Huawei Leads the Way in UK with Innovative Wide Foldable Phones

While the UK phone market eagerly awaits the iPhone Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide, Huawei has jumped ahead with its own wide foldable phone, the Pura X Max. However, the appeal of these devices remains unclear.

The Huawei Pura X Max boasts an attractive range of colours and will be fully unveiled on 20 April in China, ahead of its rivals. The phone’s form factor, though, leaves much to be desired, resembling old BlackBerry phones.

This new style of foldable phone appears awkwardly stubby, with a boxy outer display that may not be comfortable to use when holding the phone closed and one-handed. The Pura X Max is expected to offer 5.8-inch outer and 7.6-inch inner screens.

Being a widescreen option, the outer display is boxy, and it’s difficult to imagine it being comfortable to use. The phone’s aspect ratio is also a concern, and it’s unclear how apps will look and feel on these screens.

The main appeal of the inner display is its wider aspect ratio, likely 16:10, making it better suited to gaming and watching films. However, considering the potential downsides, it’s unclear if it’s worth it.

Huawei shows the phone being used turned 90 degrees in multiple images, indicating it’s not just designed to be used in one orientation. Perhaps trying one in real life will be convincing, but for now, it’s unclear.

Carrying a regular phone and a compact tablet, such as the iPad mini or Samsung Galaxy Tab A11, might be a better option, with the added benefit of sharing battery life between them. Alternatively, a foldable phone in its typical form, like the Oppo Find N6, could be a more practical choice.