Huawei just unveiled the MateBook X Fold at its 2025 Tech Life event in Shanghai and this might be the first foldable laptop that feels like it belongs in the real world.
Foldables have been around for a while, but let’s be honest: most of them felt like tech experiments. Impressive on paper, awkward in practice. Huawei’s latest model looks different.
This one feels ready for daily use.
What It Is
The MateBook X Fold is a 17-inch OLED touchscreen that folds in half.
Closed, it’s about the size of a 12.5-inch laptop thicker than usual but still portable. Open it up, and you’ve got a full tablet-style display with a 3:2 aspect ratio. Yes, there’s a crease, but it’s smaller than what we’ve seen before. Huawei says the hinge is rated for 300,000 folds enough for 40 opens a day for 20 years.
Weight? About 1.6kg (3.5 lbs). That’s in line with most ultrabooks.
Specs and Features
Under the hood:
Intel Core Ultra 7 processor
16GB or 32GB of RAM
1TB or 2TB SSD
2.5K OLED display, 120Hz refresh
Pen support and smooth touch response
9–10 hours of battery (light use), 65W USB-C fast charging
The keyboard and trackpad magnetically attach when folded into a clamshell. Unfolded, you can detach the keyboard and place it wherever you like. It also supports Huawei’s Multi-Screen Collaboration great if you already use other Huawei devices.
Why This One Might Succeed
Lenovo and ASUS have tried foldable laptops too. The hardware was fine. The problem? No one knew what to do with them.
Huawei’s pitch is clearer:
Closed, it works like a regular laptop.
Opened, it becomes a spacious layout for reading, editing, or multitasking.
The detachable keyboard means you’re not stuck tapping on glass.
Plus, Windows 11 handles the folding and scaling better now. Apps snap into place. Orientation changes are smooth. The software finally caught up.
First Impressions
Reviewers at the event say the hinge feels solid and the crease fades away once the screen’s on. The detachable keyboard is getting early praise too:
“I like that it doesn’t force you into one mode. Detachable keyboard is smart.”
“Finally a foldable that isn’t trying too hard to be different.”
There are a few concerns:
Price will likely start above $2,500
Repairability is a big question
Outside the Huawei ecosystem, some features won’t work
Global availability is unclear
What It Means for Foldable Laptops
If Huawei pulls this off, expect others to follow. This feels less like a gimmick and more like a practical shift in design. Instead of folding for the sake of folding, it folds to give you options.
Fold it to travel. Unfold it to work. Keep it compact when you don’t need the extra screen. That’s the kind of thinking these devices always needed.
Should You Care?
If you travel often and want more screen without more bulk, it’s worth watching.
If you’re deep into Huawei’s ecosystem, it’ll feel seamless.
If you want a general-purpose Windows laptop with broad app support and easy repairs, this might not be for you. And no surprise it won’t be cheap.
But it’s the first foldable laptop in a long time that looks designed for use, not just attention.
And that’s a good start.
