Huawei Pura X Flip Phone Shakes Up Foldable Market | Image Source: www.bloomberg.com
SHENZHEN, China, March 20, 2025 – Huawei threw a curved ball into the game folding smartphone with the demonstration of its new device, the Huawei Pura X. It’s not your typical folding. It’s not just a normal phone or a folding book style. The Pure X covers both categories with a unique design, bold options and a new approach to use, even if it cannot be purchased outside China.
Presented by Huawei consumer leader Richard Yu at a press event in Shenzhen, Pure X is driven by HarmonyOS 5, a continuous evolution away from Google’s Android ecosystem. The device has a 6.3-inch internal screen with a 16:10 appearance ratio when developed, and a 3.5-inch screen outside when closed. With prices starting at about $1,040 in China, it is already making waves among technology enthusiasts for its reflective design, even though its global reach remains limited.
What makes Huawei Pure X design different?
Pure X opens like a book but closes like a classic phone. This creates a hybrid shape factor that feels refreshing compared to the extended shape of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 candy bar or the scaly interior screen of Pixel 9 Pro Fold. According to PhoneArena, the wider Pure X format makes it “almost the perfect size to see content”. It is a clear nodule for practical use: ordinary people, moving and reading more than multiple tasks on divided screens.
Instead of prioritizing multitasking designs or gimmicky application divisions, Huawei chose to optimize what people really do on their phones. You want to watch YouTube or Netflix without those black bars? Exit 16: 10. Do you need to write without feeling that you press your thumbs on a remote? The keyboard fits comfortably into the larger canvas. Anyway, this design makes sense.
Does the external screen provide real utility?
The 3.5-inch external screen allows users to access basic functions such as notification verification, message response and even interaction with selected applications. Although smaller than Motorola’s Razr front screen, it is usable. However, critics say that Huawei could have pushed the screen even more, possibly border-a-edge, to improve utility.
As Droid-Life points out, the current design sacrifices the real estate from the screen to the front to make way for the camera matrix. Although functional, it may allow some users to want more space to interact with applications. However, for many, the internal screen is the place where magic occurs – and Pure X does not disappoint there.
How do you stack the Pure X camera?
That’s where Huawei’s reflexes are. The Pure X includes a triple camera configuration: a 50MP primary sensor, an ultra-more than 40MP and an incredible 3.5X telephoto lens, a feature still missing from Samsung’s Flip series, even after several generations. According to Gizmodo, ”seven generations of Flip and Samsung phones have not yet discovered how to put a telephoto camera” – however, Huawei managed to do so in the form of a sleeper.
The camera performance is supported by solid hardware, although the phone uses Huawei’s Kirin chip, which is behind the Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. It’s not a quick shake, but it’s not a slouch either. The camera configuration, as well as the optimized setting of Harmony OS software, ensure that users get high-quality shots and low-frequency zoom capabilities in other flip-style folds.
What are the benefits of using the real world?
Beyond cameras and screens, the Pure X brings a practical update of the battery to the folding category. It has a 4700 mAh battery, a significant impact of the 4000 mAh cell in Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6. The larger dimensions allow more internal space for a larger battery, a often ignored advantage of Huawei’s design direction.
Longer battery duration, better machining experience, immersive video playback – all are small but striking improvements that could win over users tired of narrow screens and uncomfortable keyboard designs. As Droid-Life said, “if you have to deploy, you can also display on a screen that does more”
Does the software experience keep it?
Yes and no. The biggest warning at Pure X is that HarryOS 5 works – a system that has completely diverged from Android and lacks support for Google Play Store and related services. This means that users will not have native access to many applications that Western users expect, such as Gmail, Google Maps or even YouTube. For those living in China, where Google is largely absent, this is not a problem. But for international users, it is a massive barrier.
According to Bloomberg, Huawei continued to develop HarmonyOS to create a seamless ecosystem through its devices, from smartphones to tablets and laptops. However, it still faces obstacles to attract global developers to optimize or transport their applications to Harmony OS. Without broad support for developers, users could find incompatible application performance and lack of key services.
Is pure X available worldwide?
No, and he’s probably the greatest negotiator. Pure X is currently unique in China. There is no evidence that Huawei plans to free him around the world, especially in Western markets, where he faces political and legal obstacles. Since its effective ban on using Google’s Android services in 2019, Huawei has largely concentrated its smartphone efforts at the national level.
While some adventurers may consider importing the phone through resellers, it is not recommended for occasional users. According to several sources, including Droid-Life and Gizmodo, the HarryOS configuration process to work properly outside China – from language packages to application compatibility - can be complicated and frustrating.
Why should other manufacturers pay attention?
The design philosophy behind Pure X should be noted. It’s not just about making a flashing folding – it’s about understanding how users really interact with their phones and optimizing that. Huawei’s larger appearance ratio, increased battery capacity and the inclusion of a telephoto camera show a level of intent that is lacking in many folding offers today.
Samsung and Google have dominated the folding market by itating in similar designs for years. However, their devices are often perceived as engagements, with application escalation problems, reports of foreign appearance and poor battery performance. Huawei’s willingness to experiment, even if it is for an internal market, sends a clear message: innovation does not always have to mean radical; Sometimes it means sensitive.
What is Pure X’s verdict?
Is the Huawei Pure X the perfect fold? Not quite. But it could be the most convenient and user-oriented we’ve seen in a while. It combines material decisions thought with a bold form factor that really adds value. From its visualization relationship close to its telephoto lens and enhanced battery, Pure X challenges the status quo.
However, its dependence on HarmonyOS and lack of international availability make it inaccessible to many. But maybe that’s not the problem. The Pure X is less about being the phone you buy tomorrow and more about being the design others should learn. If nothing else, Huawei reminded us that folding phones can still be exciting, even if they remain out of reach.
As Huawei advances with devices like Pure X, it serves as a sharp contrast to Google, Samsung and Apple’s increasingly conservative approaches. Maybe the smartphone industry really needs isn’t another processor hit or camera plug – maybe it just needs a little more courage.
