• A possible information leak indicates that Huawei is working on its next-generation flagship foldable smartphone.
• Apparently called the Mate X3, the device is said to be more affordable than the Mate X2 iteration.
• Huawei reportedly has mass-production models at the ready, which means the rumoured device could possibly be revealed soon.

A new foldable flagship smartphone could be on the cards for Huawei.

Its previous high-tier foldable, the Huawei Mate X2, is not available in South Africa through the Huawei online store and instead the more affordable Mate Xs 2 was launched locally.

In our review of the Mate Xs 2 we said that the device felt like Huawei was still trying to figure out the foldable form factor and that there was still a bit of refining needed with the smartphone.

Huawei’s first foldable device, the Mate X did come to South Africa in 2019, but it was noted at the time to be the company’s most expensive smartphone ever to be launched in the market.

This pricing may be why its successor never made it to SA shores and instead a more affordable foldable took its place.

Now, according to a possible information leak covered by Notebookcheck, Huawei could be working on its next generation of foldable smartphone, launching under the “Mate X3” monicker.

The naming is an indication that Huawei could be moving away from the Mate Xs 2’s wrap-around screen design and back towards the Mate X2’s fold design, similar to that of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold4, with a cover display and a rear panel for the main display when not unfolded.

Weibo tipster Wangzai Knows Everything, a favoured rumour-monger for Notebookcheck, says that mass-production-ready prototypes already exist for the Mate X3 and that the device is being sent to other departments within the Chinese OEM for further developments.

This means that users could expect a new foldable device to be announced by Huawei sooner rather than later.

Further unverified information from the tipster details how the Mate X3 could be more affordable than the company’s previous foldable flagship and that it could come with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.

Many other manufacturers have sought to duplicate Samsung’s success with foldables, but despite brands like HONOR and OPPO unveiling new folding devices, it is Huawei that is closest to actually being a true rival for Samsung’s phone-tablet hybrids.

A more affordable flagship from Huawei could stand a better chance of competing locally with Samsung’s Z Fold devices. However, whether or not the Mate X3, if Huawei is indeed working on the device, comes to South Africa at all will be depending on carrier and consumer interest.

[Image – Huawei]