Huawei has recently launched MateBook Fold, the thinnest and foldable laptop. It can fold at 90° while weighing only 1.45kg. The company claims it is the world’s first foldable laptop.
Operating on Huawei’s own operating system, HarmonyOS highlights Huawei foldable PC’s uniqueness in the modern tech era. It is one step ahead of Huawei to give tough competition to market leaders such as Microsoft and Apple.
Despite offering amazing features, Huawei claim of holding the crown of launching the world’s first foldable laptop is questionable. Let’s do some fact checking to find the truth behind Huawei claim.
Were there any foldable laptops in the global market before Huawei’s MateBook Fold
Considering Huawei MateBook Fold Ultimate, the World’s first Laptop because of folding feature is not accurate. As Lenovo and ASUS had launched foldable laptops earlier.
Lenovo launched ThinkPad X1 Fold (1st Gen) back in January 2019 that became available in limited US markets in the middle of 2020. Later, in the same year it was also sold in Indian markets. However, until November 2023 it was not released globally.
Similarly, ASUS ZenBook 17-Fold OLED was also released globally in August 2022. Its global rollout started in the fourth quarter of the same year. The laptop features a 17.3-inch foldable OLED touchscreen, making it the earlier foldable laptop before Huawei’s release.
However, foldable laptop Huawei contains some specific features that have become available for the first time on foldable laptops.
Huawei MateBook Fold become the first folding laptop?
Huawei claim of launching the World’s first foldable laptop is based on featuring some technical advancements such as:
- Featuring an 18-inch foldable OLED screen for the first time.
- Incorporation of Dual-Layer LTPO OLED technology that saves battery power and offers better adaptive refresh rate.
- Huawei MateBook Fold is the first PC running on HarmonyOS 5.
New features in Huawei MateBook Fold
New features in the Huawei Matebook Fold are hard to ignore. It has a classy diary look design, allowing users to open it fully and use it vertically or horizontally. When folded, the screen measures 7.3mm and unfolds to 14.9mm thickness.
The foldable device also features a virtual keyboard, which adds more style to the system. Users who feel more comfortable with the physical keyboard, Huawei offers an ultra-thin 5mm wireless keyboard for them. It is made up of aluminum alloy weighing only 1.45kg.
The MateBook Fold features a 4:3 aspect ratio, which aligns with traditional productivity-focused laptops.
The laptop offers 1600 nits’ brightness, enhancing the experience of watching HDR videos and showing optimal results in sunlight. Its OLED offers 3.3K (3296 x 2472) resolution.
The laptop offers a strong 74.69 Whr battery, allowing continuous usage for 7.5 hours with light use. Furthermore, the laptop offers 32GB of RAM and 2 TB of complete storage capacity.
Comparison of Huawei vs ASUS vs Lenovo foldable laptops
Comparison of ASUS, Lenovo and Huawei foldable models will help us to understand differences in specifications and newness in the system.
| Laptop | Display | Resolution | Processor | Ram | Storage Capacity | Battery Life | Operating System | Keyboard accessories | Price |
| Huawei | 18-inches | 3.3K (3296×2472) | Not disclosed by the company | 32 GB | 2 TB SSD | 74.69 Whr | HarmonyOS 5 | Magnetic keyboard + stylus | ~$3,328 (Available in China only) |
| ASUS | 17.3 inches | 2.5K (2560×1920) | Intel Core i7 (12th Gen) | 16 GB | 1 TB SSD | 75 Whr | Windows 11 | Bluetooth keyboard included | $3,499 |
| Lenovo | 16.3 inches | 2.5K (2024×2560) | Intel Core i5/i7 | Up to 32 GB | Up to 1 TB SSD | ~48–65 Whr | Windows 11 | Magnetic keyboard included | ~$2,499–$2,999 |
Discussing strengths and weaknesses
Huawei MateBook Fold Ultimate Design
Strengths
- Offers ultra sharp visuals.
- Dual-layer LTPO OLED saves battery consumption up to 30%.
- Huawei’s custom operating system.
- Unique design.
Weaknesses
- Only available in China.
- Could cause incompatibility issues for global users because of unavailability of the official Windows version.
AUSUS ZenBook 17 Fold OLED
Strengths
- Runs on Windows and supports all standard PC apps.
- Solid build
- Processor performance is commendable.
Weaknesses
- The price is higher.
- Occupies space when folded.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
Strengths
- Lighter and easier to carry.
- Affordable price.
- Runs Windows
Weaknesses
- Screen size is smaller
- Battery life is not impressive.
Market Availability of Huawei Matebook Fold
According to TechRadar, the MateBook Fold is only available in China. Until now, the company has not shared any updates about global releases.
Expert Insights
Huawei’s MateBook Fold has an impressive design, and the addition of new features highlights its presence in the market. The company introduces some new features in foldable devices, but it is not the first one to launch the foldable device. And still users are waiting for its global availability.
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