Huawei PuraX Activations Surpass One Million, Next-Gen PuraX2 Expected to Launch in April

Recently, well-known leaker “Digital Chat Station” revealed that Huawei PuraX has surpassed one million cumulative activations. At the same time, the next-generation model, PuraX2, is already in preparation.

Before the device debuted, Huawei executive Richard Yu publicly stated that it would be “affordable for everyone,” sparking widespread expectations of a more budget-friendly price point. However, once the starting price of RMB 7,499 was announced, consumer reaction was swift and intense, with many arguing that the actual positioning did not match the earlier messaging. In addition, Huawei’s deliberately mysterious pre-launch marketing led some users to believe the company would debut a mass-produced rollable display. When the PuraX ultimately arrived as a wide foldable instead, it diverged from those expectations—two notable gaps in messaging that briefly pushed the device into the center of public debate.

Despite the rocky start, PuraX has delivered a stronger-than-expected market performance. Industry data shows China’s foldable smartphone shipments reached 9.47 million units in 2025, and as the industry’s first “wide foldable” smartphone, PuraX’s one-million activation milestone underscores its competitiveness. From a user profile perspective, the wide foldable form factor appears to resonate more strongly with female users. Once unfolded, it offers a display area closer to a compact tablet, providing a better experience than traditional candy-bar phones for video viewing, social browsing, and light productivity—while still balancing portability with a large-screen lifestyle.

As for the upcoming PuraX2, current leaks suggest a launch as early as April this year. Reported highlights include the Kirin 9030 chipset, HarmonyOS 6.0, and Huawei’s Red Maple imaging technology. On the design front, the device is expected to continue the wide foldable direction, with an emphasis on refining overall dimensions and upgrading the external display specifications—aiming to deliver meaningful gains in both aesthetics and performance. That said, because the previous generation has already established a level of market recognition, observers are also watching closely to see how bold the design changes will be.

Across the wider industry, competition in the “wide foldable” segment is accelerating. Beyond Huawei, manufacturers such as Apple are expected to introduce similar products within the year, with more top-tier brands likely to follow in 2026. Analysts believe Apple’s entry—powered by its ecosystem influence—could help this category evolve into a more independent and scalable market, much like smartwatches and tablets. With PuraX, Huawei has already moved early and secured a first-mover advantage.

From online controversy to one million activations, the PuraX story highlights a recurring reality in the consumer tech world: real demand and online sentiment don’t always move in sync. And in an era where smartphone design innovation often feels incremental, this milestone suggests that exploring new form factors still carries substantial—and very real—market potential.