The Mate XT, a new smartphone that is said to be the world’s first to boast a tri-fold design, featuring a special OLED display that can expand to 10.2 inches in a way that’s been likened to an accordion, is headed to select markets, Chinese electronics maker Huawei has announced. Pricing for the new phone, which is being promoted by local celebrities that include Hong Kong actor Andy Lau of Infernal Affairs fame, ranges from 19,999 (~$2,800) for the 16 GB/256 GB model to 23,999 (~$3,370) yuan for the 16 GB/1 TB model.
From a report:
- “The Chinese tech giant showed off its new Mate XT, which users can fold three ways like an accordion screen door, during a launch ceremony in the southern tech hub of Shenzhen.”
- “The device has already received more than 4 million pre-orders, for which no deposit is required, according to the company’s website.”
- “The new phone boasts an AI assistant with text summary, translation and editing functions, as well as AI-boosted image editing functions such as trimming unwanted parts of photos, [Huawei executive director Richard Yu] said.”
- “The much-anticipated launch comes just hours after Apple unveiled its latest model – the AI-boosted iPhone 16 – with both smartphones due to go on sale on Sept. 20.”
Specifications and pricing:
| Single Screen Size | 6.4-inch, 2232 x 1008 pixels, 156.7 x 73.5 x 12.8 mm |
| Dual Screen Size | 7.9-inch, 2232 x 2048 pixels, 156.7 x 143 x 7.45 mm / 4.75 mm |
| Triple Screen Size | 10.2-inch, 2232 x 3184 pixels, 156.7 x 219 x 3.6 mm / 3.6 mm / 4.75 mm |
| Display | OLED LTPO 90Hz panel, 1440Hz high-frequency PWM dimming, 240Hz touch sampling rate |
| Processor | Kirin 9-series chip |
| RAM | 16GB |
| Storage Options | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB |
| Battery | 5,600mAh |
| Charging | 66W wired charging, 50W wireless charging |
| Operating System | Harmony OS 4.2 |
| Front Camera | 8MP |
| Rear Cameras | 50MP (f/1.4~f/4.0 aperture, OIS) + 12MP (ultra-wide) + 12MP (periscope telephoto, OIS) |
| Additional Features | Side fingerprint sensor, Dual SIM, IR blaster, NFC, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, USB-C (3.1 Gen1) |
| Weight | 298 grams |
| Price (16GB + 256GB) | 19,999 CNY |
| Price (16GB + 512GB) | 21,999 CNY |
| Price (16GB + 1TB) | 23,999 CNY |
| Colors | Ruihong, Dark Black |
A look at the new phone in the wild:
Reuters noted in its coverage:
While Apple for years enjoyed strong demand in China, where new iPhone launches once sparked a frenzy, its sales have dwindled and the company’s ranking in the world’s second-largest economy has now dropped from third to sixth place.
Huawei made a comeback to the high-end smartphone segment last year with the release of a device powered by a domestically-made chip, defying U.S. sanctions that have cut off its access to the global chipset supply chain. The launch of the Mate 60 Pro surprised analysts and U.S. officials.