Feb 28, 2019, 02:55am
How Huawei's Foldable Mate X Can Be Apple's Nightmare In China
Yue Wang
Richard Yu, the CEO of Huawei's consumer products division presents the new Huawei Mate X foldable smartphone at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), on the eve of the world's biggest mobile fair, on February 24, 2019 in Barcelona. (Photo: Josep LAGO/AFP)
It just got harder for Apple to revive flagging iPhone sales in the all-important China following the launch of the Huawei Mate X.
Huawei stole the show at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona when it launched on Feb. 25 the $2,600 Mate X, a foldable smartphone that can be expanded into an eight-inch tablet when fully folded out. While Mate X isn’t expected to have mass-market appeal simply because of its price tag, analysts say it still can help Huawei seize more ground in China at the expense of Apple. This is because ultra-wealthy Chinese such as local entrepreneurs are losing interest in the U.S. behemoth. They no longer clamor for the $1,000-plus iPhones, which are now considered as lacking innovation, and wouldn’t mind paying extra for a feature-filled alternatives.
“Previously, the most expensive iPhones are a top choice in China,” says James Yan, a research director at Counterpoint Research. “But this type of affluent consumers will instead wait for Mate X to go on sale now.”
When the Mate X goes on sale this summer, analysts expect consumers to also purchase other Huawei brand products such as the high-end P series and the Mate series. By being one of the first to launch a foldable phone, which in the future may render tablets obsolete, Huawei is building brand awareness that could drive future sales.
“After seeing the MateX, Chinese consumers will be more tempted to try other high-end Huawei devices,” says Jia Mo, an analyst at market research firm Canalys. “At a time when the iPhones haven’t had major upgrades, the Mate X definitely boosts Huawei’s brand image.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ywang/...an-be-apples-nightmare-in-china/#39a80ede415b
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Huawei Honor expects to unveil its 5G phone with folding screen at affordable prices in 2020.