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Huawei’s foldable Mate X launches after months of delays, but only in China

Huawei’s Mate X foldable smartphone was announced just weeks after the Samsung Galaxy Fold, but the two products have had wildly different rides in the time since. Now, after months of delays, Huawei has finally launched the Mate X.

Available for the equivalent of $2,400, the Huawei Mate X is launching in China this week. The product doesn’t look exactly the same as it did back when it was first announced, but the core idea is still the same. While the Galaxy Fold has two screens with the larger one inside, the Mate X has one large display that folds around the back of the device when the full canvas isn’t needed.

Huawei first announced the Mate X to be released later on in 2019, but the product was delayed several times to tweak the design. That decision was probably also influenced by Samsung’s botched launch. That device had its launch canceled due to major design flaws that saw several broken devices before consumers even got their hands on the product.

The Mate X is powered by Huawei’s Kirin 980 chipset that also includes 5G connectivity. The display is an 8-inch panel when unfolded and pricing lands at 16,999 yuan.

The Huawei Mate X launch is only taking place in China for now — meaning there are no Google apps — and the company tells The Verge that a global launch is “under review,” but there are no concrete plans. You can bet it won’t hit the US anytime soon.

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