Huawei is lining up a new foldable for its April 20 launch event, and the headline act may be the Pura X Max: a horizontally folding phone that could arrive before Apple’s long-rumored foldable iPhone. If the leaks are right, Huawei is using this model to push the same wide-format idea into a larger, more tablet-like package – a shape that makes more sense for multitasking than for pocket bragging rights.
The Pura X Max is said to sit alongside the Pura 90 series in Huawei’s refresh, and it keeps the family’s wide-fold identity intact. That matters because the foldable race has started to split into two camps: the book-style devices everyone knows, and a broader, landscape-oriented design that looks closer to a mini tablet when opened. Huawei wants to be first to market with that second idea, even if Samsung and Apple are already sniffing around the same territory.
Huawei Pura X Max design and displays
According to leaks from tipster Digital Chat Station, the phone’s inner display is a 7.69-inch WQHD+ panel, paired with a 5.5-inch outer screen for quick tasks. Huawei is also reportedly sticking with a 16:10 aspect ratio, which should give the open device more usable space than the tall, narrow panels that still dominate much of the foldable market.
Images shared by Fixed Focus Digital on Weibo suggest Huawei is keeping the design relatively clean, with the usual mix of premium hardware and camera hardware that looks anything but subtle. That’s the point: wide foldables live or die on whether they feel genuinely useful when opened, not just expensive when closed.
Kirin 9030 chip and Red Maple Quad Camera
Under the hood, the Pura X Max is expected to run on Huawei’s Kirin 9030 chip, the same silicon rumored for the Pura 90 series. The chip is said to use a new 9-core architecture with performance improvements, while the camera setup is tipped to include Huawei’s Red Maple Quad Camera system with a stronger focus on the telephoto lens.
- 7.69-inch WQHD+ inner display
- 5.5-inch outer screen
- 16:10 aspect ratio
- Kirin 9030 chip with a new 9-core architecture
- Red Maple Quad Camera system
Apple is still working on its own foldable iPhone with a similar tablet-like ratio, and Samsung is also reportedly developing a wide-fold model of its own. Huawei getting there first would not settle the category, but it would set the tone – and force rivals to explain why their version should be worth waiting for.
The open question is whether Huawei can turn ”first” into ”best” before the rest of the industry catches up. Foldables have a habit of making bold promises on paper and awkward compromises in hand, so the real test for the Pura X Max will be simple: does that wider canvas feel like a smart new format, or just another expensive hinge with extra screen real estate?