Huawei’s foldable Mate X finally goes on sale, sans Google apps

The foldable phone is shipping with Chinese alternatives to popular Google apps.

What you need to know

• Huawei's first foldable phone, the Mate X finally went on sale in China earlier today, without Google apps.
• The smartphone was sold out within minutes during the first sale.
• It is priced at 16,999 yuan ($2,400) in China.

Huawei's foldable Mate X finally went on sale (via The New York Times) in China today, nearly nine months after its introduction at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The phone was originally expected to go on sale in June but Huawei decided to delay the release in order to conduct some "extra tests."

Due to the U.S. blacklist, however, the Mate X is shipping without any Google apps or services. Huawei's Mate 30 series, which was launched in August, is also currently being shipping without Google apps. While the second 90-day reprieve granted to Huawei by the Commerce Department is set to expire on November 18, the U.S. government is expected to soon issue licenses to American firms so they can resume trade with the Chinese company.

The Mate X doesn't use any major components from U.S. suppliers either. Instead of a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, the foldable phone is powered by a HiSilicon Kirin 980 chipset and uses the Balong 5000 modem.

Huawei has priced the Mate X at 16,999 yuan ($2,400) in China, making it more expensive than its main rival, the Samsung Galaxy Fold. The Mate X features a 6.6-inch display on the front and a 6.38-inch display on the back. When the phone is unfolded, the screen size increases to 8 inches. It also comes with triple cameras, 8GB of RAM, 512GB storage, and a dual-cell 4,500mAh battery with 55W fast charging.

Huawei Mate X first look: Three screen modes, four cameras and five Gs for €2299

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