A foldable screen laptop to rival the ThinkPad X1 Fold is set to launch soon

Huawei’s upcoming event is set to debut its Nova 14 series of smartphones, but it’s also unveiling the Huawei MateBook Fold Ultimate Design, a laptop with a foldable screen similar to the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold or the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold. The news comes from the Huawei Terminal account on Weibo, and the event will be held on May 19 at 2:30 PM CST.

The machine is being made in collaboration with Hongmeng Computers. Unfortunately, Huawei remained tight-lipped about further details, but given that the event is in four days, it makes sense. The MateBook Fold Ultimate Design isn’t the first laptop to hit the market with a foldable screen, and we can glean some idea of how it will likely operate based on existing models.

The teaser image doesn’t reveal much detail, showing only a side profile and the front of the device in what looks like a screen cover. The fold seems to be around the center point of the device. If it’s anything like the ThinkPad X1 Fold, the MateBook Fold won’t have a keyboard built-in and will instead be more akin to a large tablet.

Most likely, the MateBook Fold will use a Bluetooth keyboard, although it might also have an on-screen keyboard. There is also a possibility that the laptop can be folded, with the Bluetooth keyboard placed atop the lower section, sacrificing screen space for a more compact size.

This is just an educated guess based on similar devices on the market, so exercising a certain amount of skepticism is recommended. We’ll find out more on May 19, when the laptop will be shown alongside the next wave of smartphones and the recently-revealed HarmonyOS. Until then, other aspects of the machine, including its specs, are anyone’s guess — but we hope it folds into a more compact shape for easy transport, taking cues from the Asus Zenbook Fold 17.