Huawei is due to unveil its
next foldable smartphone in March. As its name implies, the Mate Xs won't be an
entirely new product, instead think of it as an improved Mate X. We've already
heard that it would sport HiSilicon's latest Kirin 990 chipset, with 5G
support, and today some more details have leaked out of China.
The Mate Xs may, perhaps
surprisingly, end up being cheaper than the Mate X. That's thanks to
improvements in the production process of the screen. Apparently the Mate Xs'
display assembly is less difficult to make than the Mate X's, owing to constant
yield gains. This means the panel will also cost Huawei less, and those savings
could be passed on to the buyers.
Additionally, the Mate Xs is
said to come with an improved hinge design and a stronger display. According to
sources within the company's supply chain, Huawei has made many adjustments in
the design of the Mate Xs compared to its predecessor. The hinge is more stable
now, the folding screen is more sturdy, the durability is higher, and
surprisingly the phone will be slightly smaller than the Mate X, while fitting
the same size display.
Huawei is also working on
another folding screen smartphone, to be launched sometime during the second
half of this year. Whether that will keep the overall concept of the Mate X and
Mate Xs or offer a different take on the folding paradigm (like Samsung's
upcoming Galaxy Z Flip or Motorola's reborn Razr) remains to be seen.
