In the world of foldable smartphones, we generally expect to see two designs: thin "flip" phones like the Galaxy Z Flip and Moto Razr and book-style phones like the Galaxy Z Fold and Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
Huawei is looking to change our expectations for foldable smartphones with the Pura X. At first glance, it looks like it could be the Galaxy Z Flip 7, but when you look closer, you realize it's a lot wider, almost rivaling the size of the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7.
The new Pura X is like no foldable we've seen so far, and that's exciting for the future of these types of phones. If Huawei can develop this design, who knows what it and other companies can do in the future?
As for the screens, you get a 16:10 aspect ratio, where the phone's interesting width is visible. Huawei offers a 6.3-inch internal screen with a 2,120 X 1,320 resolution. It provides a speedy refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The outer screen is a 3.5-inch square with a 980 X 980 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.
The innovative folding phone has solid cameras with a 50MP primary lens leading the charge. There's a 40 MP ultra-wide and an 8 MP telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom supporting the main lens. On the front, you get a 10.7MP camera.
Under the hood, you get specs that should let this phone be used like a tablet — 12GB and 16GB of RAM configurations are available. The phone offers a flagship-level SoC, but Huawei didn't specify which model of its Kirin chips is inside.
Important to note is that this phone will not run Android. Instead, it's Huewei's own HarmonyOS Next. It'll be the first phone from the company to include the new Harmony Intelligence AI assistant.
Outlook
Unfortunately, those in the West won't be able to find this innovative phone easily. In China, the base model is RMB7,499 (US$1,038). If you're thinking the fancy Collection Edition might be more your style, it'll start at RMB8,999 (US$1,245).
As disappointing as that is, I wouldn't be surprised to see other foldable phone makers borrow a similar design. Perhaps even Apple will opt for a wider design with the long-rumored iPhone Flip.
The biggest issue I could see in this design is holding the phone for people with small hands. If you already have difficulty holding a large phone like the iPhone 16 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, a 16:10 phone might be even more difficult to work with.
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
