How tech industry reacted to Huawei’s foldable phone
Industry experts believe Huawei has landed the first blow in the battle of the foldable phones following the announcement of its Mate X.
Mobiles expert at uSwitch.com Ru Bhikha said that although the higher price of Huawei’s device may deter some, the greater array of technology in its phone gave it an advantage over Samsung’s Galaxy Fold.
“Following Samsung’s much hyped Galaxy Fold announcement on Wednesday, it seems that ‘foldables’ are the flavour of the season.
“Huawei, never backwards in coming forwards, is throwing its own hat into the ring with the launch of the Mate X, the world’s first foldable 5G phone,” he said.
“What separates Huawei’s newest release, however, is the addition of a 5G-ready modem – a feature that Samsung was reluctant to include so early in the development of this new technology.
“The Mate X also boasts a 4500 mAh battery with ‘Supercharge’ support, charging the device from 0% to 85% in just 30 minutes, catering to today’s media-heavy users.
“While the exclusivity of Samsung’s handset will ensure it peaks interest, the greater incorporation of foldable technology and 5G infrastructure in the Mate X will be what helps separate these two tech heavyweights – and could see Huawei land a telling early blow on what is likely to become one of the market’s key battlegrounds from now on.”
Industry analyst Thomas Husson from Forrester agreed Huawei’s announcement was impressive, but the company still needed to improve further.
“Today, the announcement of the Mate X clearly shows that Huawei is a technology innovation leader. The new device has nothing to envy from Samsung’s latest Galaxy Fold announcement.
“That said, no matter how innovative and technology-advanced the new device is, it will take a lot more time for a critical mass of consumers to experience the benefits of foldable phones and 5G technology.
“For Huawei to get close to Samsung’s volumes this year, the company has to succeed the launch of its new P30 smartphone flagship device at the end of March, and to make sure it will create a brand halo effect on its entire phone portfolio.
“More importantly, it has to find its own brand voice to differentiate from Samsung and Apple and stop acting as a technology challenger, but instead activating new daily experiences for its consumers.”
