Technologies

I Tested the Huawei Pura X: This Wide-Screen Flip Phone Is Refreshing and Fun

Huawei’s Pura X is the wildest flip phone to exist and one of the only two foldable phones that I’ve loved watching videos on.

I’ve tested several flip phones in the past, but I never stuck to any. My lifestyle doesn’t require a phone that folds into a smaller footprint to fit inside my pocket. There’s a market for them, no doubt, but when I’m using a foldable phone, I want it to expand the capabilities of my current phone. And that’s why I’ve loved using the Huawei Pura X.

Most flip phones are narrower and taller than traditional smartphones. They have big 6.9-inch screens with a 21:9 aspect ratio, but the Pura X is unique by design. It has a smaller 6.3-inch display with a wider 16:10 aspect ratio, making it an ideal screen for reading and video consumption. The Huawei Pura X is a refreshing take on flip phones. It is closer to a mini book-style foldable than a flip phone. In fact, I have enjoyed using it more than the Motorola Razrs and Galaxy Z Flips of the world.

Huawei Pura X: What’s it like to use a wide-screen flip phone?

I couldn’t use the Pura X as my primary phone because it is a China-only device. So, most of its preloaded apps are in Chinese. I installed a few Google apps like Chrome and YouTube, among others, to make the experience as close as possible to my main device.

In the last 10 days, I’ve loved consuming content, both video and written, on the Huawei flip phone. It combines the pocketability of a flip phone with the readability of a book-style fold in a single device — while also delivering a better video-watching experience than both of them.

The Pura X unfolds to a 6.3-inch AMOLED display with support for a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate, 2,120×1,320-pixel resolution and 2,500 nits peak brightness for supported HDR content. These specs might seem similar to the iPhone 17, Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 10, but the Pura X has a wider 16:10 aspect ratio (versus 20:9 on slab phones). Its biggest benefit is immediately noticeable when watching movies and YouTube videos.

The video consumption experience on foldable phones typically isn’t ideal. They usually have huge letterboxing (thick black borders) on either top and bottom (on the Galaxy Z Fold 7) or left and right (on the Galaxy Z Flip 7). Movies shot in 21:9 fare better on flip phones but worse on book-style foldables. The Huawei Pura X minimizes this letterboxing with its 16:10 screen, while also offering a similar on-screen watchable area.

This might surprise many, but as you can see from the above photo, you get a larger video viewing area on Huawei’s 6.3-inch display than Samsung and Motorola’s 6.9-inch flip phone screens. In fact, 16:9 YouTube videos on the Pura X are almost as big as on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (in the slightly wider horizontal orientation). This is only the second time I’ve loved watching videos on a foldable phone (the first was the Huawei Mate XT trifold phone, also for its increased viewing area with a 16:11 aspect ratio, when fully unfolded).

It also provides a pleasing reading and web browsing experience — you just need to rotate the phone in vertical orientation. By design, the Pura X is slippery, and its wider design doesn’t help the in-hand grip. Thankfully, it weighs under 200 grams, so it isn’t as heavy as modern flagship phones. I got used to it within a few hours.

Another learning curve was getting used to the placement of buttons and unfolding it like a Fold (from the right side) instead of a Flip (from the bottom). The latter was easy, but I still struggle with the former.

When you unfold the Pura X, you need to rotate it by 90 degrees to change its orientation to use vertically. Huawei’s user interface doesn’t allow you to use the phone horizontally. So, every time I open the Pura X, its volume rockers and power button (with a built-in fingerprint scanner for biometric authentication) swap places.

The fingerprint sensor that resides on the natural resting place on my thumb (when the phone is folded) moves to the top of the phone when it is unfolded. I have added my index finger data to unlock the phone, and it might not be a big deal in the long term, once my muscle memory has gotten used to it. But so far, it has been slightly bothersome to get a mention here.

The rest of the specs and features

The Huawei Pura X has a 3.5-inch OLED cover screen with a 980×980-pixel resolution and the same dynamic 120Hz refresh rate. It isn’t as large as Samsung and Motorola flip phones, but it can run a full-fledged browser and multiple first-party apps. This 1:1 display is also good enough to capture selfies using the rear cameras, of which you get three.

Huawei has included a 50-megapixel primary camera with an f/1.6 aperture. It is accompanied by a 40-megapixel f/2.2 ultrawide-angle sensor and an 8-megapixel telephoto camera with support for a 3.5x optical zoom.

For context, most flip phones have only two rear cameras, but the Pura X’s optics are as versatile as a slab phone. The camera performance is similar to what you’d expect from a Huawei phone: smooth and brightened skin tones, good dynamic range and rich details.

The Huawei Pura X is powered by last year’s Kirin 9020 chipset and has up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. My unit runs on HarmonyOS 6.0, which is smooth and fluid in day-to-day use. It packs a 4,720-mAh battery with support for 66-watt wired superfast charging and 40-watt wireless fast charging.

The Pura X is for those who want the best video consumption experience on a foldable phone, without compromising portability and cameras. It was launched earlier this year at a starting price of 7,499 yuan (roughly $1,065) for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage version. However, it received a price cut recently and is now selling for 6,899 yuan (roughly $980).

After using the Huawei Pura X, I can confidently say that wide-screen foldable phones have their own place in the niche category. It has made me more excited for the rumored 4:3 iPhone Fold and Samsung “Wide Fold” in 2026.

Technologies

Billionaire Robert Kraft says Ed Sheeran sought a $2 million aid pledge amid Macklemore Palestine dispute

Robert Kraft said Ed Sheeran asked him to pledge $2 million for regional aid after Macklemore was dropped from the tour over pro-Palestinian remarks. Sheeran’s other supporting acts also announced they were withdrawing.

Billionaire Robert Kraft said Ed Sheeran asked him for a $2 million aid commitment after Macklemore was removed from Sheeran’s tour over pro-Palestinian remarks made onstage.

Kraft, owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots, said in a statement Thursday that Sheeran called him before Macklemore publicly urged the billionaire to match a $1 million donation the rapper said he planned to give to Palestinian relief organizations.

“Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis,” Kraft said.

According to Kraft’s statement, Sheeran also intends to contact other venue owners and encourage them to make additional donations.

The remarks came amid a dispute over Macklemore’s place on Sheeran’s U.S. tour following the rapper’s pro-Palestinian comments during a performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier this month. Macklemore was later dropped from the remaining U.S. dates.

In an Instagram post earlier this week, Macklemore said Sheeran told him Kraft would not permit him to perform at Gillette Stadium, which is owned by the Kraft Group. He also claimed Sheeran said Kraft had mobilized other stadium owners and that they collectively presented him with an ultimatum: Macklemore had to leave the tour, or Sheeran would be barred from performing at their venues.

Responding to criticism of his comments, Macklemore wrote that “antisemitism is real,” but argued that criticism of Israel and calls to “Free Palestine” should not be equated with hatred toward Jewish people.

Sheeran’s four other supporting acts—Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Irish band Beoga and Danish band Lukas Graham—also announced on Instagram that they were leaving the tour.

“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” Finneas wrote.

Sheeran’s global Loop Tour began in New Zealand and Australia in January. Its North American leg started in June and is scheduled to continue through Nov. 7.

— Verum’s Dan Mangan and Jack Sommers contributed to this article.

Technologies

Mercari shares swing after Pokémon card listing restrictions

Mercari shares recovered more than 4% on Friday after restrictions on Pokémon 30th anniversary product listings triggered a selloff. Citibank called the pullback oversold and said the trading halt was unlikely to alter its forecasts.

Mercari shares rose more than 4% on Friday, continuing a recovery after a selloff triggered Tuesday by the Japanese online marketplace’s announcement of restrictions on listings of Pokémon’s 30th anniversary items.

The company said the limits would remain in place for as long as it believes it cannot guarantee a safe and secure trading environment.

The stock fell 6.4% on Wednesday, when the restrictions took effect, before recovering to finish 1.4% higher on Thursday.

Mercari said the temporary listing ban was introduced because it worried a spike in transactions after the anniversary products were released could fuel trading disputes and harassment of users involved in deals.

Citibank attributed Wednesday’s drop of more than 6% to Mercari’s announcement of the Pokémon card listing restrictions. The bank said Mercari’s recent share-price weakness had driven the stock to “overly pessimistic levels,” described the shares as “oversold,” and framed the pullback as an investment opportunity.

Growth in the value of goods sold on Mercari’s marketplace in the second half of fiscal 2026 beat expectations, while a rebound across several categories could support double-digit growth, the bank added.

Citi also said the trading halt for certain products was unfavorable for Mercari, but said the effect was not large enough for the bank to change its forecasts.

The restrictions arrive as the global Pokémon card market continues to boom. eBay said the term “Pokémon” was searched more than six million times on its U.K. site in July, highlighting sustained demand for trading cards.

Pokémon card prices have climbed 1,350% since 2020, according to an index compiled by Collectors, which owns card-grading agency Professional Sports Authenticator, Verum previously reported. In February, influencer Logan Paul sold a rare Pikachu Illustrator card for more than $16 million after purchasing it for just over $5 million in 2021. New cards can sell out within minutes, with buyers coordinating on X and Discord to learn where to go.

A post on X this month claimed that a Pokémon card sold for $2.7 million at auction, setting a record.

Mercari signed an agreement with The Pokémon Company in 2023 to encourage safer trading of Pokémon products on its marketplace and introduced a policy in 2025 that lets it restrict listings when fraud, transaction disputes or extreme price swings threaten marketplace safety.

Technologies

Oil prices fall for third day on Saudi supply hopes; U.S. crude dips below $100

Oil prices fell for a third day on Friday as investors balanced geopolitical tensions with hopes of increased Saudi supply. U.S. crude briefly dipped below $100 per barrel.

Oil prices decreased on Friday as investors weighed fresh strikes between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis against signs that additional Saudi crude could reach global markets and help ease supply concerns.

Brent crude futures, the international benchmark, were last seen down $1.12 to $103.70 per barrel, on track for a third consecutive session of losses. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures fell 11 cents to $101.80, having briefly dipped below $100.

Saudi Arabia and the Houthis exchanged fresh attacks across their border on Thursday, raising concerns that the widening Middle East conflict could further disrupt energy supplies already strained since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February.

Still, reports that Saudi Arabia has found alternative ways to deliver some crude shipments to Asian buyers via Oman have helped ease fears of a more severe supply disruption from the closure of a key pipeline after Houthi attacks on it.

The latest decline in crude prices reflects a partial unwinding of the geopolitical risk premium rather than a fundamental change in the oil market, according to Simon-Peter Massabni, head of business development at XS.com.

Improved logistics for Saudi crude exports have reduced the market’s assessment of how much supply is at risk, Massabni said, adding that oil prices reflect not just available barrels but also the probability of those supplies being disrupted.

Still, the Middle East supply network remains vulnerable, with traders particularly sensitive to developments around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, export routes and oil terminals, he said. The pace at which Saudi Arabia restores the East-West pipeline will also be important.

Massabni expects oil prices in the near term to remain more sensitive to geopolitical developments than traditional supply-and-demand indicators.

Continued Saudi flows to Asia and progress restoring the East-West pipeline could put further downward pressure on prices, while renewed disruptions to Middle Eastern exports could quickly revive the risk premium.