Huawei has just launched the world’s first tri-fold smartphone in the Mate XT, with the device arriving in China for a cost of just under $3,000.
The Huawei Mate XT takes foldable displays to a new level by adding an extra fold. The OLED display ribbons through a device that can open its screen twice to reveal a large 10.2-inch display at a 16:11 aspect ratio.
You can also use the device more like a traditional book-style foldable with a single portion unfolded coming in at 7.9-inches, similar in size to Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
When folded up the Huawei Mate XT ends up being fairly similar to a typical smartphone with a 6.4-inch display and a thickness of just 12.8mm despite being a tri-fold device. For context, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 measures 12.1mm thick, and it only folds once. When fully unfolded, the device is just 3.6mm thick at its thinnest point, with a portion of the device being slightly thicker to make room for the USB-C port.
Despite the super-thin and complex design, though, Huawei has still stuffed this foldable with all of the things you’d expect from a typical flagship smartphone. 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, satellite connectivity, and a trio of flagship-tier cameras – 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP 5.5x telephoto.
It even has a bigger battery than most other foldables, with a 5,600 mAh cell inside that supports fast charging over USB-C at up to 66W and wireless charging at up to 50W.
There’s no official word yet on the chipset inside of this device, but it’s thought to be the Kirin 9010.
Huawei has already opened up sales of the Mate XT in China – it’s unlikely it will be sold elsewhere – with a starting price of ¥19999. That’s roughly $2,800 USD, making this device cost about $1,000 more than many book-style foldables available today.
What do you think of the idea of a tri-fold smartphone?
More on Foldables:
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold impressions: Stellar hardware and battery life with one downside
- Hands-on: How the ridiculously thin Honor Magic V3 compares to Pixel 9 Pro Fold
- Galaxy Z Fold 6 Review: Genuinely good, especially if you ignore the competition
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