Apple and Samsung just got beaten to the Wide Fold punch once again

HUAWEI launched the Pura X foldable last year, and it was one of the more interesting releases of 2025. Now, HUAWEI is back with the Pura X Max, and it’s taking aim at Apple and Samsung’s expected wide foldables.

The original Pura X (seen below) was effectively a clamshell foldable held sideways rather than a large, book-style foldable. This clamshell approach meant the cover display was small because it shared space with the camera bump. The new Pura X Max switches to a proper book-style form factor, with a large and wide cover display on the front.

In fact, the Pura X Max has a 5.4-inch outer screen (LTPO, 3,000 nits peak brightness) and a 7.7-inch inner display (LTPO, 3,500 nits peak brightness). Samsung’s rumored Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide could broadly match HUAWEI in this regard, as it’s tipped to have a 5.4-inch cover screen and a 7.6-inch folding panel. Meanwhile, the original Pura X had a 3.5-inch outer display and a 6.3-inch folding screen.

HUAWEI says the new phone has a Kirin 9030 Pro chipset. These recent Kirin chips are generally considered to be a couple of steps behind Qualcomm and MediaTek’s best chips. However, the firm claims a 25% CPU boost, 40% GPU boost, and 70% NPU boost over the Kirin 9020 seen in the original Pura X. The new handset also offers a 5,300mAh battery, 66W wired charging, and 50W wireless charging.

Otherwise, the Pura X Max has a triple rear camera setup. Expect a 50MP variable aperture main camera (f/1.4 to f/4.0), a 12.5MP RYYB ultrawide lens, and a 50MP RYYB 3.5x telephoto shooter. The firm is also offering an improved Red Maple color sensor on the back for more accurately capturing color information.

The Pura X Max also runs Harmony OS 6.1 in lieu of Android, supports the firm’s M-Pen 3 Mini stylus, and plays nicely with the DJI Osmo Pocket series of action cameras (e.g., direct content transfer). In terms of durability, you can expect an IP58/59 rating and ultra-thin glass for the foldable display.

Keen on the Pura X Max? The cheapest model is a 12GB/256GB variant, which retails for 10,999 yuan (~$1,613). The most expensive model is a 16GB/1TB variant, which has a recommended price of 13,999 yuan (~$2,053). Needless to say, the RAM crisis and other component price hikes have clearly affected pricing. So don’t be surprised if the phone is significantly more expensive outside China — if it launches in global markets in the first place.