Mobile World Congress

Foldable phones by various manufacturers and brands were unveiled in this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain. These gadgets embodied the smartphone-tablet hybrid ideal by way of advanced foldable screen tech.

Two foldables were presented during the event – one by a brand known for smartphones – Huawei – and another that’s known for something else – Energizer.

Huawei’s “Mate X”

Huawei presented its first foldable flagship in this year’s MWC, a model which tech pundits and industry analysts are calling a worthy contender to Samsung’s recently unveiled “Galaxy Fold” foldable phone.

Dubbed the “Mate X,” the device is designed with the wrap around screen concept, invariably setting it to have two screen modes: a folded one that sets it to have two screens (a 6.6-inch main and a 6.4-inch secondary display) and an unfolded one that makes it an 8-inch tablet.

Comparably thinner than Samsung’s “Galaxy Fold,” the folded thickness of the “Mate X” measures 11mm, and 5.4mm when unfolded. Powered by a 4,500mAh battery, the model touts advanced processing capabilities that allow for multi-app processing.

In terms of imaging capability, the model comes with a three-lens primary camera setup which Huawei indicates as “at par” with the image capturing features of the brand’s previously released “Mate 20 Pro” model.

Given its foldable form, netizens and techies were quick to compare the functional and aesthetic aspects of the “Mate X” with Samsung’s “Galaxy Fold,” with most noting that the “Mate X” is sexier and sleeker in terms of looks.

Some have also pointed out that although both smartphone models come with advanced features and functions, these do not have headphone jacks – hinting that the models are most likely going to come with wireless headsets.

Expected to be released in overseas markets by mid-2019, more information on the “Mate X” is hosted on Huawei’s official online channels.

Energizer’s “Power Max P8100S”

Energizer, a brand more known for batteries and not smartphones, presented two out-of-the-ordinary smartphone models in this year’s MWC – the foldable “Power Max P8100S” and the “power bank-integrated” “Power Max P18K Pop.”

The foldable “Power Max P8100S” is akin to Samsung’s “Galaxy Fold,” as it comes with an “outer” 6-inch screen and an “inner” screen that folds out as an 8.1-inch display.

Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, its specifications indicate that it has a two-lens primary camera setup that’s made of 12 and 48-megapixel lenses. For selfies, it has a 24-megapixel camera.

In terms of its battery, the device is powered by a 10,000mAh battery, roughly two and a half times more mAh compared to most smartphones sold in the market today.

While the foldable aspects of the device are impressive, what really got netizens and industry analysts talking about it is its price – which starts at around $966.

Power Max P18K Pop

Alongside the presentation of the foldable “Power Max P8100S” was the unveiling of the “Power Max P18K Pop,” a smartphone that’s powered by an 18,000mAh battery.

With a thickness of .7-inches, the device is boasted to have an active use rating that runs for up to five days and a standby use rating of up to 40 days.

Given its bulky thickness, the device has been dubbed by many as a phone that comes with an integrated power bank – which, incidentally, is one of its special features (it can be used to charge other phones).