- Huawei unveiled its new MateBook Fold Ultimate Design laptop during Computex 2025
- It features an 18-inch OLED display, and a new foldable mechanism to rival competitors
- It’s only available in China now, but could come to global markets soon
Computex 2025 is here, and it was only a matter of time until one of the huge tech companies during the expo revealed a new device that takes laptop design to the next level – and this one may be worth keeping tabs on.
On its website (translated from Chinese), Huawei announced the new MateBook Fold Ultimate Design laptop, featuring an 18-inch (when expanded) 3K OLED display running on Harmony OS 5. Notably, unlike other foldable laptops like the Asus Zenbook Duo, the MateBook Fold Ultimate Design unfolds into an entire single screen.
Essentially, this means that instead of what would be two screens connected via regular laptop hinges, it’s a ‘water-drop hinge’ that allows it to open and close smoothly, and lay completely flat for an 18-inch screen experience. This mechanism is arguably a step up above Microsoft’s new Surface Pro, which acts as a tablet but is also a 2-in-1 when you use its keyboard (which is sold separately).
When in its laptop form, you’ll have a 13-inch OLED screen at your disposal using its touchscreen keyboard (or the keyboard that’s included in the package). However, the MateBook Fold Ultimate Design looks like more than just a 2-in-1 laptop; you’ll be able to transform it from a regular laptop into a portable 18-inch display for casual viewing on the device in a matter of seconds.
Closing the laptop entirely gives it a classy and thin notebook or diary-style design, as if it’s built as a disguise, further setting it apart in terms of its design from competitors. To add a cherry on top, it has 1,600 nits of peak brightness, and a 74.69WHr battery – and both features could easily stand alone as major selling points.
According to a reliable tech analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, Huawei is planning a production target for the MateBook Fold of between 180,000 and 200,000 units, and its life cycle will primarily depend on user feedback regarding the software functionality.
It’s an important factor to note, since the MateBook Fold is by no means an inexpensive laptop. It’s currently only available in China, starting at ¥23,999, which converts to around $3,330 / £2,490 / AU$5,200, but its new features will be hard to turn down if you can afford it.
Analysis: If this is the future of laptop design, I’m here for it
I’ve played plenty of futuristic games like Cyberpunk 2077 and seen enough movies like Mission Impossible to suggest that Huawei’s new laptop could be a game-changer. It isn’t like other companies, such as Asus, haven’t introduced similar devices – the difference is, none of them utilize the ‘water-drop hinge’ mechanism Huawei has introduced.
It simply makes the Asus Zenbook Duo and the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i look like clumsy setups, that require a stand to stay upright and hinges for both screens. The MateBook Fold is the first laptop foldable laptop I’ve seen that has caught my eye – if only I could afford it.
The only drawback here is that it will likely set you back thousands of dollars if it eventually launches globally. However, if it sells well enough and gains the traction that I anticipate, we could easily see Huawei’s competitors and others follow suit soon – and that’s exactly what I’m hoping for.
