Honor Magic X foldable phone is coming with Huawei Mate X2 DNA

If reports are to be believed, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 are doing quite well in the market, but Samsung is hardly the only game in town. At least as far as the non-clamshell style goes, there's Huawei's Mate X2 and Xiaomi's MIX Fold trying to vie for attention, even if only in China. That could change in the coming months, though, as Huawei's former subsidiary might also be making its move. Dubbed the Honor Magic X, this foldable could pose a slight challenge for Samsung, at least in markets where Honor's phones are available.

Honor did reveal that it had been working on a foldable phone, but it might not have been the company's top priority in light of its recent split from Huawei. While the brand is slowly starting to recover from its former parent's US problems, there are still some things to iron out, including a new concern rising out of the US again. Then again, there's probably no better way to show that the company can remain standing against all odds than by launching a niche foldable phone.

According to the tip from China, Honor will be launching this phone in the fourth quarter as the Magic X. There is no other word on this device other than it will take after the Huawei Mate X2, which some have compared favorably against the Galaxy Z Fold 2. There will be differences, of course, but those details haven't been leaked yet.

One key difference between the Honor Magic X and the Huawei Mate X2 will most likely be the software. Given its newfound freedom, Honor will be able to put Google Play apps and services on its version of the foldable phone. That said, Huawei's custom OS has had more time to bake when it comes to foldables, so it will be interesting to see how far Honor will be able to go.

There are also rumors that Honor will launch a foldable clamshell in the style of the Galaxy Z Flip 3, something that popular tipster Digital Chat Station echoes on Weibo. This will apparently be targeted at female customers and cost around 10,000 RMB ($1,550), which is a pretty high price to pay, considering how much Samsung has priced its own foldable clamshell.