Chinese technology giant Huawei has launched its Mate X foldable smartphone in China and was reportedly sold out "within minutes".
Huawei placed its foldable smartphone, the Mate X, on sale in China for 16,999 yuan via its online store on Friday and it was immediately sold out. Those who did not manage to purchase the smartphone will be able to buy when a second batch goes on sale on November 22.
The company is offering a 50% discount on screen-related repairs and replacements for those who purchase the Mate X. The 5G smartphone is available in one model and features an 8-inch screen when unfolded but when closed it has two screens, the larger one measuring 6.8 inches and the smaller one at 6.6 inches.
According to Huawei, the Mate X was available in "limited quantities" for the first sale but the company did not give details on how many were sold. initially, the device was scheduled for launch in June but it was delayed following the imposition of sanctions by the US.
CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood pointed out that Huawei's decision to put the screen on the outside of the phone made it "incredibly vulnerable" to accidental damage. He argued: "That risk, the eye-watering price and the decision to only ship it in China makes me wonder whether it is a super niche device that was more about Huawei demonstrating 'the art of the possible' rather than having a credible commercial product."
Huawei's Mate X adds to the increasing number of foldable devices recently offered by phone manufacturers. Motorola recently announced that it has revived its Razr device with a new smartphone that features a foldable screen measuring 6.2 inches with another smaller external screen for displaying notifications.
Motorola will start selling this new device in the US on December 26 at a price tag of $1,500 and will launch it in other markets later.
