Mate XT: Chinese company Huawei launches a new triple-folding smartphone, its answer to Apple's iPhone 16

Editor's note: Subscribe to CNN's “Meanwhile in China” newsletter to learn everything you need to know about the country's rise and its impact on the world.

Hong Kong
CNN
—

Huawei's latest smartphone has already received more than three million pre-orders, causing considerable excitement at the Chinese technology giant just hours before it is expected to officially unveil new products on Tuesday that will outshine Apple's iPhone 16.

The Shenzhen-based company, which has been a flashpoint in an escalating technology rivalry between Washington and Beijing, is currently in the midst of a spectacular comeback after launching hugely popular models such as the Mate 60 Pro and Mate X5. In August, Huawei reported double-digit increases in revenue and profit despite US sanctions.

The successful sale of the triple-folding smartphone Mate XT, for which pre-orders were possible on Saturday, would be another indication of the company's continued upswing.

Richard Yu, chairman of the group's consumer business, announced on Chinese social media on Monday that he would unveil new products at 2:30 p.m. Beijing time the next day, while sharing a partial image of the tri-fold phone.

“It is a breakthrough product that others have only dreamed of but could never achieve,” he said earlier on Weibo. “After five years of dedication and investment, we are turning science fiction into reality. Stay tuned for Huawei's masterpiece!”

Tuesday's launch comes just hours after arch-rival Apple (AAPL) unveiled a slew of new products, including the iPhone 16, the first Apple smartphone designed specifically for generative artificial intelligence (AI), a feature the company hopes will help entice customers to upgrade.

Amber Liu, head of research at market research firm Canalys, said Huawei's rapid recovery was a “direct challenge” to Apple's performance in China, its second-largest market, which accounts for over 20% of its global shipments.

This also came after Chinese smartphone makers dominated the top five spots domestically on a quarterly basis for the first time ever, pushing Apple down to sixth place, she said.

“The proximity of Huawei and Apple's product launches signals the beginning of a new wave of competition in China's premium market,” Liu told CNN. Key areas of competition would include high-end products, software capabilities and the use of artificial intelligence, she added.

Apple said generative AI like ChatGPT on its iPhone 16 would allow users to create text and images using natural language input. It's unclear if the Mate XT includes AI features.

Jene Park, a senior foldable smartphone analyst at Counterpoint Research, said the rumored new phone will likely have a double-folding structure and a large display size of over 10 inches.

“I think this latest attempt could bring significant changes to the display size of foldable books, which is currently between seven and eight inches,” he said.

Analysts say the success of the launch will depend in part on the phone's price, which has not yet been announced. Liu believes it will have a “significant price tag” due to high manufacturing costs and premium positioning.

Sales of Huawei's flagship smartphones rose 72% in the first five months of 2024 compared to the same period last year, Yu said in June, underscoring the company's ambitions to fight its way back to the top despite strict U.S. restrictions.

US politicians have long claimed that Huawei poses a national security risk, alleging that the Chinese government could use the company's equipment for espionage. The company has repeatedly denied these allegations, but that has not stopped some American allies – such as the UK – from trying to limit Huawei's role in building 5G networks.

The US ban prevented companies like Google (GOOGL) from equipping new Huawei devices with their version of the Android operating system. These restrictions were a major blow to the Chinese company's smartphone ambitions at the time, with some analysts predicting the Huawei phone would become “a brick.”

Now the company is on its way back to the top. It is also venturing into new business areas. Last year it launched an electric sedan that is intended to compete with Tesla's Model S. And it has big ambitions in the field of artificial intelligence.

Earlier this year, Nvidia (NVDA) described Huawei as one of its biggest competitors in several areas, including the production of processors for AI systems.