14 DAY TRIAL // After Samsung delayed the Galaxy Fold to address complaints made by the first testers, Huawei is now pushing back its foldable smartphone as well.
A company official confirmed for CNBC that the Mate X would no longer launch this month but in September, as it wants more time to improve the device.
In other words, the US ban that doesn’t allow the company to work with American firms isn’t the reason for the delay, but Huawei’s struggle to offer a refined product.
“We don’t want to launch a product to destroy our reputation,” a company spokesperson told CNBC.
Android uncertain
But while the US blacklist might not be the main reason for the delay, it could actually cause more trouble for the company when its device is ready in September.
Basically, the US ban means Huawei can no longer use software and hardware developed by American companies, and these include Windows and Android. Announced in February, Huawei Mate X was powered by Android, an operating system the company would not be allowed to use.
On the other hand, given the device was announced before the executive order was signed by US President Donald Trump, Huawei could actually bring the device to the market. The ban forbids the company to launch new devices that use American products, but at the same time, it doesn’t concern products that are already on the market.
Meanwhile, Huawei is working hard on getting its own operating system ready for prime time. Because it’s not allowed to use Android, Huawei is building an in-house platform that would replace it, albeit the plan is to continue to support Android apps. This OS is reportedly scheduled to be finalized in the fall and then installed on the first models that would launch in China later this year.