Huawei is starting its fully Android-free era with the Pura X, a new foldable phone that runs the company's HarmonyOS 5 software and does not include the option for people to use Google's OS.
The Pura X is also unique in a few other ways. Its wide 6.3-inch display has a 16:10 aspect ratio, which is unusual for a foldable flip phone. The phone also comes with Xiaoyi, a new AI assistant that uses Huawei's artificial intelligence models as well as some from China's DeepSeek. The phone starts at 7,499 Chinese yuan, or about $1,037.
The company has been struggling for several years in the US market due to sanctions that restrict it from using technology from American companies including software and hardware components. The final break from Google for this device could represent a significant step forward for Huawei. The company is already the leading smartphone maker in China and last year was ahead of Samsung (but behind Apple) in global market share.
The new phone's unusual form factor includes a 3.5-inch square screen on the outside and a wider-than-usual main screen when opened. Several social media accounts, such as Tech Way on Threads, have already posted hands-on videos of the device. The phone can take calls and shoot photos while folded.
While the device is not yet available internationally, it has gone on sale in China in a regular and collector's edition, which features different panel designs in green and red and includes 16GB of RAM. The base Pura X is available in three colors: black, white and silver.
The company debuted another foldable, the Mate X6, back in December.