Huawei Pura X Max Introduces a New Wide Foldable Design Before Samsung and Apple

Huawei has taken the lead in a foldable category that rivals such as Samsung and Apple are still only rumored to be exploring. With the Pura X Max, the company has introduced a wider book-style foldable that moves away from the tall, narrow format that has dominated the segment in recent years.

After several generations of foldables that largely followed the same design formula, Huawei is trying something different. The newly revealed Pura X Max adopts a shorter and wider form factor, positioning itself as a more practical alternative to the tall foldables that have become standard across the market. In doing so, Huawei appears to be targeting a format many users have been asking for — one that feels closer to a compact tablet when unfolded and potentially more comfortable for video, gaming, split-screen multitasking, and general media use.

Huawei has already opened pre-orders for the Pura X Max in China, although the company has not yet disclosed official pricing or any international availability plans. Even so, the announcement is significant because it gives the industry its first official look at what could become the next major foldable design trend, beating both Samsung and Apple to a wider folding format that has been widely discussed in leaks.

Visually, the Pura X Max stands out with a triple rear camera setup, a relatively clean rear panel, and a foldable chassis that appears to minimize the visibility of the display crease. Huawei’s official imagery also shows the device in three color options — white, orange, and purple — suggesting the company is positioning it as a premium flagship rather than a niche experimental device.

When opened, the device is reported to feature a 7.69-inch inner display with WQHD+ resolution, paired with a 5.5-inch outer screen. Those dimensions place it very close to the size rumored for Samsung’s upcoming “wide” foldable, which has been tipped to arrive with a 7.6-inch inner panel and a 5.4-inch cover display. That comparison matters because it suggests Huawei may have set the template for a broader shift in foldable design before its biggest rivals have officially entered the space.

What makes the Pura X Max particularly interesting is not simply that it is wide, but that the wider layout may solve some of the usability compromises that have long defined foldables. Traditional narrow foldables often feel cramped on the outer display and awkwardly tall in everyday handling. By contrast, a wider device could offer a more natural aspect ratio for reading, browsing, typing, and watching content without needing to rotate the device as often.

For now, however, much of the device remains unknown. Huawei has not confirmed the chipset, battery capacity, camera specifications, charging details, or software enhancements that will power the Pura X Max. As a result, the phone’s long-term significance will depend not only on its shape, but also on whether Huawei can back up the new design with competitive flagship hardware and an ecosystem that supports the larger canvas effectively.

Even at this early stage, the Pura X Max represents an important moment for the foldable market. Rather than simply refining an existing design language, Huawei is pushing the category toward a form factor that many industry watchers expected Samsung or Apple to debut first. Whether the wider foldable becomes a mainstream standard remains to be seen, but Huawei has clearly ensured that it will be part of that conversation from the very beginning.