Huawei unveils US$2,800 Mate XT tri-fold handset in face-off with Apple’s iPhone 16

The Mate XT will officially go on sale on September 20, the same day that Apple kicks off its iPhone 16 retail sales on the mainland

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People watch the live-streamed launch of Huawei Technologies’ new Mate XT at the company’s flagship store in Beijing on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

Iris Dengin ShenzhenandChe Panin Beijing

Published: 7:30pm, 10 Sep 2024Updated: 1:43pm, 11 Sep 2024

Huawei Technologies on Tuesday unveiled the world’s first commercial tri-fold smartphone, the Mate XT, with an entry price of 19,999 yuan (US$2,812) for the mainland market, as the Shenzhen-based company went head-to-head against Apple and its iPhone 16 launch held earlier in the day.

Featuring a 10.2-inch screen and a slim 3.6-millimetre profile when fully opened, the Mate XT incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) functions and satellite connectivity like Huawei’s other flagship models. Available in black and red, the Mate XT’s 256-gigabyte model starts at 19,999 yuan, while versions with higher storage options go for 21,999 yuan and 23,999 yuan.

Richard Yu Chengdong, chairman of Huawei’s consumer business group, said the company’s Mate XT breakthrough made it possible and reliable for two hinges to fold inward and outward, respectively, at the same time.

“We have made tremendous efforts [on developing the hinges] for years to solve the issue of mass production,” Yu said at the Mate XT’s launch in Shenzhen. “We will try to improve the yield to lower the costs in production.”

A visitor checks out the fully opened display of the Mate XT, Huawei Technologies’ new tri-fold smartphone, at a Huawei store in Hangzhou, capital of eastern Zhejiang province, on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

The Mate XT, which started pre-orders over the weekend, had more than 4 million reservations as of Tuesday afternoon. The handset will officially go on sale on September 20, the same day that Apple kicks off its iPhone 16 retail sales on the mainland.

The large number of Mate XT pre-orders reflects how Huawei appears to be stealing some of Apple’s thunder in the world’s largest smartphone market after the US tech giant launched its latest iPhone series.