Huawei’s latest foldable, the Pura X (check out the hands-on pictures), is here, and it’s making a statement that the foldable smartphone category still has plenty of room for fresh ideas. While most foldables seem to follow predictable patterns, either flipping vertically like the Galaxy Z Flip or folding like a book à la the Galaxy Z Fold, Huawei’s Pura X introduces something refreshingly different. This device challenges the norms with its wide, 16:10 aspect ratio, instantly setting it apart from the sea of tall and narrow foldables we’ve grown used to.
A New Take on Foldable Displays
The first thing that catches your eye is the Pura X’s unique folding direction. Most clamshell foldables open vertically, unfolding into a tall display that often feels awkward for multitasking or watching videos. The Pura X flips this concept on its side, literally. When unfolded, its 6.3-inch OLED screen is shorter but significantly wider than competitors like the Galaxy Z Flip 6 or Motorola Razr 50 Ultra. This 16:10 display feels more akin to a small tablet or an iPad Mini rather than a smartphone struggling with odd aspect ratios. It’s an immediate quality-of-life improvement that makes streaming content, browsing, and even document editing far more comfortable.
Outside, the Pura X sports a 3.5-inch square OLED display, offering quick access to notifications, widgets, and even camera controls without flipping open the device. The hinge design, made of titanium alloy with a basalt water drop structure, also shows Huawei’s commitment to durability, along with IPX8 water resistance, which is still rare in the foldable space.
Bigger Battery, Better Cameras
Huawei didn’t stop at just making the display more usable. Battery life gets a notable upgrade as well. The Pura X packs a 4,720mAh battery, a significant leap over the sub-4,000mAh cells seen in many flip-style foldables. This extra capacity doesn’t just mean fewer trips to the charger; it allows the Pura X to better support its expansive display and high refresh rates (both inner and outer displays support 1-120Hz LTPO adaptive refresh rates).
On the camera front, Huawei once again makes an impact. The Pura X is equipped with a triple rear camera system featuring a 50MP main sensor, a 40MP ultra-wide lens with macro capabilities, and an 8MP telephoto shooter with 3.5x optical zoom. This setup is a game-changer for flip phones, which often compromise on camera hardware to save space. Samsung’s Z Flip line, for instance, still lacks any form of telephoto zoom, a gap that Huawei has filled with style.
The HarmonyOS Shift
Of course, no Huawei device in recent years would be complete without some caveats. The Pura X runs on HarmonyOS 5, specifically HarmonyOS Next, Huawei’s bold step away from Android. This means no native Google services and no Android app compatibility. Instead, the phone leans on Huawei’s in-house ecosystem, powered by its Pangu AI models and a new assistant called Harmony Intelligence. While this might be exciting for the Chinese market, it remains a significant hurdle for global users accustomed to the Google app suite.
Performance-wise, Huawei remains tight-lipped about the chipset, though reports suggest it’s using the Kirin 9020 with the HiSilicon Maleoon 920 GPU. Combined with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, the Pura X seems well-equipped for power users.
The Pura X starts at around $1,037 in China, and it’s clear that Huawei isn’t playing it safe. This is a foldable that dares to be different — wider, more powerful, and unapologetically original. In a market crowded with familiar ideas, the Pura X stands out as proof that fresh thinking is still very much alive, even if it comes without Google.
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