Huawei Unveils Foldable Pura X with HarmonyOS Next

Huawei’s first foldable smartphone runs on HarmonyOS Next

Huawei Technologies has launched its new foldable smartphone, which runs on the company-developed HarmonyOS operating system. The launch is part of Huawei’s efforts to reinvigorate its handset business, despite US sanctions.

The smartphone is called the Pura X, which comes under Huawei’s premium Pura brand. It is a vertically folding device with a large 6.3-inch screen that offers a tablet-like 16:10 aspect ratio. There is a smaller 3.5-inch screen on the back of the phone that supports features such as phone calls and mobile payments. During the launch event, Richard Yu Chengdong, chairman of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group, introduced it in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

The phone runs on HarmonyOS Next, Huawei’s latest mobile platform, which is not compatible with Android. This is the second smartphone based on this updated system after the Huawei Mate 70 series introduced in November.

The launch of this foldable smartphone from Huawei shows how Huawei has made its comeback in the smartphone market despite US technology sanctions. With the Mate 60 in 2023, Huawei surprised industry experts with its in-house 5G chip, and in 2024 the company impressed everyone with the launch of the world’s first tri-fold smartphone.

Huawei may face a shortage of advanced chips

Although Huawei may face a shortage of advanced chips, Yu says HarmonyOS delivers “40% better performance” than Android. Earlier this year, Yu said that there are more than 20,000 native apps and services available on HarmonyOS Next, of which 20 apps have achieved more than 2 million downloads. Huawei expects all of its smartphones and tablets to run on the new operating system by the end of this year.

The new Pura X, which is available in five colour options, has a starting price of 7,499 yuan ($1,037). At this price point, it is not eligible for the Chinese government’s subsidy scheme, which offers a 15% subsidy on smartphones, tablets and smartwatches costing less than 6,000 yuan ($830). This indicates that the company is committed to further strengthening its position in the premium market.

Last year, HarmonyOS was well received in the largest smartphone market. During the three months ended Dec. 31, its market share reached 19%, marking the fourth consecutive quarter when it was ahead of Apple’s iOS. Android remains the dominant mobile operating system on the mainland with a share of 64%, while Apple iOS’s share was 17% in the previous quarter, according to Counterpoint Research.

Huawei regained the lead in China’s smartphone market in January, following the introduction of the government’s subsidy scheme on Jan. 20. In the first week from Jan. 20 to 26, sales surged 65%, and total sales surpassed 9.5 million units. Apple, whose latest iPhone 16 models are not eligible for subsidies due to premium pricing, last month launched the budget-priced iPhone 16e, which can fetch a 500 yuan ($70) discount in China provided it is not the 512-gigabyte storage model.

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