Huawei Launches First Wide-Foldable Smartphone as AI Features Drive New Phone Designs
Huawei launched the Pura X Max, described as the first wide-foldable smartphone on the market, featuring a 5.4-inch outer screen and a 7.7-inch inner display. The device runs on Huawei's Kirin 9030 Pro chip and includes AI-assisted photography features. The launch puts pressure on Apple and Samsung and signals a new phase in smartphone design driven by AI capabilities.
Huawei launched the Pura X Max, described as the first wide-foldable smartphone on the market, putting pressure on rivals Apple and Samsung to respond with new form factors.
The device features a 5.4-inch outer screen and a 7.7-inch inner display. It runs on Huawei's Kirin 9030 Pro chip and includes AI-assisted photography features designed to improve image quality in low-light conditions and complex scenes.
The launch signals a branching of the smartphone race into new form factors and AI-driven interfaces. Analysts say the wide-foldable design opens new possibilities for productivity applications, as the larger inner screen can display more content side by side.
The Pura X Max launch comes as the broader technology industry is investing heavily in AI infrastructure. Major tech companies including Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet spent approximately $410 billion on AI chips, data centers, and cloud infrastructure in 2025. That spending is expected to continue climbing in 2026.
Anker also introduced its THUS AI chip platform, designed to bring neural-network AI features to a wider range of consumer hardware with lower energy consumption. The platform embeds processing closer to memory, reducing the need for cloud connectivity for AI tasks.
Australian semiconductor startup Syenta raised $26 million to commercialize a manufacturing method for advanced chip packaging that reduces the number of steps needed to build copper interconnect layers by approximately 40 percent. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger joined its board as the startup opened a U.S. office near Intel and TSMC facilities.
The FAA grounded Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket after a second-stage mishap sent AST SpaceMobile's satellite to the wrong orbit during a recent launch. The setback highlights ongoing challenges in commercial space reliability, with implications for telecom, defense, and cloud infrastructure.
Phononic, a company specializing in cooling technology for AI data centers, is exploring a sale with a valuation of around $1.5 billion, reflecting surging demand for solutions that prevent overheating in AI server chips.
