Both Samsung and Apple are expected to field wide-format foldable smartphones soon, but Huawei’s Pura X Max could beat them both to market. There’s no doubt that the Chinese brand’s phone exists, since Huawei unveiled its design itself. Whether anyone here will be able to afford it is another matter.
The new-format foldable is expected to go official at a Huawei event in China next week. It won’t be alone at the 20 April unveiling, either. The company is expected to debut its Pura 90 series devices at the same time. There will doubtless be a few accessory announcements tucked in there as well. But none will be as interesting as the Pura X Max.
Pura X Max power
The visuals shown by Huawei are basically all we’ve got to go on. Actual specs are not known, leaving us to guess at… well, everything. The internal and external displays will be broader than Samsung’s Fold range. How much broader is anybody’s guess, but the visual difference is obvious. Huawei will stick a Kirin processor inside — likely the Kirin 9030 Pro 5G.
Huawei won’t skimp on camera tech, based on the broad array at the phone’s rear. Its XMAGE tech, seen in its other premium ranges, will also definitely be represented. The question is: how much of it will make it into the new foldable?
If pricing rumours are any indication, most of it. The 12GB/256GB base model could retail in China for R26,500 (¥10,888). A 16GB/1TB Collector’s Edition may go for as much as R31,250 (¥12,888). Those prices won’t hold constant when (or if) the handset leaves its native China, but they do make a good starting point. At the very least, it’s far below the bonkers retail pricing of Huawei’s Mate XT tri-folding phone.
We should have all the details about the Huawei Pura X Max and its folding-impaired siblings after Huawei’s 20 April announcement concludes. Stick around.
