Huawei unveiled its second foldable smartphone, the Mate Xs, in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, in an online broadcast to prevent spreading the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

The out-folding Mate Xs has a display the same size as that of its predecessor -- 8 inches diagonally when unfolded -- but features an improved hinge mechanism, called a “falcon-wing hinge,” and a stronger wraparound screen.

Huawei’s mobile business head, Richard Yu, said during the launch presentation that the new device offered faster download speeds and a longer battery life than its rival the Samsung Galaxy Fold.

Unlike Samsung’s second clamshell foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip, which uses ultrathin glass for durability, Huawei said its phone still used polyamide film. But it said the display was more robust thanks to quad-layer construction -- two layers of polyamide film on top of a flexible organic light-emitting diode display and a softer polymer layer below.

The Mate Xs will be available outside China next month for 2,499 euros ($2,714) which is about $730 more expensive than the Galaxy Fold.

Due to US sanctions, the Huawei device won’t have any Google apps or services.

By Song Su-hyun (song@heraldcorp.com)