[Asia Economy Reporter Joeslgina] Chinese tech giant Huawei, which has been persistently rumored to withdraw from the smartphone market due to being blacklisted by the U.S. government, unveiled its new foldable phone, the 'Mate X2.' Unlike its predecessor, the design resembles Samsung Electronics' foldable smartphone 'Galaxy Z Fold2,' which folds the screen inward. However, Huawei appeared conscious of criticism that it copied the Galaxy Z Fold2, openly comparing the two products at the unveiling event and asserting the superiority of its own device.
On the 22nd, Huawei introduced its third foldable phone, the Mate X2, at the 'MWC Shanghai' event held in China. Despite ongoing U.S. government sanctions raising doubts about the release of follow-up products, Huawei revealed the new device, signaling its determination to continue its smartphone business. However, the product launch was conducted solely in Chinese instead of English, which is interpreted as an indication that a global release of the Mate X2 is unlikely.
The new foldable phone Mate X2 features an 8-inch internal display and a 6.45-inch external display, supporting a 90Hz refresh rate. The design closely resembles the Galaxy Z Fold2. Until now, Huawei had insisted on an outfolding design that folds the screen outward, but due to concerns over durability, it ultimately switched to an infolding design similar to Samsung Electronics.
The device is powered by the Kirin 9000 chipset and is equipped with a quad-camera setup on the rear, including a 50-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens. The operating system is Huawei's own Android open-source-based EMUI 11.0, which will be updated to Huawei's HarmonyOS in the future. The battery capacity is 4500mAh with support for 55W fast charging. The phone comes in four colors: black, blue, pink, and white.
The Mate X2 is priced higher than the Galaxy Z Fold2. The 256GB model costs 17,999 yuan (approximately 3.1 million KRW), and the 512GB model is priced at 18,999 yuan (approximately 3.27 million KRW), similar to its predecessor. It will be officially released in the Chinese market on the 25th. There are no known plans for a global release yet.
At the event, CEO Richard Yu appeared conscious of criticism that Huawei copied the Galaxy Z Fold2, mentioning that "the Mate X2's external screen is larger" compared to the Galaxy Z Fold2. He also emphasized that the device folds tightly without any gaps when closed. IT specialized media reported, "The method is similar to what Samsung showed with the Galaxy Fold," and "It has the same design as the Galaxy Z Fold2 but is much more expensive."
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