Huawei says Mate X will be on sale in November

Foldable smartphones are becoming a new trend among major handset brands, but industry experts believe their high price remains the biggest obstacle to their popularity in the short term.

Chinese tech giant Huawei announced on Wednesday its first 5G foldable smartphone, the Mate X, priced at 16,999 yuan ($2,403), will be on sale in November, and another new flexible smartphone, the Mate Xs, is also expected to launch in March 2020.

The long-expected gadget, which was first unveiled in February, can transform from a 6.6-inch traditional smartphone with a screen on either side to an edge-to-edge full-view 8-inch tablet.