In a nutshell: In the world of folding phones, most of the attention this year has been on Samsung's Galaxy Fold saga, though it wasn't the only bendable device to face long delays. Huawei's Mate X was also pushed back, but it will finally be available in China next month.
Back when Huawei revealed the Mate X at MWC earlier this year, many considered it a better design than Samsung's rival device. Rather than using a book-style form factor like the Galaxy Fold, Huawei's phone uses an out-folding design that turns the single, 8-inch display into a smartphone. It's also able to fold completely flat---something the Fold can't do.
In June, Huawei announced that it was pushing back the Mate X's July launch date to September to ensure the folding mechanism works as intended and that apps are compatible with the device when it's opened out.
Huawei later revealed that the Mate X would miss its September launch, but did say it would arrive this year. True to its word, the company said it will start shipping in China on November 15 for 16,999 yuan (around $2,400).
"Our strategy is based on carriers' 5G roll out in different regions," said a Huawei spokesman. "So far, Huawei has made the Huawei Mate X available in the China market on Nov. 15. A global launch plan is under review."
The Mate X comes with Huawei's Kirin 980 chip, a Barong 5000 modem, and a dual-cell 4,500mAh battery. Another model that's arriving next year---the Mate Xs---comes with the upgraded Kirin 990 SoC.
Despite the US government's blacklisting, Huawei also revealed it has shipped 200 million smartphones so far in 2019, reaching that number 64 days earlier than in 2018. The company has also been experiencing strong revenue growth this year.