Huawei Mate X is the Samsung Galaxy Fold rival you've been waiting for

published February 24, 2019

The 5G Huawei Mate X foldable phone has been officially unveiled to rapturous applause at a jam-packed event at Mobile World Congress 2019.

The Huawei Mate X folding phone, which is dubbed the "world's fastest foldable 5G phone", comes mere days after Samsung unveiled its own foldable device, the Samsung Galaxy Fold, and appears in every way a strong and fierce rival to the South Korean-made device.

In terms of design the Huawei Mate X boasts three screens, a 6.6-inch front screen with 19.5:9 aspect ratio and 2,480 x 1148 pixel resolution, a 6.38-inch rear screen with a 25:9 aspect ratio and 2,480 x 892 pixel resolution, and – when fully unfolded – an 8-inch tablet "FullView" screen with 8:7.1 aspect ratio and 2,480 x 2,200 pixel resolution.

When fully unfolded in tablet mode the Huawei Mate X is only 5.4mm thick, which is thinner than the new iPad Pro, and 11mm thick when folded completely flat. These feats also grant the Mate X the title of the "world's thinnest foldable phone", too.

The Huawei Mate X's various usage modes are enabled by a sophisticated Falcon Wing Hinge, which supports the outward curve of the screen, and allows the device to be bent and fixed fluidly into a variety of angles.

An interesting design point of note is that, because the device has been designed for one-handed use, when the phone is unfolded the user can access the handset's ergonomic curvature grip, which is located on the right hand backside of the device when in tablet mode. This has been designed to make holding the device, even when in tablet/open mode, comfortable for long periods.

In terms of internal hardware the Huawei Mate X comes loaded with the Chinese maker's incredibly rapid Kirin 980 flagship CPU and, granting it its "world's fastest 5G phone" title, Balong 5000 multi-mode 5G chipset.

The Balong 5000 works in partnership with a quad 5G antenna design to enable downlink speeds of up to 4.6 gigabits per second, which is "Sub-6G" level and approximately 10 times as fast as 4G. In the real world that speed equates to a 1GB movie, for example, downloading in just three seconds.

Naturally, for a device that has not just one screen but actually three screens to power, and that is on top of its next-gen internal hardware, the Huawei Mate X comes installed with a large 4,500mAh battery, which is split over two cell banks. This battery is supportive of Huawei's new 55W SuperCharge technology, too, meaning that it can be charged to 85 per cent capacity (that's 3,825mAh) in only 30 minutes.

As for core hardware spec, the Huawei Mate X comes with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB storage drive.

Other features of note include 2-in-1 power and fingerprint reader on, a new Leica-built camera system, which thanks to the multi-screen design of the phone allows you to see portraits in real time, and a Huawei-designed, wrap-around Full Cover Case for the Mate X as well, the latter protecting the device's screens when they are not in use.

Huawei Mate X price and release date

Huawei Mate X foldable phone 5G Samsung Galaxy Fold

In terms of colourway the Mate X comes in Interstellar Blue. The Huawei Mate X will cost €2299 (about £1,997) and will ship in summer 2019.

T3 recently got up close and personal with the Huawei Mate X at MWC 2019, so be sure to check back in to T3.com very soon for our early impressions review.

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Rob has been writing about computing, gaming, mobile, home entertainment technology, toys (specifically Lego and board games), smart home and more for over 15 years. As the editor of PC Gamer, and former Deputy Editor for T3.com, you can find Rob's work in magazines, bookazines and online, as well as on podcasts and videos, too. Outside of his work Rob is passionate about motorbikes, skiing/snowboarding and team sports, with football and cricket his two favourites.