Huawei Leapfrogs Apple & Samsung, Unveiling Widescreen Pura X Max
While the tech world waits for Samsung and Apple to release their rumored wide foldables, Huawei has jumped out front by announcing the successor to its Pura line. The newly unveiled Huawei Pura X Max follows the "widebody" design philosophy, arriving well before the competition's expected timelines.
Samsung and Apple are also all but confirmed to be developing their own wide foldables in a shift that suggests that the industry is exploring a different use case than the square inner screens seen on previous models, likely targeting media consumption as a primary focus. While the Pura X Max is set to launch next week, it will likely remain a China-only release, leaving the global market to wait for the upcoming Samsung and Apple alternatives.
Building on Something Unique
The original Pura X was a bit like a Moto Razr or Z Flip that leaned more into the tablet world thanks to its wider 6.3-inch inner screen. While the cover display remained a relatively small square at 3.5-inches, the inner screen was 16:10 — a ratio that makes a ton of sense on for a phone. This aspect ratio is great for multimedia as most videos are still 16:9 in ratio. At the same time, it’s not so wide that it’s uncomfortable to use.
The Pura X Max ups the screen sizes dramatically. The inner screen maintains that 16:10 ratio, but jumps to 7.6-inches. The cover display now fills the body and measures out at a no longer cramped 5.5-inches.
The Pura X Max runs on HarmonyOS NEXT, which is a major turning point because Huawei has completely stripped out the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) code. This means the system won't even recognize standard APK files. Huawei is pushing their "HarmonyOS Native Apps" hard, and while they've reached parity with most major apps in China, Western niche apps are still missing. For anyone relying on Google, the landscape in 2026 is all about workarounds. Users are leaning on virtualization tools to create "sandboxes" for certain apps, though you'll probably deal with slower performance. Some use microG to get certain Google libraries working, but it's far from a perfect solution. If your life is tied to the Play Store, this is still a tough device to use as a daily driver without a lot of extra effort.
The Pura X Max features a triple-camera setup on the rear, utilizing a horizontal bar-style layout. This array likely consists of a primary, ultrawide, and telephoto lens. By including three distinct sensors, Huawei is outdoing the current rumored approach for the upcoming foldable offerings from Apple and Samsung, which are expected to launch with only two rear cameras. While exact specs for the Max are not yet known, it could be similar to the original Pura X hardware, which featured a 50 MP wide lens, an 8 MP telephoto with 3.5x optical zoom, and a 40 MP ultrawide. Expect Huawei to use one of their Kirin SOCs for this device.
Huawei is offering the device in four distinct colors: Black, Orange, Purple, and White. The design highlights a focus on the larger exterior screen, which includes a punch-hole cutout for the front-facing camera. To keep up with various performance needs, the device will be sold in several configurations including 12GB RAM with either 256GB or 512GB of storage, and 16GB RAM with either 512GB or 1TB of storage.
Huawei’s continued use of a 16:10 display highlights a different strategy than Apple and Samsung, as those companies are rumored to be targeting a 4:3 aspect ratio. While 4:3 is more "boxy" and potentially better for productivity, 16:10 is wider and generally better suited for media consumption, as it fills more of the screen during video playback.
While the X Max shares the short-and-wide "passport" form factor that made the original Google Pixel Fold famous, the actual screen experience will be different. The Pixel Fold's 6:5 ratio is quite a bit taller in terms of aspect ratio than what Huawei has here. Huawei's 16:10 ratio actually makes the X Max a much more rectangular, widescreen device than the Pixel Fold ever was. The rumored 4:3 screens from Apple and Samsung will also be taller, but they’ll be a bit closer.
Below is the data comparing the Pura X Max with its predecessor and other rumored or existing wide-format foldables.
| Device | Cover Display | Inner Display | Inner Aspect Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huawei Pura X Max | 5.5 inches | 7.69 inches | 16:10 |
| Huawei Pura X | 3.5 inches (Square) | 6.3 inches | 16:10 |
| iPhone Fold (Rumored) | 5.5 inches | 7.8 inches | 4:3-ish |
| Samsung Wide Fold (Rumored) | 5.4 inches | 7.6 inches | 4:3-ish |
| Google Pixel Fold (Original) | 5.8 inches | 7.6 inches | 6:5 |
