones.

Huawei has been banned from accessing crucial tech that could provide its phones with 5G connectivity. However, despite the restrictions back then, the U.S. Department of Commerce granted licenses for some American tech firms like Qualcomm to sell its 4G chips to Huawei in 2020.

Fortunately, it looks like those licenses aren't affected by the move. During Qualcomm's recent earnings call, Alex Rogers, president of Qualcomm Technology Licensing (QTL) & Global Affairs, stated that the move would likely only apply to new licenses and that Qualcomm hasn't heard anything from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

"Qualcomm has a set of licenses that we've had for a while that basically allow us to ship 4G and other chipsets, including Wi-Fi, to Huawei," Rogers stated during the call. "Those licenses were issued because Commerce reached the determination that they don't affect national security issues. Those will continue for some number of years, and so within the scope of those licenses, we don't see an impact."

According to Reuters, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning has responded to the move, stating that it "goes against the principles of the market economy and rules of international trade and finance, hurts the confidence the international community has in the U.S. business environment, and is blatant technological hegemony."

The U.S. government's bans have made things worse for Huawei over the past four years, which was once a conglomerate in making premium Android smartphones. Though it still makes Android phones, the availability across regions is pretty limited, and the lack of 5G makes them questionable purchases. These limitations on Huawei also forced its sister company Honor to move away from the parent company.

"China is strongly against the U.S.'s abuse of state power to hobble Chinese companies by stretching the concept of national security," Mao Ning further said in the press conference, according to a recent Bloomberg report.

What you need to know

• Huawei has launched a new mid-range foldable in China, the Pocket S.
• The Pocket S features a 6.9-inch OLED internal screen and a 1.04-inch external screen.
• It features a dual-camera array on its back with a 40MP main shooter and a 13MP ultra-wide-angle lens.
• The phone comes in Frost Silver, Mint Green, Primrose Gold, Sakura Pink, Ice Crystal Blue, and Obsidian Black, starting at ¥5988.

Huawei has launched its new clamshell foldable in China, the Pocket S. The new phone is a more affordable alternative with colors and styles to help make the phone feel more true to you.

The design of the Pocket S is quite similar to what we saw when Huawei launched its P50 Pro and P50 Pocket foldable earlier this year.

As we unfold the device, the Pocket S features a 6.9-inch OLED, 120Hz display. On the back of the phone, there is a 1.04-inch circular external screen for users to control apps without needing to open the device, and it's even customizable.

What we're seeing with the Pocket S is a chip that's more fitting of a mid-range phone when compared to its other foldable launch this year. The Pocket S features a Snapdragon 778G 4G SoC, a mid-range chip that launched in 2021 and can be found in some affordable Android phones.

The back of the Pocket S features a dual-camera setup, with its main shooter sitting at 40MP, accompanied by a 13MP 120˚ ultra-wide-angle lens. Its front-facing camera is a 10.7MP ultra-wide-angle lens. The main shooter also comes equipped with an ultra-perceptual imaging system, and RYYB sensor for 40% increased lighting in photos and clear photos taken during the day or night.

Huawei also states that the Pocket S can take selfies using the rear camera as well in its folded state. Owners will see themselves in the external screen below the camera array to line up their shots. Double-tapping the external screen in its folded state will swap in the ultra-wide-angle lens for large group photos.

The Pocket S features a 4,000mAh battery that supports 40W Huawei Super Fast Charging. The foldable is said to gain 52% charge in 20-minutes.

In terms of connectivity, the Pocket S features Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, along with a USB-C port for charging and audio.

The Pocket S utilizes Huawei's HarmonyOS 3 software. What this means for the new foldable is improved space-saving features such as resizing widgets to fit your tastes or even stacking them to remove some clutter. The Pocket S will also provide users with the option of using its "transfer station." With this, you can drag and drop items in bulk if you're ever in the mood to share them with others.

There is also the privacy center where users can find apps and the permissions they have while also seeing how much data they're using. The security center will also alert you to potential risks and viruses. Also, the Pocket S features "super privacy mode," which, when enabled, will turn off both your cameras and your microphone when the phone is closed.

The Pocket S is featured in six unique colors: Frost Silver, Mint Green, Primrose Gold, Sakura Pink, Ice Crystal Blue, and Obsidian Black. The devices come in three variants of RAM and internal storage: 8/128GB, 8/256GB, and 8/512GB, with users able to expand the storage with a memory card up to 256GB.

The Huawei Pocket S starts at ¥5988 in China, with no word on a global launch. At that price, it will go neck and neck with other foldables like the new Motorola Razr 2022, although the mid-range chip and lack of 5G may hold it back.

Update (Sept 26, 1:45 pm ET): The Huawei Mate 50 series launches in international markets.

What you need to know

• Huawei has launched its latest Mate 50 smartphones in China.
• The phones support satellite connectivity via China's BeiDou network, allowing users to send text messages.
• The phones sport one of the latest Qualcomm chipsets, although they still lack 5G connectivity.

Huawei's Mate series has introduced some of the best smartphones you can't buy, and after pressing pause on the series in 2021, the company is back with its latest Mate 50 series.

The Huawei Mate 50 Pro is the top-tier model, sporting a large 6.7-inch QHD+ OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. There's a triple-camera system with a fairly impressive 50MP primary sensor on the back. While that sounds like just about every Android phone launched this year, the Mate 50 series is unique in that it features variable aperture, offering 10 stops between f/1.4 and f/4. Other phones that have offered this in the past were often limited to just two aperture settings.

In addition to the primary sensor, there's a 13MP ultrawide camera and a 64MP periscope telephoto lens. On the front are a 13MP camera and ToF sensor.

The Huawei Mate 50 Pro is outfitted with a 4G version of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Qualcomm's latest and greatest chipset. However, despite the lack of 5G connectivity, the Mate 50 series does come with satellite connectivity, seemingly the hottest new thing in mobile telephony. Using China's BeiDou satellite network, users can send messages in areas with no reception, although it doesn't appear to support receiving messages.

Satellite connectivity on smartphones has become something of a new space race for smartphone manufacturers as of late. Apple was been long-rumored to bring support to the new iPhone 14 (which it has), while Android 14 is set to gain satellite connectivity following the T-Mobile/SpaceX partnership.

Rounding out the specs, the Huawei Mate 50 Pro comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of expandable storage. The 4,700mAh battery supports 66W wired charging and 50W wireless charging.

In addition to the Mate 50 Pro, the company has also introduced the standard Mate 50, which isn't much different. The display refresh rate is lowered to 90Hz, the battery capacity gets downgraded to 4,460mAh, and the telephoto lens has only a 12MP resolution. Aside from the lack of a notch and flatter display, the Mate 50 looks nearly identical to its Pro counterpart.

The phones are currently on pre-sale in China, although a global launch is to be expected (likely skipping the U.S., however).

Update

Huawei has announced that the Mate 50 series is now available in international markets. The devices are pretty much identical to the versions released in China, down to the 4G version of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1.

Huawei notes that the Mate 50 devices are the first consumer smartphones to support Beidou Satellite Messaging, although this is only available in China.

They are also available in the same configurations, with 8GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. Pricing starts at €1299 for the 256GB variant in black or silver, while the more expensive Orange Leather doubles the storage and will retail for €1399.

That's a lot to ask for, even if we were talking about a phone with 5G and Google services, but as the Mate 50 series lacks both of those things, it's hard to recommend.

There’s been much talk about satellite connectivity lately, with companies like Apple, T-Mobile, and even Huawei boasting the technology in their latest phones and upcoming plans. But what does this mean for consumers and carriers, and should we care?

Despite the different ways companies approach this mode of communication, analysts expect direct satellite connectivity to become more ubiquitous in consumer-grade smartphones. And even with some already beating others to the punch, analysts expect it may be some time before we can tap into the full scope of the technology.

Prep for launch

As it stands, there are a few major players in the race for satellite connectivity. Thanks to Apple's marketing prowess and loyal customer base, the iPhone 14 represents a big push in mindshare for the technology as one of the first consumer-grade smartphones to launch with the feature. However, I say "one of the first" because Huawei launched its latest flagship Mate 50 series with satellite connectivity just days before the Apple event.

And while both are somewhat exclusive features, Apple's SOS Emergency by Satellite feature is exclusive to the iPhone 14 in North America (for now, at least), and Huawei utilizes China's BeiDou satellite network to work. Not only that, but certain limitations with each implementation could keep them from living up to the hype.

On the flip side, T-Mobile and SpaceX have come together in a partnership and are taking a different approach. The companies announced in August a plan to utilize new Starlink satellites to provide basic smartphone coverage in areas known as dead zones. According to the companies, this should work on just about any existing smartphone because the companies plan to use mid-band spectrum already supported by devices on the carrier's network. Not only that but T-Mobile and SpaceX are inviting global carriers to join in.

And the T-Mobile/SpaceX partnership is just one example. Other carriers have also partnered with satellite companies in an effort to expand service. Verizon plans to use Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites to support its 4G LTE/5G towers and extend service in rural areas. AT&T and other global carriers are also involved to some extent with AST SpaceMobile, which just launched the BlueWalker 3 test satellite it plans to utilize for direct-to-smartphone communications.

Google even chimed in to say that it was working to bring support for direct satellite connectivity in Android 14, which is expected to launch in the second half of 2023.

It's not clear what exactly is being built for Android 14, but it will likely help enable seamless connectivity with smartphones and, with any luck, even enable RCS capabilities when connecting to satellites.

Why is this so important?

Smartphones and mobile networks continue improving every year. However, traditional wireless networks still have trouble reaching every nook and cranny where service could be vital for users, particularly in the United States. Imagine if you're out on a hike and you're injured or lost and need help. You're pretty much out of luck if you have no cellular service, and this is what these companies are hoping to address by allowing smartphones to tap into satellites.

"Now, you can call for help," said Elon Musk during the announcement of the T-Mobile and SpaceX partnership. "The thing that I think is really profound about what we're announcing today is that it will save lives."

Neil Shah, vice president of research at Counterpoint Research, says this is why Apple pushed for the technology in its latest smartphone. "Apple must be analyzing its premium user base who are using the Apple Watch and iPhones on what is the proportion of the users who travel to remote areas or take the watch for extreme activities outdoors and have weaker or patchy coverage or dead zones."

However, the biggest advantage could be in rural areas where coverage is spotty and often non-existent, even on the best U.S. carriers. Android Central's Chris Wedel wrote how the T-Mobile/SpaceX announcement makes him hopeful for his often overlooked area of Kansas. 

He already uses Starlink to connect to the internet and T-Mobile for wireless, as he says the carrier seems to put the most effort into addressing connectivity issues. And while he's skeptical about how well this will work, the partnership is seemingly a match made in heaven for consumers like him.

"Even though I know the chances this service will live up to the hype are slim, I'm still excited about it," Wedel writes. "The idea that my family or I won't be stranded on the side of the road with no way to contact someone could be a thing of the past is amazing."

And he should be skeptical. T-Mobile and SpaceX have garnered plenty of hype for satellite connectivity, but we're still a ways away from it coming to fruition. T-Mobile doesn't plan to start testing until the end of 2023, assuming everything goes as planned with the Starlink V2 satellites, which SpaceX hopes to launch at some point next year. Additionally, there's the matter of FCC clearance to even use the spectrum satellites. AST SpaceMobile, for example, has been granted a fairly limited license to test in the United States.

And as noted before, current implementations are already pretty limited, a fact echoed by Bill Ho, a principal analyst at 556 Ventures. "In the Apple introduction to their Globalstar-based service, it was positioned with a limited set of capability, using pre-scripted questions to the user and similar from the user," Ho explains. "This service addresses when there is no terrestrial connectivity and a dire scenario. Globalstar's spectrum isn't set up for voice and lots of data."

Huawei's solution is similarly limited, and while it allows users to send texts, it apparently doesn't support receiving texts.

Ho suggests that T-Mobile's implementations seem to have better prospects because of how wide-reaching of a proposition it is. "The segue to the T-Mobile - Starlink service description is similar in capability but a bit better, using a piece of the T-Mobile PCS spectrum portfolio."

Shah also points out how much more accessible T-Mobile's satellite connectivity solution is, in theory at least. "In T-Mobile's case, most 5G phones with modems support this, though, and here SpaceX is using T-mobile's mid-band spectrum to deliver connectivity in dead zones. So all the phone has to do is hear and capture the signal transmitted on a particular band supported by the modem."

However, Ho warns that we won't know just how well it works until T-Mobile presents its testing data. So, while the partnership sounds enticing, consumers should probably level their expectations, at least for the time being.

But Shah notes that the groundwork is already being laid for this kind of connectivity. This is thanks to enhanced satellite connectivity support in the upcoming 3GPP release 18 as part of the next version of the 5G standard. In addition, Qualcomm's Snapdragon X65 modem, found in the iPhone 14 and many of the best Android phones, also supports band n53 that Globalstar is using to help Apple achieve its new Emergency SOS feature.

In fact, a recent report suggests that Apple is taking up most of Globalstar's network just to get its direct satellite connectivity off the ground, so to speak.

Who's paying for this?

When it comes to cost, companies have made it clear that they plan to pass that on to consumers, but not all at once and not for everyone. Apple's Emergency SOS by Satellite will be free for two years when it launches in November, although nobody knows what will happen after that.

T-Mobile says it doesn't plan to charge subscribers on its "most popular plans," which is a codename for its most expensive plans. Those on cheaper rate plans will likely pay a fee.

Ho notes that this is likely due to the technical hurdles and investments to make this happen. "This is indeed a space race to put up the requisite number of satellites to meet the determined use case. To be able to meet coverage/connectivity, many satellites or a constellation would have to do the connectivity heavy lifting." He says that putting up a constellation needs capital and, thus, more resources (read: wireless carriers) to help the cause. "This is why in the Starlink/T-Mobile event, Musk and Sievert made an appeal to other global carriers to join them."

Indeed, Musk commented on some of the technical aspects of making something like this happen during the announcement.

"In order to make this work, you actually have to have, as you might expect, very big ears. So big antennas on the satellites and powerful antennas, and you need a lot of satellites."

Shah explains that carriers and OEMs can pass it off as a "premium feature" to help monetize satellite connectivity while it's still relatively new. In a sense, they can take advantage of the need for this kind of feature by charging more for it. "So the value proposition is huge and akin to paying for insurance — like it feels like a cost unless when you need it and it's a savior and worth it. Further, there is also a cost associated with its because someone has to pay the satellite companies offering this service who are spending billions of dollars on these satellites."

That said, Ho and Shah expect direct satellite connectivity to become more ubiquitous by the decade's end. If that happens, this could bring down whatever costs incurred by consumers and eventually become a standard offering for carriers. But for now, consumers are the ones paying up for this "life-saving" feature. "Though, I believe some carriers and OEMs will take a route to offer it as a freemium service to attract the users to them and monetize bits of it," Shah adds.

This is just the beginning

So while direct satellite connectivity is still a novel feature in consumer smartphones, there's still a lot of potential for growth, especially as more carriers get on board.

"But part of the space race is the service differentiation (i.e., user experience - speed and latency)," notes Ho, suggesting that it's up to both carriers and OEMs to make this work seamlessly. "This is a function of the hardware and software."

But while T-Mobile and SpaceX aren't yet off the ground with the new Starlink V2 satellites, they already have plans to grow beyond simple texting and expand to more robust communication like voice and data, giving consumers more options when they're out of typical cellular range.

And fortunately, there are already plenty of players trying to make it happen. For companies like AST SpaceMobile, bringing mobile broadband to everyone is the ultimate goal, as explained by CEO Abel Avellan.

"There's this concept that only people that live in New York, in Miami, Los Angeles, and San Francisco are the ones that can have 30MB into their phone," Avellan stated in a recent interview, adding that 50% of the global population doesn't have cellular broadband. He says he wants to change this and that his mission "is a solution that — regardless of where you are — you will have 5G speeds."

So, Apple may have been among the first to get to space with the iPhone 14, but if watching "For All of Mankind" on Apple TV+ has taught me anything, being first isn't everything.

What you need to know

• Honor has confirmed the UK availability of the Honor 70.
• The mid-range phone will be available to purchase in the country on September 2.
• It will be available in two memory configurations and will start at £480.

After its China debut, the Honor 70 is now set to arrive in the United Kingdom to bring its fight to the Nothing phone (1), albeit at a higher price.

Honor has confirmed that its latest challenger to the best cheap Android phones will arrive in the UK for a starting price of £480. For that price, you'll get 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. If you require more storage space, the 256GB variant will set you back £530.

The phone initially launched in China in May, with highlight features aimed at content creators. If you've previously owned an Honor 50, you'll recognize the phone's dual camera ring design on the back. It includes a 54MP camera featuring Sony's IMX800 sensor, making it the first smartphone to have it. The main sensor is complemented with a 50MP ultra-wide camera that doubles as a macro sensor, as well as a 2MP depth sensor.

One of its main talking points is the "Solo Cut Mode," which allows you to simultaneously record a video in landscape mode and another in portrait orientation. The second video can even follow the movement of an object you're filming. Its video capabilities include up to 4K resolution and EIS video stabilization.

Under the hood, the Honor 70 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G Plus chipset, similar to the Nothing phone (1), which only retails at a starting price of £399. Like its Chinese version, the UK variant includes a 4,800mAh battery with support for Honor's 66W fast charging capability.

The phone sports a 6.67-inch FullHD+ OLED display that's capable of up to 120Hz refresh rate. The screen has a hole-punch cutout at the center housing the 32MP selfie snapper. 

It runs Android 12, with Honor's Magic UI 6.1 on top. The Honor 70 comes in Crystal Silver, Emerald Green, and Midnight Black color options.

You'll be able to purchase the phone from September 2. However, the Pro and Pro+ versions don't seem to be making their global debut at all.

What you need to know

• Huawei is releasing its Mate Xs 2 foldable phone in the U.K.
• The phone will be featured with its white colorway and priced at £1699.99.
• Preorders for the phone run from August 21 to September 11, with its full release beginning September 12.

Huawei's latest flagship foldable phone, the Mate Xs 2, is finally getting its U.K. release. This outward folding phone, according to Huawei, "leverages its strengths of being ultra-light and ultra-thin, ultra-flat and ultra-reliable, to bring consumers the best experience."

The U.K. launch of the Mate Xs 2 features the white colorway, priced at £1699.99. Preorders will run from August 31 to September 11, with the full U.K. release starting on September 12. Huawei also informs that those who preorder the Mate Xs 2 will receive its Watch GT 3 Pro for free. This 46mm watch will be available in black or brown while supplies last.

Creating a foldable phone so thin and light is why Huawei is deeming this phone to be the pinnacle of "art meets technology." The Mate Xs 2 weighs only 255g which was something previously only achievable through a non-foldable phone. Even the new Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 weighs a bit more at 262g. Huawei has taken the extra step to use new, innovative light materials such as ultra-light glass, aerospace-grade titanium, and ultra-light, high-grade steel for the phone's structure.

We weren't sure if Huawei would release its Mate Xs 2 device outside of China when it was first released in April. That said, it came to a couple of European countries shortly after, and we're happy to see it expand its availability as the phone is quite the upgrade from its predecessor, the Mate Xs.

Even though its design is quite different from some of the best foldable phones, the Huawei Mate Xs 2 has a conventionally-sized 6.5-inch 120Hz OLED display while closed. When fully unfolded, everything opens up into a 7.8-inch display with a clear 2480×2200 resolution. However, keep in mind that since the phone folds outward, its screens are always exposed, unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which folds inward like a book.

The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 888 chipset with 4G capabilities, unlike the Fold 4's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset. Huawei has also struggled with its U.S. relationship, and those issues have transferred into not receiving Qualcomm's 5G modems to improve its foldable phone. That might make its pricing a bit difficult to justify.

Huawei's Mate Xs 2 features a triple camera lens array on its back. The foldable's True-Chroma Camera system contains a 50MP lens, 13MP wide-angle lens, and an 8MP telephoto lens with a 3x optical zoom. The front-facing punch hole camera on the front of the device comes in at 10MP.

The device also comes with 8GB of RAM, which can be paired with either 256GB or 512GB of internal storage. The phone can also come with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal space.

One area in which Huawei's Mate Xs 2 may hold strong over Samsung's Fold 4 is its battery life, with the Mate Xs 2 sporting a 4,600mAh battery. The phone also features 66W fast-charging over the Fold 4's 25W charge and 4,400mAh battery.

What you need to know

• Huawei has unveiled HarmonyOS 3 with a focus on seamless experience between mobile devices and smart home products.
• The new version is touted for consuming 11% less power and increasing speed by up to 18%.
• HarmonyOS 3 will make its way to eligible devices starting in September.

Along with the debut of the Huawei MatePad Pro 11, Huawei has introduced HarmonyOS 3, the latest version of its Android replacement that originally came to being in 2019.

HarmonyOS 3 succeeds HarmonyOS 2, bringing a slew of multitasking features and a new look. Huawei expects to roll out the new version to eligible devices in September (via GSMArena).

One of the main talking points of the new version is the seamless experience across mobile devices and smart home products. HarmonyOS 3 allows you to pick up on your Huawei tablet where you left off your Huawei smartphone without relying on a shared Wi-Fi network. 

The feature works when two devices sit next to each other. The tablet automatically connects to your phone's network and acts as a mirror, displaying SMS messages sent to your phone, for example. You can even answer phone calls on the tablet or play games from your phone on the larger screen.

HarmonyOS HyperTerminal service has also added more devices, including monitors, printers, ink screens, watches, cockpits, and smart glasses. It lets you log in to more devices and link with various other devices through its one-click connection method.

The system's universal cards can also be customized in terms of style, shape, and color, along with the option to add text and stickers. To declutter your screen, HarmonyOS 3 allows you to stack cards of the same size or combine service cards, system buttons, and shortcuts.

HarmonyOS 3 also allows your phone to connect to two headphones at the same time, allowing you to share music without having to share your Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2.

On the privacy front, the new OS version tracks how frequently each app accesses your location, camera, microphone, files, or contacts, displaying a log of information in a graph from which you can revoke permissions individually. Like many of the best Android phones, Huawei's HarmonyOS 3 devices will watch out for malware-infected apps and other security risks.

The updated version also boasts improved performance, with 11% less power consumption, 7% faster app launch speed, and up to 18% smoother interface.

What you need to know

• Huawei has introduced a new MatePad Pro with an 11-inch display.
• The new Android tablet's display features a 120Hz refresh rate and a 2560 × 1600 resolution.
• It is likely to be available globally and is powered by a Snapdragon 888 or 870 chipset.

At its Smart Office event today, Huawei announced the MatePad Pro (2022), its new Android tablet powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 processor and a slew of decent specs you'd expect to find in a capable device.

The new Huawei MatePad Pro is smaller than its predecessor, sporting an 11-inch display with a 2560 × 1600 resolution. Last year's MatePad Pro sports a 12.6-inch screen, but if a faster refresh rate is your thing, you should get the latest version. Its display can handle up to 120Hz versus last year's model with a 60Hz refresh rate.

In addition to the Snapdragon 888 SoC, it includes Qualcomm's Snapdragon 870 chipset in some markets. Having said that, it still promises better performance than some of last year's best Android tablets, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, which is powered by a Snapdragon 865 SoC.

Huawei's new tablet marks a pivotal shift in terms of processors, seeing as last year's model was the last to use the company's in-house Kirin chipset. The processor is paired with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage.

On the back, you'll find a dual camera setup comprising a 12MP main sensor and an 8MP wide-angle shooter. A 16MP front camera handles your selfies.

An 8,300mAh battery keeps the lights on. The charging speeds vary based on its chipset, though. The Snapdragon 888 variant supports 66W SuperCharge. On the other hand, the Snapdragon 870 model tops out at 40W fast charging.

The MatePad Pro ships with a new Huawei M-Pencil in white color, promising a better grip and writing experience. 

Huawei has also unveiled a new magnetic smart keyboard featuring 1.5mm key travel. It supports various modes, depending on where you use the tablet. You can magnetically connect the Bluetooth keyboard to the device for a more traditional laptop setup, or keep it detached if necessary. Furthermore, you can adjust the case's kickstand from 120 degrees to 165 degrees in studio mode — handy if you want to draw something on the screen using the M-Pencil.

Things get a bit more exciting when you take a closer look at the keyboard case. It comes with a built-in antenna hidden in the back of the keyboard. The embedded antenna relies on Huawei's Signal 1.0 technology to amplify signals from the tablet. Huawei says this leads to better network coverage.

The MatePad Pro runs HarmonyOS 3.0 out of the box. There's no official word yet on its market release, but the tablet is expected to be available globally.

Huawei's U.S. trade ban goes on, extending to Canada even as I write this, but that isn't stopping the brand. The Chinese multinational company continues to put out one great product after another, with the single biggest caveat being the lack of Google Play Services. It's a damn shame too, because Huawei makes some of the finest technological products.

Of course, its flagship-tier devices such as the Huawei P50 Pro and the foldable P50 Pocket steal the show. Of the post-blacklist releases, I particularly enjoyed using the Huawei Honor 9, which is an easy-to-use and super good-looking phone thanks to its sleek design. Then there's the fetching Huawei Watch GT 3, perhaps one of the classiest smartwatches I have ever set my eyes upon.

Developed in partnership with the high-end French audio brand Devialet, the Huawei Sound Joy Bluetooth speaker shoots for the stars. If the your ears didn't perk at the mention of Devialet, perhaps the reasonable price and attractive features will get your attention. This rugged little thing is made for outdoor use with a proper IP67 rating to boot. I won't get into the details just yet, but here's a sneak peak: the Huawei Sound Joy pays homage to its namesake, toppling expectations and delivering fine-tuned sound quality.

Huawei Sound Joy: Price and availability

The Huawei Sound Joy speaker launched internationally in December 2021. As expected, the Bluetooth speaker from Huawei is unavailable in in the North American region. You can purchase it from major retailers in the U.K., Europe, and other parts of the world.

In the U.K., the Huawei Sound Joy is priced at about £130. It is available in two color variants: Obsidian Black and Spruce Green. Interestingly, you can grab the Spruce Green colorway for about £30 lesser on Amazon U.K..

Huawei Sound Joy: What's awesome

The Huawei Sound Joy speaker features an elegant design, with a rugged fabric covering most of its cylindrical body. It looks and feels premium to the touch, as do the buttons and the included lanyard. There are two very large buttons for increasing and decreasing the volume smack in the middle, making them highly accessible.

You will find another vertically aligned array of buttons on the other side to control the power, trigger the mic for voice assistant support, pause/play playback, connect to Bluetooth, and use the Shake Stereo Link Up feature to connect with another Sound Joy speaker for a stereo setup.

An LED indicator sits under the vertical row of buttons and a circular ringed RGB light situated at the top end of the Huawei Sound Joy. There's no fancy customization here, but it does look pretty nice. You can set it to a single color or opt for an ambient multi-color look. Happily, the entire rig is rated for IP67 dust and water resistance. So, you can use it in the shower or go hiking with the sturdy portable speaker without any worries.

The lack of Google Play Services in Huawei phones might be a big issue, but this obviously doesn't apply to the Sound Joy as it's a portable speaker, not a phone. To learn more about Google Play Services, we have an excellent explainer which tells you exactly why this problem doesn't affect Huawei's speaker itself.

Thanks to Bluetooth 5.2 and NFC, it's very easy to connect your Android phone to the Sound Joy speaker. I had no trouble pairing my Pixel 6 with it and the connection process was smooth, even without the companion app installed.

As you know, Huawei collaborated with Devialet to cook up the internals of the Sound Joy speaker. You will find the main 20W full-range speaker on the top, bordered by the ring-shaped ambient light. In terms of connectivity, you won't find anything but Bluetooth here as the speaker lacks an AUX port or microSD support.

But none of that matters at the end of the day because the sound quality is top notch. Huawei pulled all the stops with this Devialet partnership and it really shows. The Sound Joy speaker excels at producing high-end, rich audio that is extremely well-balanced. The highs, mids, and lows stand out distinctly and accurately. Whether you turn the volume all the way up or stick with a lower setting, this outdoor Bluetooth speaker compromises nothing.

The star of the show is really the sumptuous bass, which is superior to every other decent Bluetooth speaker in the sub-$150 price bracket. You simply cannot find this quality of full-bodied, thumping, and just plain exciting bass in this price range. It is very reminiscent to the audio quality of the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6. This is an undoubtedly admirable feat as the Onyx Studio 6 is a luxury speaker which costs over three times as much as the Sound Joy.

With such amazing audio quality, you'll want to use the Huawei Sound Joy speaker all the time. There's nothing stopping you either, because the portable speaker has an 8,800mAh battery that delivers up to 26 hours of continuous playback, albeit with the light off. Still, you can squeeze out at least 14 hours or more with the light on, depending on the volume. It also supports 40W fast charging with a compatible charger and USB-C cable. Huawei includes the Type-C wire in the box, but you'll need to get a 40W charger with SCP2.0 or PD3.0 protocol support separately.

With the right USB Type-C charger at hand, you get an hour's worth of play time from a quick 10-minute charge. The Huawei Sound Joy speaker charges from 0% to 50% in 40 minutes. Topping up the entire 8,800mAh cell to its max capacity takes approximately 1hr 30m. That's 90 minutes for a full charge from scratch, putting my Pixel 6 and its 111-minute charge time to shame.

Huawei Sound Joy: What needs work

Alas, the Huawei Sound Joy is not a rugged Bluetooth speaker without fault. It all boils down to the infamous Huawei trade ban, which bars the company from Google Play Services. Although this doesn't hamper the speaker itself, it does prevent the Huawei AI Life app from being available on the Google Play Store.

If you want access to the app on your Android device — and you will because it has an equalizer and controls the speaker's light — you'll need to sideload it. This can be risky for you if you don't know what you're doing or you download and install the app from an unsafe source. Since the companion app isn't on the Play Store, it is not bound by Google's rules that keep you and your data safe.

As our very own Jerry Hildenbrand likes to put it, sideloading is as safe as you make it. I decided to download the Huawei AI Life app while making sure that I got it right from the official Huawei website, which is always the best source. My phone is fine, and the installation process was pretty straightforward, but it's not something everyone will be on board with.

Apart form this major thorn in the Huwaei Sound Joy's side, there are a few small quirks here and there that need work. Weirdly, Huawei phones get Bluetooth priority when it comes to connecting with the Sound Joy speaker. This means that as soon as you turn on the Bluetooth on a Huawei phone that was previously paired, your Android phone will disconnect even if it's in the middle of audio playback.

Since I had a Huawei phone for testing, I found that my Pixel would disconnect mid-song if I enabled the Bluetooth on it. This was extremely annoying and inconvenient. Considering the current climate, it is very unlikely that you would have a Huawei phone lying around. Nonetheless, this issue exists where it just shouldn't because no one benefits from it.

Other tiny issues would be the lack of an audio port for wired playback, and the battery life taking a hit owing to the RGB lights. Still, these aren't major problems and most people can live with them.

Huawei Sound Joy: Competition

One of the strongest contenders as the Huawei Sound Joy's direct competitor is the Ultimate Ears Boom 3. It costs almost the same, has the same form factor, and you get an identical IP67 water and dustproof rating. Plus, the Boom 3 floats in pools. There's no RGB light though and it has a much smaller battery lifespan.

Another great alternative is the compact Sonos Roam. As you'd expect, the Sonos speaker delivers fabulous sound quality in a durable, high quality package. It even charges wirelessly, which is awesome. However, you have to pay a premium to acquire such a capable audio device and the battery life is so-so.

Lastly, you could also consider the Sony SRS-XB23 portable speaker. It is cheaper, durable, portable, and brings the legendary Sony sound quality to the table. However, once again the battery life suffers and there's no RGB light. Not to mention, Sony's offering also has a terrible app.

Of course, if you're in the U.S. or Canada, the Huawei Sound Joy isn't an option. In that case, any one these three speakers will serve you well.

Huawei Sound Joy: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if...

• You eat, drink, and breath bass
• You want premium sound in a smaller budget
• You need a long lasting rugged speaker
• You don't live in North America
• You don't mind sideloading the Huawei AI Life app

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You stay in North America
• You don't want to risk sideloading
• You need an AUX port or microSD support

Huawei did a spectacular job with the Sound Joy portable speaker. It is perfectly durable, looks great, and most importantly, produces high quality sound with outstanding bass. The buttons are placed nicely, the included lanyard is a thoughtful addition that helps you carry the speaker around, and the ring-shaped light adds a fun touch.

You won't find much to pick a bone with. The only major issue is the Huawei AI Life app which isn't on the Google Play Store. If you source it responsibly like I did, this shouldn't be that big of a deal either. It's really hard to find a portable speaker of such caliber in this price bracket. You'll be hard pressed to find a suitable alternative with a similar battery life and RGB light for the same amount of money.

All of this makes it really hard to swallow the bitter pill that despite being a stellar portable Bluetooth speaker, I cannot recommend the Huawei Sound Joy to residents of the U.S. and Canada. If you do manage to get your hands on one though, I'd suggest you go for it.

Update (May 20, 9:00 AM ET): Huawei has provided a statement regarding Canada's decision. 

What you need to know

• Canada has announced it is banning Huawei over 5G technologies.
• Huawei has been deemed a "high-risk" vendor.
• ZTE is also included in this trade ban over the same concerns.

It's been just about three years since Huawei was officially blacklisted by the U.S. government over concerns about the company's network equipment. This comes following ongoing trade tension between the US and China, and now it seems that Canada is finally deciding to join the party.

In a report from Bloomberg, Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, is nearing a final decision that would see our friends to the north also placing a trade ban on Huawei. The fallout would be similar to what Huawei and its users faced back in 2019, albeit without as large of a reaction. 

The report continues to state that Canada has "delayed the decision," in an effort to avoid provoking or "stoking tensions" between Canada and China. Relations between these two countries have continued to deteriorate in recent years, as evidenced by the arrest of Huawei's Chief Financial Officer back in 2018. In return, China responded by imprisoning former diplomat Michael Spavor and entrepreneur Michael Kovrig. 

Shortly after the report was published, Marco Mendicino, Canadian Minister of Public Safety, and François-Philippe Champagne Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada held a press conference confirming the decision. But these officials also have confirmed that ZTE is being included in the trade ban over the same cybersecurity concerns. 

The following statement was provided during the press conference:

We are announcing our intention to prohibit the inclusion of Huawei and ZTE products and services in Canada’s telecommunication systems as follows a full review by our security agencies and in consultation with our closest allies. 

Let me be very clear, we will always protect the safety and security of Canadians and we’ll take any actions necessary to safeguard our telecommunication infrastructure. 

Telecommunication companies in Canada will not be permitted to include it in their networks, products or services that put our national security at risk. Providers who already have this equipment installed will be required to cease its use, and remove it under the plans we are announcing today.

When questions were posed in regards to why it took Canada three years to make this decision, the following answer was provided by Champagne:

I would say that this has never been a race. This is about making the right decision. This is about providing a framework to protect our infrastructure and I would say in a 5G world in the internet of things at a time where we rely more and more in our daily lives from their network. This is the right decision.

Tensions between the two countries continued to rise until the U.S. stepped in with a "deferred-prosecution deal with Meng." But it now appears that the relationship between Canada and China can no longer be resolved, with Huawei stuck in the middle. 

We can expect to see an end result similar to that of what happened here in the U.S. Without drawing too many conclusions, it would be pretty safe to surmise that the sale of 5G-enabled Huawei phones would no longer be permitted. 

This would be yet another blow to Huawei which has seen a rapid decline in sales across the globe, including in Canada. Back in 2018, Huawei claimed it saw a sales revenue of around $428 million, which could be considered a high point. At that time, Huawei had only been selling phones in Canada since 2016 and was coming up on the launch of the Huawei P30. 

However, a recent Mobile Vendor Market Share report for Canada shows an immediate decline in December 2021. The company's market share went from just above 5% in December, to about 2.03% in April 2022. To give some reference, this report shows that Google has about a 3% market share as of April 2022, following the launch of its popular Pixel 6 and 6 Pro lineup of phones in the fall of 2021. But perhaps even more damning is that Huawei's market share is also below that of LG, who left the smartphone market altogether early in 2021.

With the U.S. trade ban in full effect, Huawei revealed its revenue for the first half of 2021 back in August of last year. The company's overall sales had declined by almost 30% YoY, with the consumer business seeing an almost 50% drop in sales YoY.

Huawei has attempted to persevere through the various trade sanctions, which prevent the company from purchasing 5G chips and related technologies from U.S.-based companies. As has been well-documented, Google also removed the ability for Play Services to be used on Huawei phones. This means that you cannot access, download, or install any apps from the Play Store or other Google services on those devices.

Most recently, Huawei unveiled its latest foldable phone the Mate Xs 2, which features an outer folding design, as opposed to an inner-folding design as seen on something like the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Unlike Samsung, Huawei is unable to use any 5G-enabled processors and instead needs to rely on a special 4G-only version of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888. 

Update

Following yesterday's announcement by the Canadian government, Huawei Canada has now provided the following statement.

Huawei Canada is disappointed by the Canadian government's decision. This is an unfortunate political decision that has nothing to do with cyber security or any of the technologies in question.

Over the past 13 years, Huawei Canada has devoted itself to helping Canadian carriers build out their wireless networks and provide quality services for the Canadian people. Huawei equipment, including both hardware and software, has been routinely and closely scrutinized by the government and its security agencies according to stringent quality standards. There have been zero security incidents caused by Huawei equipment throughout this entire period. We are proud of our security record in Canada.

Banning Huawei's equipment and services will lead to significant economic loss in Canada and drive up the cost of communications for Canadian consumers. Unfortunately, this decision is beyond our control as a business. However, we will do everything in our capacity to protect the legitimate rights and interests of our customers, partners, and ourselves. We thank all of our Canadian partners, customers, and consumers for their ongoing support, and look forward to contributing to future network rollout in Canada when conditions permit.

What you need to know

• Huawei has launched its latest foldable, the Mate Xs 2.
• It features a 6.5-inch 120Hz outward folding OLED display that expands to 7.8-inches.
• It's powered by the Snapdragon 888, features 4G connectivity, and includes pen support.

Huawei may be down, but it's not out. The company just released its latest foldable phone, the Huawei Mate Xs 2, and it's an absolute beauty.

Unlike the best foldable phones from Samsung, Huawei opts for an outward folding design, so the screens are always exposed. However, it also means there are fewer displays overall, and the one on the Mate Xs 2 sounds pretty great. When closed, it's a 6.5-inch 120Hz OLED display that opens up to a 7.8-inch panel with a sharp 2480×2200 resolution.

Huawei also says its improved hinge mechanism offers improved durability and won't leave a visible crease, although that's something we've heard plenty of times before.

On the back is a 50MP triple camera setup which includes a 13MP wide-angle and 8MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. On the front is a single 10MP camera.

The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset with a 4G modem. Given Huawei's relationship with the U.S., the company is still unable to acquire 5G modems from Qualcomm, so it makes do with what it can. However, the Snapdragon 888 is only one generation behind the current batch of flagships, so performance should still hold up.

The phone runs HarmonyOS 2, and, of course, there's also no Google integration.

The phone is available with 8GB of RAM and 256/512GB of storage or a 12GB/512GB configuration. Depending on the RAM, battery capacity comes in at 4600mAh or 4880mAh, respectively. The device supports 66W fast charging, so it should theoretically last longer and charge faster than the Galaxy Z Fold 3. And just like the Z Fold 3, it supports pen input with Huawei's M-Pen 2s.

Overall, this sounds like a nice upgrade over the Huawei Mate Xs.

The Mate Xs 2 is available to purchase in China for now and starts at ¥9999 or roughly just over $1500. It's unclear if it will be offered outside of China.

The recent arrival of Android 12L marks the apparent rejuvenation of Google's efforts around big screens, especially the tablet category that's been left largely neglected by the platform holder in recent years. As we discovered going hands-on with 12L on the Lenovo Tab P12 Pro, Google has undeniably made progress in turning Android into something that feels more at home on a larger display.

But while we wait for more big-screened Android devices to land, the Windows and iOS-based competition remains formidable. For the past few weeks I've been using Huawei's latest Windows 11 convertible, the MateBook E, as my daily driver laptop for pretty much all my day-to-day computing besides video editing (Huawei provided the device to test out its new cross-platform Super Device ecosystem).

While it looks pretty similar to many of Huawei's other recent slates, which have used either Android or HarmonyOS, the MateBook E is a different kind of tablet. Like Microsoft's Surface Pro series, it's a full PC contained within a tablet shell. As such, just as even the best Android tablets bring some smartphone ancestry with them, tablets like the MateBook E come with their own PC-influenced baggage. This isn't a completely silent, fanless machine like the iPad Pro or even a modern Android tablet like the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. It's also a bit heavier than Apple's tablet, weighing in at 709 grams. But of course, unlike the iPad or the Galaxy Tab, the MateBook runs a full-fat desktop OS.

A full laptop replacement?

The slim proportions of the MatePad E mean that the internal battery is a relatively small 42Wh unit that manages middling longevity — most of a full workday depending on my workload, with the Windows 11 dark theme enabled. That's weaker than you'd get out of an iPad Air with similar usage. 

The MateBook E is paired with a magnetic keyboard cover that snaps onto the back of the tablet and allows a reasonable level of control over the screen angle. Unlike some convertibles like the Microsoft Surface series, the kickstand is part of the keyboard cover, not the tablet, so you'll need to attach it if you want to prop up the display. 

And using it propped up as a tablet requires folding the keyboard back underneath the kickstand, which feels a bit inelegant. Lenovo's Tab P12 Pro, for instance, has a dedicated magnetic kickstand attachment. That's a shame because, between the bright OLED display and quad-speaker system, this is a great media-consumption tablet.

The trackpad is pretty typical for this kind of keyboard cover — not horrible in terms of responsiveness, but relatively small compared to what you'd find on a full-sized laptop. Meanwhile, the keyboard is large enough to type comfortably, with firm keys and a reasonable amount of travel considering the size of the cover.

The tablet chassis itself is minimalistic and comfortable to hold, with a soft-touch plastic rear and small cooling vents around its edges. Smartphone-style volume controls live on the top edge of the display, while biometric unlock is handled via a fingerprint scanner built into the power key, which worked reliably for me.

This model's immediate predecessor, the 2019 MateBook E, ran ARM-based Snapdragon 850 — a cooler-running SoC, but one that limited its access to the full Windows ecosystem. This time around the MateBook E is back on Intel silicon — the version I've been using is the mid-tier model with an 11th-gen Core i5-1130G7, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage (i3 and i7 variants are also available). These are low-power chips intended for convertibles like the MateBook E, but I've found the model I've been using to be more than powerful enough to handle the couple dozen Chrome tabs I throw at it during a normal working day, alongside RAW photo edits in Photoshop and some light gaming.

All of this is possible on an Android tablet, of course, but having the full-featured Windows versions of these productivity apps allows me to get stuff done with fewer roadblocks to my workflow. Google Chrome has been tablet-friendly on Windows for some time, while Photoshop works surprisingly well with touch input or the bundled Huawei M Pencil.

Pixel-pushing power

The most important feature of any tablet is the display, of course, and the MateBook E doesn't disappoint with its 2560x1600 resolution, punchy colors, and 600 nits of peak brightness. At 12.6 inches diagonally, it's relatively roomy for a small tablet, though I did find myself having to drop the display scaling down to 175% (versus the default 200%) to make the Windows UI feel more appropriately sized on this display.

Speaking of Windows, the multitasking offered by Microsoft's OS continues to be far superior to Android or iPad OS for mainly obvious reasons. Google or Apple's tablet implementations are just fine for handling two apps simultaneously, possibly with a picture-in-picture video. But for anything more than that, Windows, with its — well, windows — feels much more competent. Unlike Android or iPad OS, however, Windows wasn't originally built for touch. But navigating around using swipe gestures to go home or split the screen made for a comfortable tablet experience.

I routinely paired the MateBook E with Huawei's 3:2 MateView monitor over USB-C, and the device had no trouble running both the built-in Quad HD panel and the monitor's 4K+ display (3840x2560) simultaneously. In fact, for such a svelte device with integrated graphics, I was surprised how well the built-in Iris Xe GPU handled relatively graphically intensive stuff, including light gaming. You won't be playing the latest triple-A titles on this thing, but I managed a solid 60fps in Team Fortress 2 with medium-high settings at 1680x1050 resolution. Older titles like BioShock and Unreal Tournament 3 also ran well at around that resolution on high settings.

The only thing you're really missing in this display is a higher refresh rate. While it's not especially noticeable when using the MateBook E as a laptop, in tablet mode the 60Hz refresh rate feels noticeably less smooth than the 120Hz offered by the iPad and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. If you're spending most of your time with this tablet docked, however, it's not a huge deal.

The MateBook E is for maximum productivity

Even without a fast refresh rate or the multi-day battery life of the iPad, modern Windows slates like the MateBook E are a better match for the way that I work than modern Android tablets. As soon I was using more than a couple of apps at once, I appreciated the extra multitasking versatility offered by Windows, as well as the full PC app ecosystem. When it comes to gaming, it's surprising how well the integrated GPU in a device like this is able to handle older or less intensive titles.

The Android tablet app gap problem that has afflicted the platform since the early 2010s remains a major barrier to entry. Windows isn't a touch-first OS, but in this device category, it still has the home-field advantage over Android, with most Windows apps working pretty well with touch or a stylus.

While you'll sacrifice battery life and silent operation compared to an iPad or one of the best Android tablets, there's just more you can do with full desktop apps like Photoshop and Lightroom on a device like the MatePad E. By comparison, using similar hardware on Android makes me feel less productive.

Although Android 12L is an important first step and can be powerful as demonstrated by the Lenovo Tab P12 Pro, it's going to take not months, but years of effort and investment from Google to catch up to the level of productivity that devices like the MatePad E offer today.

Huawei P50 Pocket: Price and availability

The Huawei P50 Pocket will be available in Europe for €1,299 with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, in black or white.

The P50 Pocket Premium Edition, which we've been reviewing, is set to sell for €1,599. This model features the unique patterned chassis created in partnership with designer Iris Van Herpen, as well as 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.

Neither model of P50 Pocket is listed on Huawei's official online store at the time of writing; we'll update this review when they're available more widely.

Huawei P50 Pocket: What you'll like

Huawei's first flip phone is a beautiful piece of technology. The standard black and white P50 Pocket models look great, but the Premium Edition we've been using sports an extra-ostentatious finish in glossy gold. This version was created in partnership with Dutch fashion designer Iris Van Herpen, with the shell-like pattern molded into the glass said to be inspired by electromagnetic waves.

Elsewhere, Huawei borrows many established foldable design cues. The outer frame is curved for a comfortable grip, and includes a fast, reliable capacitive fingerprint scanner in its power button. The hinge, meanwhile, resembles that of the Galaxy Z Flip 3, but with one important difference. Huawei's foldable closes completely flat, while the Samsung model has a small air gap between the two sides of its display when folded shut.

In its folded form, the P50 Pocket's footprint is about the size of a small drinks coaster, though obviously a lot thicker. Opened up, it easily dwarfs even relatively large traditional smartphones, with a large 6.9-inch display diagonal and lanky 21:9 aspect ratio.

The display — a Full HD+ panel — isn't quite as bright as top-tier flagships, and features a 90Hz refresh rate as opposed to the higher 120Hz of some rivals. But it arguably hits the sweet spot in terms of power consumption, allowing the P50 Pocket to easily last all day on its 4,000mAh battery. Like most foldables, the Pocket's inner display feels a little more plasticky than your typical Gorilla Glass panel, but it's every bit as smudge-resistant as the flat-screened competition. Plus the inner bezels are relatively svelte, with only a small noticeable chin area down below.

The crease in the display, a characteristic common to even the best foldable phones, is also pretty discreet — you'll notice it as you swipe through apps, but we didn't find it to be particularly bothersome.

Like the P50 Pro, the Pocket features two distinctive circular cutouts in its chassis, the first housing its triple-camera array and LED flash. Unlike the standard P50, though, the second circle hosts a coin-sized outer display. This isn't as large as the outer displays of competitors like the Galaxy Z Flip 3 — to say nothing of the Motorola Razr's expansive cover screen. But it's useful enough, allowing for quick notification access, along with smartwatch-style widgets for weather and media controls.

The P50 Pocket's biometric authentication is also pretty smart when the device is closed, allowing the cover display to be unlocked for viewing things like notifications with either a touch of the fingerprint scanner or a swipe to use face unlock with the rear-facing cameras.

The cover screen also doubles as a viewfinder for taking selfies or videos with the main cameras, with the volume rocker taking on double duty as a shutter key once you've contorted your hand into the correct position.

It's easy to overlook the benefits of being able to take selfies with your rear camera system, but it's a feature you'll appreciate if you've ever been frustrated by the cramped field of view or lackluster low-light performance of a traditional front-facer.

Internally, the P50 Pocket is built on the same foundations as the P50 Pro. That means the 4G-only version of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 runs the show, which is perfectly fine in terms of day-to-day performance — though a disappointment in a couple of obvious areas we'll get to later.

That's backed up by 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage in the standard P50 Pocket, or 12GB + 512GB in the Premium Edition. Either can be augmented using a Huawei NanoMemory card.

The Pocket's 4,000mAh battery is significantly larger than anything offered by the competition in this form factor, and I've been impressed with how well it's held up to my everyday use. Like the P50 Pro, the numbers on the spec sheet don't necessarily impress, but you should easily be able to get a full day out of this device. The lack of 5G connectivity likely helps save some juice, as does Huawei's tight control over apps' background power usage.

There's always a trade-off between capacity and maximum charging speeds in lithium-ion batteries. And so Huawei's 40W Super Charging standard, while no longer the quickest out there for speedy refills, walks the line between charging speeds and battery capacity.

Speaking of which, Huawei's EMUI 12 software platform returns on the P50 Pocket, carrying over a familiar feature set from recent Huawei devices. It's based on Android 11, but offers a more iOS-inspired interface. Huawei's multitasking features are robust too, with quick access to windowed and split-screen modes through a swipe-and-hold gesture from the edge of the display.

And the P50 Pocket is fully capable of taking advantage of Huawei's Super Device feature as well. This means if you own other recent Huawei gadgets like a PC, tablet or monitor, they can pair up to take advantage of each others' unique features. During testing I had the P50 Pocket paired with a Huawei MateBook E, giving me access to the phone's internal storage wirelessly through Windows Explorer, and also letting me run multiple phone apps remotely via Windows on the PC.

Huawei has a strong photographic pedigree, and although the P50 Pocket doesn't boast the same optical chops as the P50 Pro, it's still capable of taking some truly impressive photos. The main camera experience combines data from the 40-megapixel primary shooter and a 32-megapixel "ultra-spectrum sensor," used to resolve more detail in pics.

While there's no dedicated telephoto camera here, the high resolution of both main cameras compensates pretty well at zoom levels up to around 3X. Considering the competition in this flippy form factor offers, at most, a 2X optical zoom level, that's an understandable trade. And the P50 Pocket's twin primary cameras produced impressive shots even in challenging lighting conditions, though I did notice that low-light captures were more susceptible to hand motion than the P50 Pro with its larger main sensor. And, like the other P50, the ultrawide camera isn't the best in night-time photography, being a stark downgrade from the main camera even with night mode enabled.

Overall, like many other foldables in this category, you're getting a camera experience that's around a generation behind the cutting edge of flat flagships. That said, the P50 Pocket's camera capabilities are far from disappointing.

Huawei P50 Pocket: What you won't like

Many of the pitfalls of the P50 Pocket will be familiar if you've read our Huawei P50 Pro review. This is an expensive high-end phone without 5G connectivity, and with a processor based on last year's flagship Qualcomm chip. Considering the price, and the other technical areas in which the P50 Pocket excels, that's something that'll make this phone seem pretty dated in just a couple of years or so.

This is a phone that starts at €1,299, making these omissions hard to overlook.

Other hardware disappointments include the lack of extra conveniences like water-resistance and wireless charging. The latter is understandable, and a concession likely made in order to fit a bigger battery into this relatively small handset. But the former is an area where the competition has an edge.

Huawei's latest foldable is weaker than the Samsung competition — the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is certified IPX8 for protection against water ingress.

Huawei's software also lacks some of the software conveniences that three years of experience with flip phones has brought to Samsung's software. If you were hoping for a One UI-style split-screen view in apps when the P50 Pocket is half opened, you'll be disappointed.

Likewise, there's no Google Play Services support in this phone, meaning that you'll need to rely on Huawei's AppGallery storefront and Petal Search to track down apps. The latter does a decent job of unearthing APKs from a variety of trusted sites, but updating apps installed via Petal Search remains a hassle. And even after installing, certain apps still misbehave on phones that lack Google Play Services. If you use a lot of Google services, this isn't the foldable for you.

Huawei P50 Pocket: The competition

Huawei's new foldable competes directly with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, which sells for €1,049 in Europe. That's a little less than the P50 Pocket for a phone with 5G connectivity, water-resistance and full Google Play support. (The latter is a major win for anyone who uses a lot of Google services on their phone.)

Huawei, however, offers a larger battery for significantly improved longevity, and faster charging to boot thanks to its bundled 40W super charger. The P50's main camera sensor is also superior, on paper, to Samsung's offering, while compensating for the lack of a 2X telephoto camera with the higher resolution of its primary sensor. And its hinge design enables it to fold completely flat, whereas the two sections of the Flip 3 don't quite sit flush. The P50 Pocket also offers memory expansion through its NanoMemory slot, although you'll need to buy cards from Huawei to use this proprietary memory format.

The other major competitor in this category is the Motorola Razr 5G, which, as the name suggests, also features 5G connectivity. Buy this model brand new and it'll cost around the same amount as the P50 Pocket, despite using a substantially less powerful Snapdragon 765G processor and an inferior camera system, plus a tiny 2,800mAh battery. In terms of raw power and photographic capabilities, it's not even close.

Motorola can boast a larger and more useful cover display, though. Its landscape orientation "Quick View' panel is larger than Huawei's coin-shaped outer panel, and you can do more with it.

Huawei P50 Pocket: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if...

• You want the best-looking flip phone out there
• Battery life is more important than ease of charging
• You don't care about 5G or Google services

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You need the fastest cellular data speeds
• You use a lot of Google apps or services
• You need a phone that'll survive a dip in the water

The Huawei P50 Pocket is one of the most striking phones I've used, with a phenomenal design, better battery life than the competition, a capable camera system, and excellent ecosystem features for owners of other Huawei devices. Considering the quality of the hardware and the strengths of Huawei's design, the P50 Pocket feels like a more reasonable proposition at its (admittedly high) starting price.

But it falls victim to many of the same pitfalls as its flatter cousin, the P50 Pro: It uses a year-old chip without 5G connectivity, and software headaches persist if you use Google services — or indeed any Android apps that rely on Google's Android software layer.

What's more, Samsung's foldables seem more mature in a few key areas, notably water-resistance, software features tailored to this flippy form factor, and the convenience of wireless charging.

It isn't going to replace the Galaxy Z Flip 3 as the "default" purchase in this particular category, particularly considering the price premium you'll pay compared to the Samsung device. But for the right person — someone who cares about design, wants a big display in a small size, and isn't bought into the Google ecosystem — the P50 Pocket is a great little handset.

At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Huawei has today unveiled its latest multi-device concept, dubbed the "Super Device." Despite what the name might apply, this isn't a single device, but instead an extension of the cross-device collaboration features we've seen on Huawei's best phones and PCs for the past couple of years. Huawei's latest effort builds on this functionality, allowing various Huawei gadgets to be paired together to form — you guessed it, a "Super Device."

We've been testing out Super Device on three of Huawei's latest devices over the past week — the P50 Pocket, MateBook E, and MateView 28.2" — and we've come away pretty impressed with how well it all works.

Run multiple phone apps on PC

The experience starts in the Huawei Control Panel app preloaded on the manufacturer's PCs. From here, nearby devices appear and can be clicked and dragged to form a Super Device pairing. The most obvious pairing is a Huawei phone and a PC — when connected wirelessly, it's possible to control the handset via a window on the PC.

This is a natural pairing for a touchscreen device like the MateBook E and many of the use cases here are pretty obvious. Many social apps and messaging work better on a phone than they do on the web. But Super Device brings additional capabilities to bear, like playing back media through the paired PC and sharing PC screen recordings back to the phone.

One of the coolest parts of this feature is the fact that you're not limited to running one app at a time on the phone when it's part of a Super Device pairing with a PC. Many phone apps can be split out into separate windows, giving you the option to run multiple phone apps at a time, each in their own "full-screen" PC window.

Because input and audio are included in the connection between PC and mobile device, you can also type directly into apps, and have video and audio from apps on the PC played wirelessly through the PC. Pairing the Huawei MateBook E with the P50 Pocket, I was impressed with the responsiveness of the controls on the PC side. Unlike some other Android PC connection apps, there was no sign of lag, sound distortion, or video compression artefacts. The only part of the experience where I ran into minor hiccups involved scrolling in some apps and activating gestures around the edge of the screen for multitasking.

Huawei's new multi-device feature also enables easier file sharing between phone and PC. Apps including the stock Gallery and Files apps support drag-and-drop functionality, essentially letting you use the phone, wirelessly, as an extension of the computer.

Super Device makes your smart monitor even smarter

Huawei's latest 2021 MateView monitor can already pair with the company's smartphones by scanning the NFC connection area on the base of the display, enabling hassle-free wireless display mirroring.

Super Device expands this functionality to PCs, pairing in the same way via the PC Control Center app. The wireless connection doesn't support the full 3840x2560 resolution of the MateView, unfortunately, but the connection is pretty much instant — and, if you're using a smaller convertible laptop like the MateBook E — it's potentially more convenient than running wires over your floor. If you're sitting at a desk using the MateView, plugging in via a Thunderbolt connection is still the optimum way to go — you'll get the full benefits of the high-res 4K-plus 3:2 display, along with two additional USB ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

That said, if you are connected to a display via Super Device, input devices like keyboards and mice plugged into the display will be accessible to the PC, which is a neat touch. (Obviously, don't expect a completely latency-free experience if you plug in your peripherals this way).

The same basic functionality is supported by Huawei's MatePad tablets. Similar to Sidecar on a Mac and iPad, Super Device lets you turn your nearby Huawei tablet into an extension or mirror of your laptop's display. This feature also includes support for the Huawei M Pencil, allowing you to use the tablet as a secondary display or drawing slate for a PC that lacks pen functionality.

The main weakness here is it's not possible to add both a phone and a monitor to Super Device at the same time. Presumably, for reasons of bandwidth, you'll need to disconnect your phone if you want to wirelessly connect to a secondary display and vice versa.

It's no secret that Huawei faces challenges across its phone business right now, as it's cut off from 5G technology and Google-branded Android software. But Super Device shows the strengths of its ecosystem across a variety of product categories — including those only indirectly related to Android.

Huawei Super Device is supported on the company's latest Android and HarmonyOS devices, including the P50 Pocket and P50 Pro, as well as recent Windows PCs and the MateView (2021) monitor. You'll need version 12.0.2.11 or higher of the Huawei PC Manager app to take advantage of all the various Super Device features.

It's been a rough few years for Huawei, but the Chinese brand is back in 2022 with the first P-series flagship in what seems like an eternity. Having launched in China with 5G support in late 2021, the 4G-flavored Huawei P50 Pro arrives in Europe almost two years after its predecessor, the P40 Pro.

Like the P40, it's focused on photography — with some genuinely fantastic camera hardware and impressive processing tricks, just as we've come to expect from this series. And once again, there's still no Google software — Huawei remains subject to U.S. sanctions limiting its ability to do business with some American companies. What's more, that sticky situation means there are some technical trade-offs that we haven't previously seen in a flagship Huawei phone.

Most notably, this is a 4G phone. It runs the 4G version of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888, the chip giant's 2021 offering. That's not a huge deal in terms of day-to-day use in 2022, but it's undeniably less future-proof in that respect than many of the best Android phones.

So is the P50 Pro worth it? Well, as usual, it's complicated.

Huawei P50 Pro: Price and availability

The Huawei P50 Pro is available in China as a 5G handset, powered by Huawei's own Kirin 9000 5G platform, for the equivalent of around US$1,000.

The Snapdragon-powered 4G variant we're reviewing will be sold in other Asian countries, as well as Europe and the Middle East. Huawei's website lists the phone as available to buy in the Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Philippines and Thailand. The UK will join that list on March 22.

In Europe it'll set you back €1,199 including VAT. In the UK, it's £1,099.

We're not aware of any carriers offering subsidized on-contract plans with this phone, so purchasing directly from the manufacturer would seem to be your best option. Huawei offers trade-in deals on older handsets that'll let you knock up to €150 off the price of a new P50 Pro, plus additional discounts on cases, fitness bands and audio gear if you buy them together with the phone. Zero-percent financing is also available in some European countries, bringing the cost to just under €100 per month for 12 months.

Huawei P50 Pro: What you'll like

Huawei still knows how to make a premium smartphone that looks and feels great.

The basic design of its latest model hasn't changed a whole lot compared to the P40 — at least from the front and the sides. The P50 features familiar squared-off top and bottom edges and svelte side walls, plus a stylized red-accented power key for a little bit of extra flair. These top and bottom borders also house this phone's stereo speakers, which provide ample loudness and bass without distortion.

Elsewhere, there's a solid list of specs that includes a fantastically smooth 120Hz display — a curved panel at Full HD+ — along with conveniences like in-screen fingerprint and IP68 water resistance. While the P50 can't match the Quad HD+ clarity of some rivals, I haven't particularly noticed the difference, especially with this screen's excellent daylight visibility and bright colors. What's more, with a 6.6-inch display diagonal it's large enough for comfortable app use without being at all unwieldy.

Around the back is where you'll really see what sets this phone apart, with its unique double camera ring design and Leica branding. In the black color variant I've been using, the back panel is a little dull-looking — at least compared to the more ostentatious gold and pink options that are available. But still, those twin camera bumps very clearly convey the message that this phone is all about photography.

The main attraction in that regard is a gigantic 50-megapixel main sensor that's paired with an additional 40-megapixel monochrome camera to capture extra fine detail. There's also a 13-megapixel ultrawide and 64-megapixel telephoto — a folded periscope lens with a 3.5X zoom level.

Huawei was one of the first brands to do periscope telephoto with 5X lenses in the P30 Pro and P40 Pro — as well as pioneering even higher zoom levels with the P40 Pro Plus — so the move back to 3.5X is a little perplexing. But the telephoto's higher resolution is designed to compensate for that, letting you zoom in further before hitting the limit of the sensor.

This camera system continues the Huawei legacy of excellent dynamic range and low-light performance, especially with its main shooter. Even in very challenging backlit situations, this main camera captures a ton of detail, producing 12.5-megapixel shots from the 50-megapixel sensor. The 13-megapixel ultrawide also holds its own, offering a more unique field of view with similarly great dynamic range — though with reduced low-light performance. For the most part, however, these cameras hold their own against the Google Pixel 6 Pro, which is one of the best Android cameras out there right now.

I've also been super impressed by the selfie camera, a 13-megapixel unit with a 100-degree field of view. The front facer defaults to a "middle" zoom level of 0.8X at first, and lets you zoom in or out to choose either a "standard" 1X selfie shot or a much wider 100-degree capture. At that maximum "wideless" level of 0.6X, the P50 Pro gives your selfies a really dramatic perspective. And thankfully, the same excellent dynamic range applies to front-facing shots too.

The telephoto is where things get a bit more interesting. Its 3.5X zoom level is lower than its predecessors, but is arguably more useful when combined with the digital zoom potential you get from a high-res 64-megapixel sensor.

Like the Pixel 6 Pro, your useful hybrid zoom range goes up to around 10X — though it's worth saying that Huawei's 10X gives you a tighter shot than the Google camera — Huawei's 10X is equivalent to around 11 or 12X on the Pixel, so it's not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison. The amount of sharp, fine detail you can still capture at 10X is impressive, in some situations slightly outperforming the Pixel. But I also noticed the P50 Pro's telephoto being more susceptible to fine detail being smushed out because of hand motion — Google's stabilization seems to do a better job here.

And in low light, I've been seriously impressed by the main camera's capabilities, even outside of the dedicated night mode.

This is a very competent camera setup overall, and that extends to video, where the P50 Pro's main and ultrawide cameras have some of the best stabilization I've seen. It's easily able to smooth out the motion from a brisk walk, and even holding this camera while running, the footage was smoother than it had any right to be.

As for telephoto video, you soon start to see the limitations of that 3.5X camera, especially in terms of stabilizations. When you push it to 10X, it's noticeably shakier than Android rivals like the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Of course Huawei can still make a great phone camera, but what about the rest of the hardware equation? Performance-wise, I haven't noticed anything lacking in the Snapdragon 888 4G — outside of the one really obvious thing we'll get to later. This is the same chipset powering most 2021 Android flagships, after all, only without 5G radios. And it's paired with an ample 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage in the model we've been using.

On the software side, Huawei continues to forge its own path, with EMUI 12 (based on Android 11) powering the P50 Pro. Technically this isn't quite the same HarmonyOS software used by the company's phones in China, but many of the same features carry over. For example, the home screen experience is heavily iOS-influenced, from the visuals to folder layouts and quick settings.

There's also a robust multitasking feature similar to what you might find on an iPad. Swipe inwards from the edge of the screen and hold, and you'll activate the multitasking bar, allowing you to place apps into windowed mode. Plus if you own other Huawei gear like a PC or smart monitor, the P50 Pro benefits from multi-screen collaboration mode — controlling your phone via a window on your PC — and instant pairing over NFC.

Another benefit of Huawei doing its own thing in terms of software is that it can squeeze a lot more life out of a relatively svelte battery. The P50 Pro's 4,360mAh cell seems small on paper, but in a few days of use I've been pretty impressed with the level of longevity it's given me. You probably won't get multiple days out of this device, but a full day is no problem whatsoever. Plus when it does come time to recharge, the super-quick 66W supercharging brick can quickly get you out of the danger zone.

If you buy Huawei's proprietary wireless charger, you'll also get wireless refills at up to 50W — among the fastest out there.

Huawei P50 Pro: What you won't like

While the P50 Pro is a phenomenal little photo-taking machine, it does present some image processing quirks in places, most noticeably in darker conditions.

Granted, the dedicated night mode is overkill for this camera in many situations to begin with — in most scenes you'll get more natural-looking snaps using full auto mode. Rely on night mode and you'll notice excessively saturated colors in moderately dark scenes, sometimes giving pictures an unnatural look. This was something I noticed across all three of the phone's rear cameras in sunrise or sunsets, where it's clear the phone cranks up the saturation and vibrance much more than other models. The Google Pixel 6, for instance, produces colors that are far closer to what your eye actually sees in the same situation.

Software has been the Achilles heel of many a Huawei phone, especially since the firm was shut off from access to Google-certified Android. As a result, over the past year or so Huawei has built out even more functionality, including NFC payments and its own Petal Maps solution.

But although progress has been made building out Huawei's own ecosystem and making the functionality gaps less obvious, the lack of Google Mobile Services remains a big issue.

EMUI 12 is based on Android 11, so most Android apps will work just fine. But the experience of installing and using many common apps is still clunkier than on a comparable Google Android phone.

If an app isn't present on Huawei's AppGallery platform, you'll need to use the Petal Search app to track it down. Getting apps from Petal is a lot less of a hassle than it used to be, but the process of updating them still involves a lot of back-and-forth.

What's more, because there's no Google Play Services underpinning Huawei's flavor of Android some app functionality might not work 100% of the time. Case in point: Slack works just fine, but its notifications use Google's Firebase system, so they won't show up on a Huawei phone. Twitter notifications are also less informative on a Huawei device, likely because of the same issue.

Ultimately, for someone like me who relies on Google services and apps that use things like Firebase, using HarmonyOS and EMUI is still kind of a headache. It's tough to recommend this software experience to anyone who has any kind of Google presence in their digital life.

Huawei P50 Pro: The competition

With its €1,199 price tag, the Huawei P50 Pro is in competition with the very best Android phones on the market, to say nothing of Apple's iPhone. This is tip-top premium smartphone pricing.

Take the newly-launched Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, for instance. It's just €50 more than the P50 Pro and offers a more up-to-date processor with 5G capabilities, a bigger battery, more versatile camera setup — though somewhat slower charging. On the face of it, there's no contest between these two around the €1200 mark.

Elsewhere, Google's Pixel 6 Pro offers similar capabilities for far less cash. In Europe, the top-end Pixel costs €899 for the base 12GB RAM + 128GB storage mode, or €999 for 12GB + 256GB. That's €200-300 less than what Huawei's asking for the P50.

What's more, both Google and Samsung flagships come without the additional headaches caused by the lack of Google services on current Huawei phones.

Huawei P50 Pro: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if...

• You've already bought into the Huawei ecosystem
• You want an excellent phone camera system
• You don't care about 5G

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You care about having the fastest data speeds
• You use a lot of Google services
• You want the best specs possible for your €1,200

On the face of it, the Huawei P50 Pro is a pretty well-rounded premium smartphone.

But look closer and several unfortunate compromises come into focus — and while not all of them are Huawei's fault, they do hurt the long term value proposition of this phone.

The lack of 5G is something that'll probably catch up with the P50 Pro in a couple of years and make it feel quite dated. And if you were expecting all the pain points caused by the lack of Google on Huawei phones to be fixed — well, progress has been made building out Huawei's own ecosystem, but I've still missed the many Google conveniences that you get with a phone like Pixel.

3.5 out of 5

The biggest red flag, though, is the price. The P50 Pro retails for €1,199 in the eurozone, which is perilously close to the starting price for the upcoming Galaxy S22 Ultra. And this phone has last year's processor and no 5G. Even in terms of tech, it's outmatched by many cheaper Android flagships like the Pixel.

So while the P50 Pro has a lot of great hardware, and is an excellent little photo and video-taking machine, the high price and software quirks compared to a standard Android phone make its high price hard to swallow.

That's not to say there isn't a place for the Huawei P50 Pro. But right now this is a phone in desperate need of a discount. Considering the hardware on offer, and the compromises involved in buying a 4G-only handset in 2022, it could make sense with a few hundred Euros taken off its price.

At close to €1,200, though, it's a very tough sell.

Huawei P50 Pro

Bottom line: The Huawei P50 Pro is a good-looking, performant phone with some fantastic photographic capabilities. But once again, outside influences make this phone a less compelling buy than it otherwise would have been, with software challenges for users of Google services, and an outdated SoC for the price.

• €1,199 at Huawei

The U.S. and China are in a full-on war over the tech that will power what comes next from almost every industry. What started as a trade dispute under the Trump administration has grown under President Joe Biden, and there is no predicting how things will end.

Things haven't worked out as expected so far, either. Three years later, Huawei and ZTE (the original targets of Trump's economic bans) are still alive and kicking, producing new equipment every year. In fact, Huawei is still making smartphones after every pundit was sure the company wouldn't even be around.

The P50 Pro happened anyway

Huawei is back with another P series flagship phone with just one limitation because of the crushing trade bans that prevent the company from accessing components — it's using the 4G-only version of the Snapdragon 888 from Qualcomm.

Like the past few phones from Hauwei, it also has no access to Google's proprietary software but can run Android Harmony OS because all the code that makes Android's base is free and open. But, of course, since Harmony OS is just Android with a China-only Huawei app store, there's no real surprise.

The rest of what you would expect from Huawei, like big expensive cameras featuring the Leica brand name, is there, along with Huawei's own AI and ML platform, to make things just a bit smarter. These are the things that Huawei used to make some of the best Android phones you could buy before "the troubles."

Huawei still being in the smartphone market is surprising because of the limitations placed on the company by the U.S. and its trade partners, but phones weren't the target of the initial ban or the subsequent sanctions. Instead, those were aimed at Huawei's real money-making arm: Its 5G equipment.

5G and other smart tech

Huawei and ZTE, as well as a handful of smaller Chinese companies, produce high-quality and inexpensive 5G equipment. Not the kind of equipment you or I can buy, though, the kind companies like cellular carriers and cable companies buy. Before the original ban, there was enough Huawei and ZTE equipment inside the U.S. to be worrisome, but in other parts of the world, the two companies were the global leaders because of the value.

The ban and current further sanctions are because of two reasons. The first is that the intelligence community fears that the companies making critical equipment could be somehow placing Chinese spy tech or software backdoors into the tech. It's possible, but never really proven and if there is doubt placing a hold is probably the wise decision. You wouldn't want equipment crucial to running your power grid or water utility to be compromised.

The second reason is economics, plain and simple. For decades the U.S. was the global leader in tech R&D and innovation. That has slowly shifted and is being challenged by — you guessed it — China. China has thrown the might of its government, including billions and billions of funding, into efforts to catch up to the U.S. and surpass it through an initiative called MIC (Made In China) 2025. The current global pandemic also contributed to further tensions between the two countries, with President Biden issuing executive orders to address the supply of medical supplies and rare metals in addition to the previous rules regarding chips and batteries.

There's also concern about China using less than scrupulous practices like IP theft, reverse engineering, and even state-sponsored financial terrorism (for lack of a better term) to gain headway against the west. These ideas and economic concerns have been pushed by multiple U.S. lawmakers, causing a government reaction. Was the MIC 2025 initiative an actual move to push the U.S. further into an economic downfall, or is China backing industrial espionage attempts against U.S. companies? There's no solid proof, but many in the U.S. government believe this.

The fallout for consumers isn't as bad as it could be. Yes, it's difficult to buy a new car, and the release of new smartphones was delayed on multiple occasions, but the U.S. economy hasn't collapsed yet. Other less visible disruptions happen every day, too. For example, telecom giant Lumen Technologies (formerly CenturyLink) was recently forced to remove all Huawei equipment because it wants to provide services with the USDA. In addition, the FCC seeks to ban Huawei and others from selling surveillance and security cameras currently used in schools and airports in the U.S., a move that will undoubtedly follow an order to remove the equipment. While there are programs that provide taxpayer dollars to companies because of these moves, consumers will still see increased prices.

What's next?

Based on global sales numbers, the U.S. is about to win this war, but that data may be deceiving. If there are worries that companies like Huawei are nothing more than state-sponsored production facilities, turning a profit doesn't really matter as long as global disruption is the true goal.

China is the largest single market for almost everything in the world. It has the most people, who need (and want) the most things, and its growth is in the same key areas that brought such a boom to the U.S. in the decades after World War II — manufacturing. Not only tech manufacturing, but more mundane yet vitally essential things like lumber and steel.

The current trade war may be able to slowly chip away at those industries by trying to deny the tech needed to grow and modernize, but it won't have much of an impact. The U.S. is focused on another of its strengths, namely tech R&D and innovation. Our government believes that stifling growth in adversarial countries is required to grow at home. It may be correct, and some economists would surely agree. One positive is the bipartisan support for tech grants and actual government investment in core tech companies.

China is also playing the long game, and it started earlier. The Chinese government has an investment in every large company within its borders, tech-related or not. Funding and support will increase to bolster growth, especially against an economic adversary that has made it known it no longer wants to be friendly. You really can't blame either the U.S. or China here because both governments are looking out for their own bests interests and the best interests of their citizens.

Right now, the best we can do as consumers is support initiatives that would move us as a nation towards the goals we each believe in and hope that the economic war doesn't evolve into a conventional war.

What you need to know

• Huawei announced today the global launch of the P50 Pro and P50 Pocket.
• The Huawei P50 Pro costs €1,199 while the clamshell foldable phone retails for €1,299.
• Both phones will be rolled out in Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Latin America.

Huawei today announced the global launch of its latest flagship device and Galaxy Z Flip 3 challenger. The Huawei P50 Pro and P50 Pocket will be available for €1,199 and €1,299, respectively.

Like their P-series predecessors, the new devices won't have access to Google's various apps and services such as the Google Play Store. It's not unexpected, though, in light of the existing U.S. trade ban that prevents the Chinese firm from doing business with American companies.

The Huawei P50 Pro brings with it the same specs as the Chinese variant that debuted in July of last year. It sports a 6.6-inch OLED display with a 2700 x 1228 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, it's powered by the 4G variant of Qualcomm's Snapdagon 888 chipset, which is also found in many of the best Android phones available in the market.

Its headline feature is, of course, the camera's XD Fusion Pro image engine that promises high dynamic range, clear image, and smart capabilities. The P50 Pro comes with a quad-camera setup on the back comprising a 50MP main sensor, a 40MP monochrome sensor, a 64MP periscope lens with 3.5x optical zoom, and a 13MP ultra-wide shooter. The front camera is a 13MP selfie snapper.

The phone has an IP68 rating for resistance against splash, water, and dust. It packs a 4,360mAh battery with 66W wired SuperCharge support and 50W wireless fast charging capability.

There isn't much of a difference between the global and Chinese versions of the P50 Pocket, which was unveiled late last year. It has the same 6.9-inch OLED screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz, a Snapdragon 888 4G processor, and a 4,000mAh battery with 40W fast charging support.

The foldable's rear camera, like the P50 Pro's, is powered by Huawei's XD Fusion Pro image engine. Huawei also collaborated with haute couture designer, Iris Van Herpen, for the P50 Pocket Premium Edition, which costs €1,599.

Huawei's latest phones will be available in Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, Europe and Latin America, running EMUI 12 based on Android 11. However, it looks like the vanilla P50 won't arrive in these markets. The P50 Pro comes in golden black and cocoa gold colorways, with an 8GB/256GB memory configuration.

On the other hand, the P50 Pocket comes in two flavors: an 8GB/256GB model in white and black, and a 12GB/512GB model in premium gold.

What you need to know

• The new P50 Pocket is Huawei's first clamshell foldable.
• It features a 6.9-inch 120Hz OLED main display, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 4G chipset, and a 1-inch cover display.
• The phone starts at 8,988 yuan (about $1,4,10) in China.

Huawei on December 23 announced the latest addition to its lineup of foldable phones, the P50 Pocket. Unlike the company's previous foldables, the new P50 Pocket is a clamshell phone with a design language that is quite similar to the P50 series.

Powering the Huawei P50 Pocket is the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset as many of the best Android phones on the market right now. Just like the P50 series phones, however, the P50 Pocket uses the 4G-only version of the chip.

The foldable sports a massive 6.9-inch OLED main display with a 120Hz refresh rate and an ultra-tall 21:9 aspect ratio. It has a centered hole-punch cutout at the top for the 10.7MP selfie camera. Huawei P50 Pocket's 1.04-inch OLED cover screen features a 60Hz refresh rate with a pixel density of 328 PPI. The phone also uses a multi-dimensional hinge, which allows it to unfold "without any sign of creasing" and fold with no visible gap.

The triple-camera setup on the back includes a 40MP main sensor, a 13MP ultra-wide lens, and a 32MP ultra spectrum camera. Keeping the lights on is a 4000mAh battery with support for 40W wired charging. On the software side, the phone runs Huawei's "own" HarmonyOS.

Huawei's answer to the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is now on sale in China for a starting price of 8,988 yuan (about $1,410). There's also a Premium Edition gold variant that packs 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for 10,988 yuan (about $1,725). While there's no word on global availability yet, the foldable phone will likely make its way to a few markets outside China sometime next year.

What you need to know

• The Huawei P50 Pocket leaks in new press images, showing the complete external design.
• The phone has a circular camera array with a circular external display.
• Huawei is reportedly using a rigid OLED to offset the cost of a circular display.

Huawei is gearing up to launch a new clamshell foldable phone to counter the Galaxy Z Flip 3, and the latest leaks show off an impressive-looking device.

The leaked images were spotted by leaker Ice universe and posted on Weibo by Harper's Bazaar, showing off a smartphone with a fashionable look with some unique design choices. Most notably, P50 Pocket sports a circular display next to a circular triple camera array. This is likely to match the design principles introduced in other P50 models, which distribute its rear cameras between two circular modules.

Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DCSS), says that the circular cover display measures at 1-inch, and from the images, it can be used for taking selfies. Beyond that, it's unclear how functional the external display will be, especially when compared to the larger external displays found on some of the best foldable phones like the Z Flip 3 or even Motorola's Razr 5G.

That said, Huawei appears to be aiming for aesthetics here, which is evident in the style of the images and the fact that they were posted online by a fashion magazine. This isn't far off from how Samsung positions the Z Flip 3, either, as noted by the customizable Bespoke Edition models and partnership with clothing brand Dr. Denim for limited-edition jeans.

Young notes that since producing circular displays is costly, Huawei has opted for a rigid OLED for the cover display instead of a flexible one. This will cost less to produce but adds to the device's overall weight and thickness.

As far as the inner display goes, Young says it will measure at 6.85-inches, which is slightly larger than the Galaxy Z Flip 3.

While we expect the phone to have some powerful specs similar to the other P50 smartphones in the lineup, don't expect 5G connectivity here. Still, the smartphone will likely appeal to Huawei fans thanks to its stylish design language.

Huawei is expected to announce the P50 Pocket on December 23.