- Huawei’s foldable Mate X2 has apparently been delayed compared to the 2020 launch window.
- A display industry insider says US sanctions are responsible for the delay.
The Huawei Mate X was one of the first foldable phones to be announced alongside the Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Royole Flexpai. We have since viewed the Mate XS launch as an incremental upgrade and expected a follow-up for the Mate X2.
Now, display industry analyst Ross Young has tweeted that the Huawei Mate X2 may not hit the market in 2020 due to ongoing US sanctions against the Chinese manufacturer. Check out the tweet below.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but we hear that the Mate X2 will not be launched in 2020 due to U.S. government restrictions for Huawei. We had to lower our foldable forecasts …
– Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) September 14, 2020
This would be a disappointing twist if it were true as it would mean a less foldable phone option for consumers. The Mate X2 is highly unlikely to support Google integration, but that hasn’t stopped Huawei from launching the Mate XS in Europe. And we thought it would be great if you could overlook the lack of Google support.
However, the recent sanctions in Washington target the supply and production of chipsets, as well as memory and other components by Huawei. So sourcing high-end chipsets, RAM, and other parts may have been a huge challenge for the new foldable device. The Mate XS screen was manufactured by the Chinese company BOE.
The latest rumors about the Mate X2 suggest a phone with a foldable design, similar to the Galaxy Fold line. This would be a departure from previous Mate leaflets, but a collapsible design would protect the primary display from scratches. Speaking of durability, the new foldable mate is believed not to come with ultra-thin glass, as seen on the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold 2.
Next: We asked, you told us: You think the US has gone too far against Huawei