Huawei is reportedly working on a candybar-style smartphone that adopts the wide aspect ratio of its folding Pura X, aiming for a Q4 2026 launch.

Huawei is expanding its unconventional display strategy with development of a non-folding smartphone featuring the distinctive wide aspect ratio first introduced in its Pura X foldable. According to reliable leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo, this new device will maintain either a 16:9 or 16:10 screen ratio while adopting a traditional candybar form factor.
The original Huawei Pura X made waves in 2025 with its 16:10 unfolded aspect ratio, diverging from industry trends toward taller displays. This unconventional approach proved commercially successful, prompting Huawei to adapt the format for a non-folding model. The display components are currently in active development, with mass production scheduled for October-December 2026.
This strategic move targets Huawei's core Chinese market where the Pura X found strong reception. The wide aspect ratio offers practical advantages for media consumption and productivity tasks, providing broader horizontal space for video viewing, document editing, and multitasking compared to mainstream smartphones with 19.5:9 or taller proportions. While modern smartphones typically prioritize one-handed use with narrow widths, Huawei appears confident there's substantial demand for wider displays that don't require folding mechanisms.

The development reflects Huawei's continued experimentation with form factors following its HarmonyOS ecosystem growth. By transferring successful elements from foldables to conventional devices, Huawei leverages its display technology investments across multiple product categories. This approach potentially offers consumers the media-viewing benefits of foldables without mechanical complexity or premium pricing.
Technical challenges include optimizing user interface elements for horizontal space management and ensuring comfortable grip dimensions. Industry analysts suggest this could inspire competing manufacturers to revisit aspect ratio conventions, particularly as streaming media consumption becomes increasingly central to smartphone usage. Huawei's display engineers appear focused on maximizing screen real estate efficiency while maintaining reasonable device proportions.
No specifications regarding display size or resolution have surfaced yet. The project demonstrates Huawei's commitment to differentiated hardware strategies amid intense smartphone market competition. If successful, this could establish a new display category between conventional smartphones and foldables.

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