Huawei Launches Tri-fold Phone After Apple Event for $2,800

Today, the Chinese tech giant Huawei launched a new tri-fold smartphone, just a few hours after Apple announced its new iPhone 16, and it will sell it starting at $2,800.

According to Reuters, Huawei promoted its Mate XT, drawing attention from Apple’s new devices, and seeking to dominate the market across the globe.

The world’s first trifold phone released today by @Huawei! 🔥

Huawei Mate XT | Ultimate Design
Starting at ¥19999 ($2800) pic.twitter.com/j5wHmXphNp

— Alvin Foo (@alvinfoo) September 10, 2024

“Today we bring you a product that everyone can think of but could not make. Our team has been working hard for five years and has never given up,” said Richard Yu, Huawei executive director, during the event.

The Mate XT was introduced to the public in Shenzhen during a ceremony. Visitors were shown the accordion-like device, which impressed people and already had 4 million pre-orders. This is a significant milestone as the whole foldable phones market was around that same number by the second quarter of this year, according to the firm IDC.

“Today we will once again rewrite the history of the industry, turn science fiction into reality, and lead a new era of folding devices,” added Yu.

Mate XT comes in red and black and includes AI-powered features including translation and editing functions, image editing, text summaries, and more. These AI features have been developed with the support of the in-house Kylin chips.

According to CNBC, the price starts at $2,809 and increases up to $3,371 for models with more storage. The phone is 3.6 mm thick and opens to a 10.2-inch screen, making it look like a tablet.

Huawei also developed a small keyboard that folds half of the size of the new phone and can be carried together, as shown during the event. The company has not yet revealed its new smartphone Mate 70, which is supposed to compete against the new iPhone 16.

Another Chinese company, Honor, recently launched the world’s thinnest foldable phone, the Magic V3. The foldable phone sector keeps growing significantly with new innovative devices like the Mate XT.