Huawei’s Mate X, the company’s foray into foldable phones and it’s impressive counter to Samsung’s Galaxy Fold, has been delayed yet again, however, the company hasn’t said what the reason is for the delay.
According to TechRadar, the device is unlikely to be released before November, missing its re-scheduled September release. This gives Samsung the opportunity to be the first mainstream handset manufacturer to release a foldable device this year, a feat that no-one would’ve predicted just a few months ago.
The updated version is expected to have a slimmer lock button which is flush with the handset when placed down flat, and refinements to the Falcon Hinge. TechRadar says that Huawei’s engineering team tried to replace the steel hinge with an aluminium one but opted to retain the steel hinge as the aluminium one wasn’t strong enough.
Other ideas tested included a glass back and a sheet display that could roll out from the bottom of the phone, however, that tech is years away from being consumer-ready.
The company wants to include more displays in the Mate X successor, which could be released in 2020, by replacing the steel cover in the current Mate X with a glass back which could become a usable display.
Creating foldable glass displays is a massive engineering challenge which could take years to perfect, but it’s nice to see where Huawei’s thinking is in terms of future mobile devices.
For now, we’ll wait until both the Mate X and Samsung’s Galaxy Fold hit the shelves before we pass any judgment on whether foldables are ready for the mainstream market.
