Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design is the world's first triple-folding phone priced at $2,800

Huawei has become the first company in the world to bring a triple-folding phone to stores. The company announced the new Mate XT Ultimate design on Tuesday, just hours after Apple announced the iPhone 16 lineup, as it tries to outshine its American rival, especially in China.

The Mate XT Ultimate design looks like a regular phone when folded, but can be expanded into what Huawei calls dual and triple-screen modes. The dual screen resembles a square and the triple screen offers the experience of a 10.2-inch tablet. The Chinese tech giant says the display, which folds twice, is made of flexible materials that can bend in either direction. Huawei puts this down to the hinge system, saying it “includes two rails that work together to support folding inwards and outwards.” This allows for switching between single, dual and triple-screen modes.

The base version starts at 19,999 yuan (about $2,800; £2,199; AU$4,245) and goes up to 23,999 yuan or $3,370 for the highest storage variant. According to the company's online store, the tri-folding phone has already received over 4 million pre-orders with no deposit required following Huawei's launch event in Shenzhen. It is currently only available in China.

Given its prohibitive price, the Mate XT Ultimate Design is unlikely to be a major revenue driver for Huawei. But winning the foldable device race remains a key goal for the Chinese company, whose smartphone division has collapsed in recent years following several rounds of US sanctions. In fact, according to a second-quarter report from IDC, Huawei has taken the lead in the global foldable device market. Huawei has taken the top spot from Samsung with a global market share of 27.5%, while Samsung captured 16.4%.

According to research firm International Data Corporation, the global foldable phone market is expected to reach 25 million units by the end of 2024, up 37.6% from the 18.1 million units shipped in 2023. By 2028, global foldable phone shipments are expected to reach 45.7 million units, IDC predicts.

“The production restrictions and price of Huawei's latest product may not have a major impact on shipments, but they show consumers that the company is still the technology leader and the potential challenge it poses to Apple could go well beyond mere market share,” IDC's Will Wong told CNET. “The lack of AI features in the latest iPhone 16 series in China could increase the challenge for Apple in the local market.”

Huawei's new foldable device underscores the progress Apple's rivals have made in innovating this newer subcategory of phones. Apple's first foldable device is reportedly not expected until 2025 at the earliest, with current rumors pointing to a flip phone. Apple unveiled the iPhone 16 lineup just hours before Huawei's event. However, Apple Intelligence, the American company's AI platform that many see as a key feature of the series, is not yet available in mainland China. To make it available, Apple would first need to partner with a local Chinese AI company due to local regulations.

In the second quarter of 2024, Apple's iPhone sales in China continued to face challenges. The American tech giant lost ground to local rivals such as Huawei and Xiaomi, causing Apple to fall out of the top five phone makers there, according to IDC.

In addition to a foldable screen, the Mate XT has a total of four cameras, including a periscope-style telephoto lens. Huawei said the device also has a physical aperture to suit different shooting scenarios. The aperture in the camera lens controls how much light enters the camera. Most cameras have a fixed aperture or opening, meaning the amount of light entering cannot change. Newer flagship phones have variable apertures, but in most cases these are not physical.

The concept of a triple-folding phone is nothing new. Samsung gave us a glimpse of triple-folding display concepts back in 2022 at CES. Before that, TCL showcased a concept in 2020. But so far, none of them have been released or mass-produced for commercial sale.

Summary technical data

Cover photo: 6.4 inches
DUAL SCREEN: 7.9 inches
Triple screen: 10.2 inches
Rear view camera: 50 megapixel ultra wide angle camera, 12 megapixel ultra wide angle camera, 12 megapixel periscope telephoto camera
Front camera: 8 megapixels
battery: 5,600 mAh battery
storage: 16GB+256GB, 16GB+512GB, 16GB+1TB
Special features: Tri-fold design, AI features, satellite communication, pen support, keyboard attachment