New Huawei Mate Xs release date, price, spec and latest rumours
All the latest on Huawei's latest foray into foldable technology
After flip phones, touch screens and multiple cameras, the next big trend in the mobile phone industry is clearly foldable technology. Huawei was one of the first to join the flexible bandwagon when it released the Mate X last year - albeit but only in China - with Europe finally set to receive a Huawei foldable this year.
Here’s a round-up of the latest news and rumours for the Huawei Mate Xs, announced as the follow-up to last year's Mate X.
When is the Huawei Mate Xs released?
The Huawei Mate Xs is confirmed to launch in March 2020, and it will likely be announced either at the Mobile World Conference in late February or the same event unveiling the Huawei P40 line in March.
However, considering that the original Huawei Mate X has not even had a western release yet, this March launch date may well be for China only - though the company is supposedly still keen to release the device in Europe in the first quarter of 2020.
How much will the Huawei Mate Xs cost?
Little is known about the Huawei Mate Xs cost - especially as we never got a European price point for the original - but it won't be cheap. The Chinese price of the first Mate X converted to an eye-watering £1950, but following recent reports that the screen is now easier to produce there is hope the Mate Xs will be slightly cheaper.
Latest Huawei deals
Can’t wait for the Huawei Mate Xs? We’ve rounded up some of the best Huawei deals for February…
Three has the Huawei P30 Pro 128GB in Aurora for £40 monthly, £79 upfront cost. It comes with unlimited data, minutes and texts on a 24-month plan.
Fonehouse has the Huawei P30 128GB in Aurora Blue for £29 monthly, no upfront cost. It comes with 100GB data, unlimited minutes and texts on a 24-month plan with Three.
BT has the Huawei P30 Lite 12GB in Peacock Blue for £26 a month, no upfront cost. It comes with 1 GB data, unlimited minutes and texts on a 24-month plan.
What might we expect from the Huawei Mate Xs?
Foldable technology is still relatively new, so there is little to base speculation on as companies continue to experiment with the flexible electronics. However, using both rumour and Huawei's first foldable the Mate X, it is possible to make some educated guesses.
Storage
The Huawei Mate X launched with 512GB storage, which we expect to be repeated on the XS given that amount of memory is already top-of-the-line for mobiles. The Xs will also likely carry across the support for expandable memory, using Huawei's Nano Memory that can go up to 256GB.
Camera
A recent Huawei patent for a foldable phone included four cameras on the rear and two on the inside, which may sound excessive but is perfectly in line with premium mobile devices these days. This would be an upgrade on the Mate X's four total cameras.
There's no word yet on camera specs, but we expect similar to the original Mate X - which had a 40 MP wide-lens camera, a 16 MP ultra-wide lens, an 8 MP telephoto and a Time-of-flight camera.
Processor
The Huawei Mate Xs is said to use the Kirin 990, an upgrade on the original's Kirin 980.
5G capability
Given that the original Mate X had 5G, the Mate Xs will almost certainly support 5G, especially as the Kirin 990 processor has a built-in 5G modem.
Screen size
The screen size is thought to stay the same as the original Mate X - so 8 inches - though with smaller bezels on the outside. The screen is also rumoured to be tougher than its predecessor, allowing the display to withstand more damage.
Connectivity
Recent rumours point towards the Huawei Mate Xs receiving 65w fast charging support, as well as the charger having a weight of only 92 grams.
