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In February, the technology sector introduced for the first time the first wave of foldable smartphones, two devices generating the most enthusiasm: the Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Huawei Mate X. Fast forward to May, and both devices have known a disastrous pre-launch spell, with the Fold delayed for defective screens and the questionable future of Mate X for Android support following President Trump's executive order banning the United States from conducting business with the society.
The Huawei Mate X has established itself as the most repeating phone of this year's Mobile World Congress. My colleague Vlad Savov called his design the most refined and refined version of the category of appliances, with a form factor that seemed reasonable and realistic for everyday use. Now that the ban threatens to block Mate X's Android support and prevent it from receiving popular operating system updates and Google services, it's hard to convince interested buyers that the future is uncertain. represents a value of 2,600 USD.
This is not to say that the Mate X is already dead on arrival: the phone should not be launched until June and, given the unpredictability of the current US administration, it is possible that the ban be lifted or at least mitigated. in the following weeks. Huawei may have already signed its Android license agreements for Mate X and its other anticipated flagship product, the Mate P30 / P30 Pro, set up before the US government edict, which means the devices could at least be delivered with Android Pie.
But even if it were, if the ban were still in effect, it would mean that the Mate X might miss critical Android security patches or receive them slower than its competitors (for example, if Samsung returns to the fold). It also means that it is unlikely that Mate X will receive updates from Android Q, the version of the operating system on which Google will implement more foldable device features to come. . First-time users may be willing to spend more than $ 2,000 on a next generation device, but most will have to admit that this amount should at least provide a phone with no reduced capacity.
Running without Android is not unusual for Huawei; In China, where Google is banned, the company (and just about every other Chinese mobile phone company) operates its own app store where it posts updates directly to consumers. The company is also prepared for the worst by developing its own mobile operating system if external relations between China and the United States deteriorate. Yet it is a mobile culture to which consumers outside China are not used and it would be difficult to convince them to adopt it.
Meanwhile, the Fold is still undergoing design changes as the company warns customers that their orders will be automatically canceled if the device is not shipped by May 31st. The Fold was originally scheduled to be shipped on April 26th.
Although the Galaxy Fold and Mate X face completely different challenges before launch, it is disturbing to see two of the best and most successful collapsible smartphones struggling to make a smooth launch for a new category of products. Samsung remains extremely vague about the release date of the Fold, and Huawei did not say anything about the postponement of the Mate X. The rest of us can not look at it until the arrival of June. For the moment, it seems that anyone interested in a foldable smartphone should wait until the technology is proven, both hardware and software.
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