Hands-on with Huawei’s foldable MateBook Fold
Huawei’s unusual MateBook Fold, announced earlier this year in China, is more than a quirky gadget. It unfolds into an 18-inch single screen and arrives in a featherlight 1.16kg form factor, with the keyboard bringing the total to around 1.45kg. In my 30-minute hands-on, I walked away convinced that this foldable laptop could be a glimpse of the future of mobile computing.
A design that surprises in the hand
Carrying the MateBook Fold feels like cradling a big book with a premium cover—large, yet not unwieldy. When folded, there’s almost no gap for a separate keyboard, because Huawei’s detachable keyboard sits outside the chassis and attaches magnetically at the back. The magnets are strong, and the keyboard behaves as though it’s part of the laptop body, a small but meaningful comfort that reduces bulk and improves grip.
My first worry—portability without a traditional keyboard—quickly faded. The fold’s UI remains exceptionally responsive even with the keyboard detached. Huawei ships HarmonyOS 5 on the Fold, and in this unit, touch interactions felt faster and more intuitive than I’ve found on Windows devices with touchscreens, like the Surface Pro lineup or dual-screen competitors.
HarmonyOS vs. Windows: a usability rethink
Having used multiple Windows-based devices, I expected the Fold’s on-screen experience to lag. Instead, the interface responded with little friction: a ten-finger tap could bring up the on-screen keyboard, and typing while using the Fold’s on-screen keyboard proved comfortable enough to forgo a traditional keyboard for many tasks. This quick touch responsiveness bolsters my belief that HarmonyOS 5 could redefine touch-driven workflows, particularly on foldable form factors.
Typing on a thin keyboard
When you do want physical keys, the external keyboard isn’t a burden. It offers about 1.5mm key travel with a pressure-sensitive touchpad, and surprisingly, it feels solid enough to discourage ghost touches or accidental presses. It’s a small victory for a device that otherwise reimagines what a laptop can be.
Specs and visual prowess
The MateBook Fold packs an 18-inch OLED display with a 92% screen-to-body ratio and a minimal crease. The 4:3 aspect ratio on the main panel translates into expansive document work and immersive media consumption. When folded, you get a 13-inch secondary screen in a 3:2 aspect ratio to tackle productivity tasks—it’s a clever use of space that makes the device versatile for work and travel alike.
Huawei includes a handy kickstand for both horizontal and vertical use and a brightness spec that’s dependable in bright environments: 700 nits typical and up to 1,600 nits peak. Power comes from Huawei’s in-house processor paired with up to 32GB RAM and 1TB or 2TB of storage. The 74.60Wh battery promises robust endurance, though real-world longevity will depend on usage patterns like brightness, media streaming, and full-screen activity.
Camera-wise, the Fold features an 8MP front camera for video calls and multiple mics and speakers to back multimedia tasks. The design also keeps a couple of USB-C ports, with some traditional ports missing—a compromise many ultraportables make for weight and thickness savings.
Real-world practicality and price considerations
In real-world use, this machine checks many boxes for travelers and freelancers who crave a compact, lightweight device without sacrificing screen real estate. The 1.16kg base weight (1.45kg with the keyboard) is especially compelling when compared to rivals like the MacBook Air or dual-screen models, though price is a consideration. At ¥23,999 in China (roughly $3,330 / £2,490 / AU$5,200), the MateBook Fold sits in premium territory. And given HarmonyOS’s ecosystem still being a work in progress for desktop software compatibility, potential buyers should factor software compatibility into their decision.
Is this the future of mobile computing?
Despite the cost and software caveats, the MateBook Fold pushes the boundaries of what a portable computer can be. Its combination of ultra-light weight, expansive foldable screen, strong magnetic keyboard attachment, and responsive HarmonyOS makes it a compelling case study for the next generation of mobile computing. For frequent travelers who want a single device that doubles as a compact tablet and a full workstation, the MateBook Fold might be the dream machine.
Bottom line: if you value extreme portability and a big-screen experience, Huawei’s foldable laptop makes a strong argument that a single-device future is not only possible but increasingly practical. Whether HarmonyOS can fully displace Windows or macOS remains to be seen, but the MateBook Fold certainly proves that the next phase of portable computing has arrived.
Conclusion
Huawei’s MateBook Fold is a bold, boundary-pushing device that blends form and function into a lightweight, responsive experience. It may be expensive and limited by software compatibility today, but as a concept and a product, it signals a credible path toward the future of mobile computing—where big-screen versatility and portability converge in a single, elegant package.
