Huawei Mate XT, The World's First Triple-Screen Foldable Phone That Steals Spotlight From Apple

Apple's annual “Apple Event,” often referred to as the “September Event” due to its usual timing, is a highly anticipated occasion where the company unveils its latest products, including the new iPhone models.

This event typically garners significant media attention and leads to a flurry of articles as the new products capture headlines around the world.

However, this year, Huawei managed to steal the spotlight with the announcement of the Huawei Mate XT, the world’s first triple-screen foldable smartphone.

The unveiling of this innovative device quickly captivated both the media and tech enthusiasts, generating buzz that according to many, arguably surpassed the excitement surrounding Apple’s Apple Intelligence-laced iPhone 16 Pros.

Read: Apple Introduces The iPhone 16 Pro Series, With 'Apple Intelligence' As The Highlight

China's Huawei Technologies unveiled the Mate XT, as an attempt to extend its lead in the world's biggest smartphone market.

The Chinese tech giant showed off its Mate XT, which users can fold three ways like an accordion screen door, during a launch ceremony in the southern tech hub of Shenzhen.

Being the first-ever of its kind, Huawei managed to steal the spotlight from Apple, that debuted its new iPhone series only hours earlier.

In just hours after the announcement, the device has already received more than 4 million pre-orders, for which no deposit is required, according to the company's website.

Huawei knows it well, that the entire global market for foldable phones was around 4 million units in the second quarter of 2024, and that during that time, Huawei led the global foldable smartphone market with a 27.5% share, outpacing South Korea’s Samsung, which held 16.4%. In China, Huawei’s market share climbs to 42%, ahead of competitors like Vivo and Honor, the latter of which was spun off by Huawei in 2020 under pressure from U.S. sanctions.

"Sales of Huawei’s flagship smartphones rose 72% in the first five months of 2024, compared to the same period a year ago, Yu said in June, underscoring the company’s ambitions to make its way back to the top despite severe U.S. restrictions.

And because of the high demand and positive feedback, Huawei goes all out with this Mate XT.

"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 Huawei executive director Richard Yu said at the launch.

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

The Mate XT is available in red and black and features a 10.2-inch display.

At just 3.6mm thick, Huawei claims it is the world's slimmest foldable phone. It also comes with a keyboard attachment that conveniently fits in users' pocket.

The starting price is 19,999 yuan ($2,800) for the 256GB model, with higher memory versions priced at 21,999 yuan and 23,999 yuan.

The foldable phone also 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, Yu said.

AI functions are supported by Huawei's in-house Kylin chips, he added.

In a strategic move, Huawei has scheduled the release of the Mate XT for September 20, the same date Apple has chosen for the launch of its iPhone 16.

The launch of the Mate XT, following a series of successful smartphone debuts, highlights Huawei’s ability to navigate U.S. sanctions and strengthens its competitive stance against Apple in China. In contrast to the iPhone 16, which has faced criticism in China for its lack of AI features, the Mate XT is gaining attention.

Apple, which once enjoyed strong demand in China with each new iPhone launch sparking frenzy, has seen its sales decline. The company’s ranking in the world’s second-largest economy has dropped from third to sixth place.

Huawei made a notable comeback in the high-end smartphone market last year with a device featuring a domestically-produced chip, despite U.S. sanctions cutting off its access to global chipset supplies. The surprising launch of the Mate 60 Pro, for example, caught analysts and U.S. officials off guard.

With existing two-way foldable phones already in its lineup, Huawei’s strong sales in China allowed it to surpass Samsung Electronics as the leading global vendor of foldable phones in 2024.

However, with a starting price of $2,800, which is more than twice the price of the comparable iPhone 16 Pro Max, and a limited production approach, the Mate XT is expected to serve more as a testament to Huawei’s technological prowess than a major sales driver.