Huawei announces the foldable Mate XS and MatePad Pro 5G tablet for global markets

MWC 2020 has been canceled, but that isn’t stopping companies from making announcements this week. We didn’t quite know what to expect from Huawei and it turns out they have announced their next foldable, the Mate XS, and the MatePad Pro 5G tablet. Both devices have been known for some time, but they have seen some changes and are now launching for global markets.

Huawei Mate XS

via @AdamConwayIE

The Mate XS is the follow-up to last year’s Mate X, which never made it off the ground in a meaningful way. Huawei’s take on a foldable phone is different from others in that the display is on the outside when folded. There’s no need for a smaller secondary display as the full display wraps around the outside.

Of course, this poses some durability issues. As we’ve seen with foldable displays that fold inwards, it doesn’t take much to scratch plastic. Huawei claims the Mate XS has a more durable display and a redesigned hinge. The display uses “quad-layer” construction. The display is composed of two layers of polyamide film, followed by the flexible OLED display, a soft polymer for cushion, and finally a layer that connects the display to the body.

The hinge is said to feel smoother than the previous iteration and should be more durable as well. As expected, other improvements include the Kirin 990 processor and its integrated 5G modem. The Mate XS has 8GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a 4,500 mAh battery.

Camera-wise, the Huawei Mate XS is packing a main 40MP camera, an 8MP telephoto camera, a 16MP wide-angle camera, and a depth-sensing camera. All of these cameras are housed on the “rear,” but when the screen is folded they can face the user. Speaking of the display again, it’s 8-inches in tablet mode and 6.6-inches when folded.

The Mate XS does not have Google apps since Huawei is still on the US’s entity list. Instead, it includes Huawei Mobile Services, which is the company’s alternative to Google Play Services. You can read more about that here. The Mate XS will be released outside of China in March for €2,499 (~$2,700).

Huawei MatePad Pro 5G

Huawei launched the MatePad Pro in China last year. The device features very slim bezels, a 10.8-inch display, and an optional keyboard case and stylus. Today, the company has announced a 5G version of the tablet. Like the Mate XS, the MatePad Pro 5G does not ship with Google apps. Users are limited to using Huawei’s alternative.

Huawei is claiming the MatePad Pro 5G is the first tablet to support wireless charging, which is certainly not true, but it is rare. Wireless charging speeds can go up to 27W, plus it has reverse wireless charging up to 7.5W. The tablet can use reverse wireless charging to charge the keyboard case and stylus, which is handy.

The display has a resolution of 2560 x 1600 and there is a hole-punch in the top left corner for the front-facing camera. Powering everything is the Kirin 990 processor, 8GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage, and a big 7,250mAh battery. Huawei is also selling WiFi-only and 4G models with 6GB of RAM, 128GB, and 256GB of storage options.

The Huawei MatePad Pro 5G will be available in June in China, Asia Pacific, EMEA, and Latin America. The WiFi and 4G models will go on sale in April in selected markets including Asia Pacific, EMEA, Russia, Japan, and Latin America. Pricing for the 5G model starts at €799 ($867), while the WiFi model starts at €549 ($596), and the 4G model starts at €599 ($650).

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