Huawei Unveils $2,600 Foldable 'Mate X' Smartphone to Rival Samsung's Galaxy Fold

[itsmilo]

Do you even gain anything with that weird aspect ratio over let’s say an XS Max while watching movies?

 

[gnipgnop]

I guess you could have a slipcase for when it's folded into phone mode, but that's about it in terms of protection.

 

[cmaier]

From certain angles, perhaps. I would consider it a first-gen product tradeoff, similar to how OLED shifts colors under certain angles.

Hoping future generations fix it, but there’s a big difference between color shift and actual physical wrinkles in the display. The latter may cause functional issues when doing drag and drop, etc.

It’s a good effort, but clearly not yet ready for the mass market.

 

[JPack]

Do you even gain anything with that weird aspect ratio over let’s say an XS Max while watching movies?

Yeah, you can watch a movie and interact with two other apps simultaneously.
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Hoping future generations fix it, but there’s a big difference between color shift and actual physical wrinkles in the display. The latter may cause functional issues when doing drag and drop, etc.

It’s a good effort, but clearly not yet ready for the mass market.

I think that's pretty speculative looking an early pre-production model.

 

[christo747]

This is a real leap in the smartphone world, and a technical marvel at the least. Until we have completely AR/VR based headsets, folding smartphones will be the next big thing in the mobile computing world.

You say it will be the next big thing, I say it will be dead soon. Let’s see who is going to be right.

 

[Delgibbons]

I...... Think I'd take the Samsung option. What did they make the screen out of? A ready meal plastic lid?! Look at this :

 

[cmaier]

Yeah, you can watch a movie and interact with two other apps simultaneously.
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I think that's pretty speculative looking an early pre-production model.

Now hang on a minute. I’m looking at any actual physical device and drawing conclusions from what I see with my own eyes.

“Speculative” would be assuming that the final production models would magically solve the problem. I have evidence for my assumption, whereas there is no evidence to suggest that the production models will be any different; that’s the very definition of speculation.

 

[citysnaps]

Someone has to push the industry forward. I'm glad Samsung and Huawei are releasing these phones, even at those prices. Eventually, this tech will be more affordable and that's when we'll start seeing innovative uses for it. Plus, it gives Apple the push it needs to release their spin on it.

There's absolutely no doubt Apple has multiple iPhone prototypes with similar screens in their labs for quite some time.

Remains to be seen if they ever get green-lighted. At the moment, that's not something I'd want.

 

[TheFluffyDuck]

Impressive YES! Functional, Maybe? Innovative, I guess. Value, Ha no!

Seems to be the case as a market saturates, prices sky rocket.

 

[diddl14]

I don't mind when Apple takes a bit more time to bring something like this to market. Neither the Samsung nor the Huawei is convincing.

 

[Ploki]

It's cool but for $2000+ not as cool as something like Hololens 2 which I can use for things like DIY car repairs that will quickly pay itself off in savings.

if this was 2010 apple would steal it and perfect it, and we'd had an amazing product in 2020.

instead, we will have 4 lenses.

 

[cmaier]

if this was 2010 apple would steal it and perfect it, and we'd had an amazing product in 2020.

instead, we will have 4 lenses.

Meanwhile there is another thread here complaining that Apple was not first with three “lenses.” (They’re actually separate cameras, but whatever).

 

[Ploki]

i don't think i want or need a foldable phone to be honest
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Meanwhile there is another thread here complaining that Apple was not first with three “lenses.” (They’re actually separate cameras, but whatever).

really?

well, how expectations differ.
Apple was actually pushing AR, so it's odd that Microsoft is leading them so much

 

[Emanuel Rodriguez]

You say it will be the next big thing, I say it will be dead soon. Let’s see who is going to be right.

I think it will be dead as well. Hinges are asking for trouble. One of the greatest innovations of the tablet and smartphone world is that they usually have no moving parts, making them generally-speaking highly reliable. Adding a hinge or any kind of mechanism is going to increase hardware failure rates. Seems like a step backwards to me.

 

[cmaier]

i don't think i want or need a foldable phone to be honest
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really?

well, how expectations differ.
Apple was actually pushing AR, so it's odd that Microsoft is leading them so much

Apple wont release anything until its a viable product. Nobody is buying hololenses. When they can look like regular glasses, last all day, and do useful things, Apple will release them.

 

[DavidMalcolm]

That crease though. I think it'll be years before we see Apple coming out with anything using this tech that isn't just wrapping it to unmoving glass.

 

[gnipgnop]

Plus, it gives Apple the push it needs to release their spin on it.

I doubt Samsung or Huawei have shown anything in these two products that Apple wasn't already aware of re: folding display tech. Apple's been connected to development with these types of displays for years now. Whether or not they really think it's worth using in a product with the various limitations it has is the question. It's kind of obvious that both Samsung and Huawei have struggled to come up with something that isn't inherently wonky in some respect. Samsung had to separate the phone display from the tablet display and Huawei had to use a really strange aspect ratio for the tablet mode.

 

[Alan Wynn]

It's cool but for $2000+ not as cool as something like Hololens 2 which I can use for things like DIY car repairs that will quickly pay itself off in savings.

Or for me to watch you while you fix my car, so I can understand what you are doing.

I do agree that it does not yet seem to have a solid use case at that price. I look forward to seeing this technology as it evolves.

Maybe in a generation or two it will be what I want. Not quite yet.

 

[dazz87]

Neither the Samsung nor the Huawei is convincing.

yeah its missing the notch.

 

[cmaier]

yeah its missing the notch.

Samsung has a weird notch.

 

[chasemac]

I'm sorry but these products look horrible. With the price to boot.

 

[blairh]

This is incredible!!! It’s like a combo XS Max and iPad Mini. I want an Apple version in the next few years.

 

[deno]

Steve Ballmer: "$2600? For a phone???"

 

[brunosh]

Cool tech? For sure. Still missing the point...

 

[Loge]

So you get a choice of two terrible aspect ratios.