Huawei Prepares for Major Launch Event Featuring HarmonyOS 7 and HUAWEI Mate XT 2

Huawei has officially confirmed the date for its next big launch. The event will take place on September 7 at 2:30 PM in Shenzhen, with the Mate XT 2 and HarmonyOS 7 taking center stage.

The timing is interesting. Xiaomi is holding its own launch event in Beijing on the same day, while Apple's next event is just three days later, on September 10.

The Mate XT 2 will be Huawei's second tri-fold phone. And it looks like Huawei is changing quite a bit this time around.

The phone reportedly uses a new folding system called "Zhanyi," which roughly translates to "wing-spread." Instead of leaving part of the display exposed like the original Mate XT, the new phone folds inward twice into a G-shaped design.

That should make the display much safer when the phone is closed. It's also a pretty major change for a phone that already has one of the strangest designs on the market.

The Mate XT 2 won't be alone. Huawei is also expected to introduce the Pura X View.

Huawei calls it the world's first phone with a "wide straight panel" design. It's essentially a new form factor rather than another regular Pura model.

Early leaks point to a 6.68mm-thick body, a weight of 201g and a huge 7,000mAh battery. The phone should also run HarmonyOS 7 right out of the box.

HarmonyOS 7 has been in beta testing for months. Huawei started with seven devices in June, but the program had expanded to more than 50 devices by early September.

Now, the software is finally getting its public release.

One of the more interesting additions is Hyperspace Storage Technology. Huawei says it can free up as much as 109GB on a 1TB device by handling storage cleanup in the background.

Huawei is adding some celebrity power to the event too. Actor Andy Lau will appear as the Mate XT 2's brand ambassador.

His involvement has already been part of Huawei's promotion ahead of the launch.

Don't expect the Mate 90 series at this event, though.

Multiple reports suggest Huawei is saving its next flagship lineup for later this year. The phones are expected to arrive sometime in Q4 at a separate event.