A person uses the Huawei Mate X, the first 5G foldable smartphone from Huawei, during the 17th China Digital Entertainment Expo, also known as ChinaJoy 2019, in Shanghai, in August, 2019. Photo: IC

A source on Thursday denied that China's leading tech company Huawei will postpone sales of its Mate X, saying that the 5G foldable smartphone will go on sale across China on Friday as scheduled.

Huawei's official e-commerce platform vmall.com shows that the high-end series equipped with its self-developed Kirin 980 chips will commence sales at 10 am Beijing time on Friday at the price of 16,999 yuan ($2,420).

News of Huawei postponing sales of the Mate X was spread by certain Chinese tech media on Thursday, but a source close to the matter told the Global Times that the smartphone will launch sales on Friday as planned.

Samsung's foldable smartphone Galaxy Fold, the Mate X's major competitor which doesn't support 5G, entered the Chinese market on November 8, and the device sold out on various platforms shortly after, according to media reports.

Based on Huawei's market tactics, as Samsung has begun sales of its newest product, Huawei must now also launch sales as scheduled, James Yan, Beijing-based research director at Counterpoint, told the Global Times on Thursday.

The Mate X's so-called "issues" may just be lines made by folding, which can be resolved, Yan added.

Huawei's Mate X series is expected to see fast sales once launched, as the new device will likely attract the attention of high-income customers, Xiang Ligang, a veteran industry analyst who closely follows Huawei, told the Global Times on Thursday.

The Mate X is serviced by Huawei's self-developed chip, and its 5G is supported by higher-capacity parts as required, Xiang said, adding that Huawei has strict requirements on its tech and will not sell a device that cannot meet its standards.

Huawei unveiled the Mate X in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, on October 23. The much-anticipated event, which was slightly delayed by three months, is strong proof that the company is moving forward steadily under the impact of its inclusion on the US' blacklist, according to industry analysts.

Samsung's Galaxy Fold was unveiled in South Korea on September 6.

As cutting-edge devices, foldable smartphones still need time to improve, and both Huawei and Samsung need to continue efforts to improve their products in the future, Xiang said.