I didn’t expect to find the Huawei MateBook Fold Ultimate Design foldable laptop on the floor at BEYOND Expo, and it wasn’t officially displayed at Huawei’s booth. But I did see a nervous intern walking around with a strange-looking laptop behind the scenes. I walked up to ask her if it was Huawei’s new ‘foldable laptop’ and lo and behold, I got a hands-on experience of a device hardly anybody’s seen before… and spoilers, it’s gorgeous. The MateBook Fold Ultimate Design is the kind of stuff you expect from companies like Apple and Google, but it really does seem like Huawei’s been pushing the envelope farther than any ‘Western’ brands. They mastered 5G before anyone, developed their own app ecosystem after being booted off Android, brought the Mate XT tri-fold device to market long before Samsung, and now managed to design, launch, and even display a foldable laptop long before anyone else could even get their R&D together. Designer: Huawei The MateBook Fold Ultimate Design (let’s just call it the MateBook Fold for short) is a bona fide luxury device. It costs a mind-bending $3,300 USD and is only available in China for now. That’s because it’s running Huawei’s HarmonyOS, which works best within the mainland. However, physically, the laptop looks GORGEOUS. At 14.9mm, it’s slightly thicker than the 128mm-thick tri-fold phone when shut (because it technically also has 3 panels), but open it up and you’re either faced with a 13″ laptop with a touchscreen keyboard, or an 18″ touchscreen monitor when opened fully (thanks to a kickstand at the back). The third panel? Well, that’s just the MateBook Fold’s snap-on keyboard, which works wirelessly with the device, allowing you to use it either independently or even placed on top of the MateBook, replacing the touchscreen keyboard with a tactile one. News flash, everything works absolutely seamlessly – you don’t need to pair or unpair keyboards, the screen transitions like magic between multiple formats, and the device, even though it released just 3 days ago, doesn’t have any rough edges that I can see. It’s all polished to the point of being a product you could throw 3.3 grand at today itself. So, here’s really what you get with the MateBook Fold. The three-part device (a two-part foldable and one snap-on keyboard) is as light as it gets – 2.5 lb (1.16 kg) officially, which is still lighter than a 13″ MacBook Pro. The keyboard sticks confidently via magnets, only snapping out when you remove it with intent. Even the hinge on the MateBook Fold – reliable, without a doubt. I needed two hands to pry the thing open, and once you disengage the device, the hinge loosens so that the lid lifts up comfortably. The MateBook Fold’s design enables hybrid-laptop-style usage, but with a key difference being the foldable display itsel. You can use it in the following formats – open it up and type on the lower touchscreen like a regular laptop (you can change the keyboard design, layout, color, it’s wild). My favorite part is the fact that when you activate the on-screen keyboard, the Huawei branding actually shows up near the hinge, displaying the company logo where you’d expect it to be on most traditional laptops. You might think of it as an easter egg, but I see it more as incredible attention to detail. The other way to type is to simply snap out the actual physical keyboard and use it to type (either on top of the laptop or kept on the side). However, if that 13″ screen isn’t enough for you, the MateBook Fold opens up to become a flat 18″ 3.3K display with a more tablet-ish 4:3 resolution. Hold and use the device like you would an 18″ tablet, place it flat on a tabletop, or prop it upwards, thanks to the built-in kickstand that otherwise sits flush against the back. There’s not a single bump anywhere on the device – the absence of a primary camera rids the MateBook Fold of its camera bump, so you’re left with a device that’s as gorgeously sleek as a laptop. The OS, for now, is Huawei’s HarmonyOS, running a tablet-PC hybrid layout. You have apps on the desktop, like TikTok, Xiaohongshu (or Red Note), WPS Office, among other local apps. Huawei’s even built a Copilot clone that runs on the device thanks to a dedicated AI key. The company’s worked with Deepseek AI to integrate its chatbot into the MateBook Fold, giving you what I can only describe as an experience that’s absolutely tailormade to and with China-based innovation. For a company scorned by the US and several other countries, this is nothing short of remarkable. I don’t say it to artificially glorify the company or the circumstances it finds itself in, but hey, it’s been half a year since the tri-fold and not one company. The rest of the info on the MateBook Fold Ultimate Design can obviously be found in any press release. The device packs 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage – overkill by tablet or laptop standards. A fingerprint reader comes built into the power button, and yes, even though there isn’t a primary camera, the bezel hides a webcam that can be used the way you would on a laptop. It’s difficult to really say who this foldable laptop is for. It oozes so much style that I find myself only being able to recommend it to people who like flexing expensive gear, like a Rolex or a Lamborghini. At $3,300 USD, it’s definitely in that territory. For people who splurged on the tri-fold Mate XT, this might just be the best laptop to complement it. After all, integration should be absolutely seamless, given that they both run the same OS too.The post Huawei’s Foldable Laptop Is A Game-Changer And We Tried It Out: Hands-On at BEYOND Expo 2025 first appeared on Yanko Design.

Huawei just shattered our expectations of what a laptop can be. The new MateBook Fold Ultimate Design doesn’t just push boundaries. It obliterates them. Designer: Huawei Unveiled on May 19, this groundbreaking device introduces the world’s first 18-inch foldable display in a laptop form factor. But calling it merely a laptop feels almost reductive. When unfolded, you’re looking at a stunning 18-inch canvas that somehow weighs less than many 13-inch ultrabooks. When folded, it transforms into a compact 13-inch device that slides effortlessly into a bag. What makes this design achievement particularly impressive isn’t just the folding display itself. It’s how Huawei solved the countless engineering challenges that have prevented others from creating something this ambitious. The innovation extends beyond mere technical specifications. Huawei has reimagined the fundamental relationship between users and their computing devices, creating something that adapts to various workflows rather than forcing users to adapt to rigid form factors. Engineering Marvel: The Hinge The hinge deserves special attention. Stretching 285mm across the device, Huawei calls it the “world’s largest basalt water drop hinge.” This isn’t marketing hyperbole. The three-stage shaft with mortise and tenon structure delivers a 400% increase in hovering torque compared to standard designs. What does this mean for users? Exceptional stability at viewing angles between 30° and 150°, while maintaining smooth operation at shallow angles between 0-20 degrees. When unfolded, the MateBook measures a mere 7.3mm thick. For perspective, that’s thinner than many smartphones. Even when folded, it maintains a relatively svelte 14.9mm profile while weighing just 1.16kg. The exterior combines premium leather and metal elements, available in Black, Blue, and White colorways. The integrated kickstand on the rear panel adds another dimension of versatility. Position the device in landscape or portrait orientation at various angles for different use cases. Present to clients, watch content, sketch ideas, or type documents. The physical form adapts to your needs rather than forcing you to adapt to it. This level of engineering precision didn’t happen overnight. Huawei claims thousands of prototypes were tested before arriving at this final design, with particular attention paid to the durability of the folding mechanism. The company promises the hinge will maintain structural integrity through thousands of folding cycles. Display Technology But the true star is undoubtedly the display itself. The dual-layer LTPO OLED panel delivers an immersive visual experience with a 92% screen-to-body ratio. When fully expanded, you’re looking at an 18-inch canvas with 4:3 aspect ratio and 3.3K resolution (3296 × 2472 pixels). Fold it, and you have a more conventional 13-inch display with 3:2 aspect ratio (2472 × 1648 pixels). This isn’t just any OLED panel. Huawei implemented the first commercial laptop application of LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) technology, reducing power consumption by 30% while enabling adaptive refresh rates. The 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio ensures deep blacks and vibrant colors across the P3 wide color gamut, while peak brightness reaches an impressive 1600 nits. For those concerned about eye strain during extended use, the screen incorporates 1440Hz high-frequency PWM dimming and carries TÜV Rheinland Eye Comfort 3.0 certification. Color accuracy hasn’t been overlooked either. Huawei claims each display is factory calibrated to achieve a Delta E of less than 1, making it suitable for professional creative work. The anti-reflective coating helps maintain visibility even in challenging lighting conditions. Thermal Innovation The revolutionary design extends beyond the visible elements. Cooling such powerful components in an ultra-thin chassis required innovative solutions. Huawei engineered diamond aluminum dual fans and an ultra-thin antigravity vapor chamber heat sink. The copper-steel composite 3D vapor chamber and distributed component layout optimize thermal performance without excessive fan noise. Traditional cooling systems simply wouldn’t work in a device this thin. Huawei’s approach involves separating heat-generating components across the chassis to prevent hotspots. The vapor chamber technology efficiently transfers heat away from critical components to maintain performance during intensive tasks. Fan noise has been carefully tuned to remain below 28dB during typical usage scenarios. This makes the MateBook Fold Ultimate suitable for quiet environments like libraries and meeting rooms where traditional laptop fans might prove distracting. Performance and Connectivity Despite its slim profile, performance hasn’t been compromised. The MateBook Fold Ultimate comes equipped with 32GB of RAM and storage options of either 1TB or 2TB SSD. While Huawei hasn’t explicitly confirmed the processor in all materials, some sources indicate it uses their own Kirin X90 chipset, a fully Chinese-manufactured ARM processor. A 74.69Wh battery powers the device, with support for fast charging through the included 140W USB-C charger. Connectivity includes strategically placed USB-C ports, one on top and one on the side, along with dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. The decision to position USB-C ports on different edges of the device shows thoughtful design consideration. This arrangement allows for convenient charging regardless of how the device is positioned or folded. The absence of legacy ports might disappoint some users, but reflects the forward-looking design philosophy behind the entire product. Audio-Visual Experience The audio experience matches the visual excellence with six speakers in total. Three 2W speakers work alongside three 1W speakers, enhanced by Huawei Sound technology. For video conferencing, an 8MP front-facing camera works alongside four microphones to ensure clear communication. Speaker placement has been carefully considered to maintain audio quality regardless of the device’s orientation. Whether used as a tablet, laptop, or in presentation mode, the sound remains clear and directional. The multi-microphone array uses AI-powered noise cancellation to isolate voices from background noise during calls. The camera quality represents a significant upgrade from typical laptop webcams. The 8MP sensor captures more detail than the standard 720p cameras found in most laptops, while the wide-angle lens ensures you stay in frame even when moving during calls. HarmonyOS 5: A New Computing Paradigm Perhaps the most intriguing aspect beyond the hardware is the software. The MateBook Fold Ultimate runs HarmonyOS 5, marking the first time this operating system appears on a Huawei laptop. This represents a significant departure from Windows, offering users a third major OS option alongside Windows and macOS. HarmonyOS 5 is designed specifically for this unique form factor. Intuitive gestures include three-finger swipes to move windows across screens and five-finger spreads to maximize applications. When positioned at a 90-degree angle like a traditional laptop, the bottom half can function as a virtual keyboard with customizable skins, adjustable key spacing, and haptic feedback through a linear motor. The operating system adapts intelligently to different usage scenarios. When folded, it automatically adjusts the interface for a more traditional laptop experience. When fully opened, it transforms into a tablet-like environment optimized for touch interaction. This contextual awareness extends to connected peripherals as well, with the interface changing based on whether the physical keyboard is attached. Input Options For those who prefer physical keys, Huawei includes an ultra-thin 5mm wireless keyboard weighing just 290g. This keyboard features 1.5mm key travel, lasts up to 24 days on a single charge, and magnetically attaches to the back of the device when not in use. The keyboard design deserves special mention. Despite its ultra-thin profile, Huawei has managed to deliver a surprisingly satisfying typing experience. The keys offer tactile feedback that rivals much thicker keyboards, while the full-size layout prevents the cramped feeling often associated with portable keyboards. Touch input has been optimized as well. The display supports 10-point multi-touch with pressure sensitivity, making it suitable for digital art and note-taking. Palm rejection technology works remarkably well, allowing users to rest their hand on the screen while writing or drawing without causing unwanted input. Versatility and Use Cases The versatility of the MateBook Fold Ultimate is perhaps its greatest strength. It transitions seamlessly between tablet mode, laptop configuration, and presentation setup. The built-in kickstand allows positioning at various angles in both portrait and landscape orientations. Creative professionals will appreciate the large canvas for digital art and design work. The 18-inch display provides ample space for complex projects, while the foldable nature means you can still take this capability on the road. Business users can leverage the presentation mode for client meetings, with the large screen eliminating the need for external displays in many scenarios. Students might find the combination of note-taking capabilities and full-size keyboard particularly appealing. The ability to fold the device partially creates a natural reading angle for digital textbooks, while the performance specifications handle research and productivity applications with ease. Market Position Priced at CNY 23,999 (approximately $3,300) for the 1TB model and CNY 26,999 (roughly $3,700) for the 2TB variant, the MateBook Fold Ultimate Design positions itself firmly in the premium market. It will initially launch in China on June 6, with international availability planned for later dates. While foldable laptops aren’t entirely new, Lenovo pioneered the concept years ago, Huawei’s implementation represents a significant leap forward. The larger screen, thinner profile, innovative hinge mechanism, and comprehensive ecosystem integration through HarmonyOS demonstrate what’s possible when design and engineering excellence converge. The pricing strategy places this device in competition with high-end laptops and creative workstations rather than mainstream consumer devices. Huawei is clearly targeting professionals and enthusiasts who value cutting-edge technology and are willing to invest in unique capabilities not found elsewhere. Future Implications The MateBook Fold Ultimate Design doesn’t just represent another iterative step in laptop evolution. It reimagines what portable computing can be. Whether this specific implementation becomes the new standard remains to be seen, but Huawei has undoubtedly expanded our understanding of what’s possible in mobile computing design. As with most breakthrough technologies, we can expect the concepts pioneered here to eventually trickle down to more affordable devices. The engineering solutions developed for this premium device will likely inform future products across various price points, potentially making foldable displays a common feature in laptops within the next few years. The introduction of HarmonyOS to the laptop form factor also signals Huawei’s ambitions beyond smartphones and tablets. Creating a cohesive ecosystem across all computing devices could position the company as a more comprehensive alternative to established players in the personal computing space.The post Huawei’s MateBook Fold Ultimate Design Redefines Mobile Computing with World’s First 18-inch Foldable Display first appeared on Yanko Design.

Let’s get one thing out of the way immediately: you shouldn’t buy Huawei’s trifold phone, the Mate XT. And that’s alright, because you probably couldn’t if you wanted to — while it’s no longer exclusive to China, it’s only on sale in a handful of countries, and not in the US or Europe.Besides, I can reel off a list of major problems with the Mate XT: at almost $4,000 it’s far too expensive, it doesn’t have native support for Google apps (though you can get around that more easily than you might think), it’s limited to 4G, and there are some pretty obvious reasons to worry about its durability. Any one of those individually would be a good reason to steer clear of buying the Mate XT. Taken together, they’re insurmountable.But this isn’t a phone you’re meant to buy, at least not outside China. It’s a phone you’re meant to gawk at on the internet, to marvel at Huawei’s technological prowess, to ooh and ahh about its many and varied folds. This is Huawei showing off, proving to the world that it’s still got it. And in fairness, it has.6Verge Score$4000The GoodA versatile tablet replacementImpressive battery lifeMuch thinner than you’d expectThe BadIncredibly expensiveNo Google support or 5GHow tough is it really?$4000 at HuaweiHow we rate and review productsAs I sit and write this — more than six months after Huawei first released the Mate XT in China — it’s still the only one of its kind. Rumor has it that Samsung has a trifold ready to show off this year, but it hasn’t yet. And by the time it does, odds are Huawei will have spent a full year as the only player in the game.That might ring alarm bells in your head. This must be undercooked tech, you think, rushed out the door to beat everyone else to market. But the most surprising thing about the Mate XT is that it only occasionally feels first-gen. This is the only way to display three apps at once, with one in a floating window.There’s a hint of it in the multitasking, which refuses to allow you to fully open three apps at a time, pinning each to one of the three screen segments. Or when the fully open screen often doesn’t quite go entirely flat, which is more annoying than any crease will ever be. And you notice it when you open the phone, or close it, and the app you’re using seems to briefly reboot itself, losing your spot in a long article or (once, infuriatingly) discarding a Letterboxd review that was almost entirely finished. I’ve learned not to change the configuration while doing something, just to be safe.But for the most part, these just don’t really matter. After several weeks using the Mate XT as my main phone, my primary impression is that it delivers on its promise, effectively offering three different devices in one.First it’s a phone……then it’s a foldable……and then it’s a tablet.Fully closed, this is simply a regular phone with a 6.4-inch display. At 12.8mm thick, it has a little heft to it, but not unduly so — it’s less than a millimeter thicker than Samsung’s Z Fold 6. It’s solid, and weighty, and even the cameras are decent. It’s as good a phone in this form as Samsung’s foldable, so long as you can live with sideloading the Play Store.When I’m reading a long article or trying to keep up in the editorial Slack channels, I open the phone up to a 7.9-inch, squarish display that’s a pretty close match for what other foldables offer. For me, this is the least useful setup of the three, a reminder that current book-style foldables offer something I don’t really want most of the time, extra screen space in all the wrong places. But that’s what the Mate XT’s full screen is for. Flipping one more section nets me a full 10.2-inch display, making this a thin, lightweight tablet I can fold up and fit in my pocket. It’s wider than it is tall, a close match for the aspect ratios in most streaming apps, ideal for watching videos and playing games, tripling the screen real estate for wide-screen entertainment. I haven’t traveled much in the time I’ve been working on this review, but this is a phone crying out for rail commutes and long-haul flights, a big-screen Balatro machine that fits in your pocket, not your backpack.The creases look bad at an angle, but viewed head-on they all but disappear.There are workarounds to get almost any app on Huawei phones these days — Google Wallet NFC payments were the only thing I missed.Nine times out of ten, I use the Mate XT like a regular ol’ phone, and that extra screen space is probably wasted on me. But I don’t travel all that much, or make a habit of gaming on my phone; I wouldn’t make the most of this outside a handful of plane rides a year. Maybe you wouldn’t either, but I imagine anyone who already gets regular use out of both a phone and a tablet is feeling a little pull of temptation to merge them into one.The main thing people have asked me about the Mate XT, once they get over the foldiness of it all, is whether the battery sucks. In my experience, it absolutely doesn’t. The 5,600mAh capacity proves more than capable of lasting a full day (and then some), but I’ll refer you back to the previous paragraph — I’m not spending all day with the phone fully open. 5,600mAh is a decent battery for a phone, but a small one for a tablet, so if that’s your main use case, then you should expect to feel a bit more of a pinch.This exposed screen edge certainly feels like a failure point.The second thing people ask is how likely it is to break. And compared to a regular phone, the answer is pretty likely! There’s a whole extra failure point in the second hinge, and no IP rating, so you can’t trust it to survive either water or dust. I’m more worried that one part of the soft, flexible screen is always exposed to the outside world. It’s going to get nicks, scratches, and dents, and there’s nothing you can do about it. My review unit already has a couple, and I’ve been babying the thing. I’d say you shouldn’t buy this unless you can afford to replace it, but again: you probably shouldn’t buy it at all.Maybe you should buy the next one. Or the one after that. Or one a few generations down the line. Or just the first one that isn’t made by Huawei, because fantastic as the company’s hardware can be, I’m still not convinced it’s worth giving up proper Google support. But while the Mate XT may be the first trifold, I’m confident it won’t be the last. And this hardware, with Google and 5G, for two-thirds the price, and a generation or two of durability improvements? You should buy that phone.Photography by Dominic Preston / The VergeSee More:

Menu Home News Hardware Gaming Mobile Finance Deals Reviews How To Wccftech MobileSemiconductor Huawei’s Chipmaking Partner SiCarrier Reportedly Seeks $2.8 Billion In Funding As It Attempts To Compete With ASML; Most Products Have Yet To Enter Production Omar Sohail • May 14, 2025 at 01:07am EDT SiCarrier was previously reported to have a trade link with Huawei, with the Chinese firm said to be developing next-generation chip manufacturing tools that would allow it and the region to compete with ASML and severely reduce dependency on overseas firms. Unfortunately, realizing these goals is going to be a costly venture, and even with financial backing from China, it appears that SiCarrier’s plans cannot reach fruition without some funding to catalyze its plans, which is why the company is said to acquire capital of a whopping $2.8 billion to make this possible. The funds will be used for research purposes, with various entities interested in investing in SiCarrier During SEMICON, SiCarrier unveiled a host of cutting-edge chipmaking machines aimed at breaking ASML’s monopoly and giving China the edge in this highly competitive industry. Unfortunately, Reuters reports that most of the products showcased by the Huawei partner have yet to enter production, and the lack of funds could be a major indicator. This is likely why the company is apparently looking to raise capital, with sources familiar with the matter claiming that SiCarrier wants $2.8 billion, with the firm valued at $11 billion.. The fundraising could conclude in a few weeks, with multiple entities such as domestic venture capital companies interested in investing in SiCarrier. Interestingly enough, the report mentions that the required funding did not include the chipmaker’s lithography assets, but there is a possibility that interested parties will want a piece of this pie. After all, the entire goal for China, and by extension, Huawei, is to stop relying on the older DUV equipment and focus on building ‘state of the art’ EUV machinery so that a host of companies can move past the 7nm barrier. Currently, China’s largest semiconductor manufacturing company, SMIC, is limited to mass manufacturing 7nm wafers because transitioning to the 5nm technology requires multiple patterning steps, which increases costs and lowers yields. SMIC was previously mentioned to have successfully developed its 5nm node, but plans to mass producing wafers on this lithography is still a distant dream. China was also said to be developing in-house EUV machines that would enter trial production in Q3 2025, but there are no follow-ups regarding these plans, which only means that the majority of China’s ambitions could rest on SiCarrier’s shoulders. News Source: Reuters Deal of the Day Subscribe to get an everyday digest of the latest technology news in your inbox Follow us on Topics Sections Company Some posts on wccftech.com may contain affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com © 2025 WCCF TECH INC. 700 - 401 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada