Despite the challenges the company is facing — both on hardware and software front — Huawei will soon be introducing the next generation of its foldable Mate X, titled Huawei Mate X2. Although we have yet to hear an official word about the upcoming flagship, the Mate X2 has allegedly been featured in a hands-on photo. Let’s take a look.
The leak was published on Weibo by @8090LifeDigital. The Chinese phone leaker has a track record of legitimate Huawei flagship leaks in the past, so it won’t be a stretch to see this leak pan out. Huawei’s outfolding form factor is a far more sensible alternative to Samsung’s Galaxy Fold series. Unlike two phones stacked on top of each other that unfolds like a book, the Mate X2 (as well as last year’s Mate X) folds in on itself can be unfurled into a tablet.
But Huawei has also patented the book-style folding design, suggesting that we might get a dual-screen Mate that resembles the Galaxy Fold. Speculation suggests that the standard Mate X2 will be joined by a ‘Pro’ variant that could utilize the new form.
By placing the cameras on a raised edge, Huawei leaves the display clean of any hole punches or notches. And thanks to the hinge that opens outwards, the Mate X doesn’t need a second cover display. Given that the Huawei Mate X2 seen in the photo has a similar uninterrupted screen, it’d be safe to assume that the camera and sensor cluster is arranged inside a similar bump. When launched it'll be ranked at the top of the Huawei price list.
The hardware underneath the Huawei Mate X2 hood remains a mystery. Since the Chinese tech company can’t make new Kirin chipsets anymore, the Mate X2 and Mate X2 Pro will probably run on off-the-shelf SoCs from MediaTek.
The foldable flagships might make their debut alongside the upcoming Mate 40 series which is rumored to feature Kirin 9000 — Huawei only has a limited stock of these chipsets.
