Last year‘s Huawei Mate X7 made it to South Africa, so it’s likely the upcoming Mate X8 will do the same. Before the Chinese brand’s newest foldable is officially announced, we already have a fair idea of what’s coming.
A leak from China’s Weibo social media platform outlines most of what is expected from the pending announcement. The leaker claims the X8 was supposed to launch alongside Huawei’s new sub-brand, but we might see Xingmang/Starlight appear on the market sooner than the expected November 2026 launch.
Great Mate X8
The specs cover all of the important hardware, though software (and images) are left for a later time. The X8 will go larger than Samsung’s current best foldable with a 6.5in cover display. Inside, Huawei is packing an 8.15in foldable panel. There will also be a version of the Mate X8 with a privacy display. Why it isn’t standard is up for debate, but our guess would be: the price tag.
Huawei’s newest Kirin chipsets will occupy space inside the X8. Anyone could have (accurately) guessed that the Kirin 9050 and 9050 Pro would experience another outing, but the hardware is speedy enough that we wouldn’t mind the reappearance. The foldable will also have a battery exceeding 6,000mAh for the first time in the range’s history.
Camera tech will be… decent, but subdued compared to Huawei’s other phones. A variable aperture 50MP SC595 1/1.28 main sensor will handle most of the workload. A 50MP periscope telephoto is supposed to act as a backup. You’ll snag better photos with one of Huawei’s non-folding phones, but the Mate X8 likely won’t be a slouch in this department.
A firm launch date and images of the X8 are still missing in action, but it shouldn’t be long before both turn up. Last year, the Mate X7 showed itself in December when hype surrounding other launches had died down. There’s a small chance it’ll come earlier this year, unless Xingmang/Starlight steals all the November space.
