When one screen isn’t enough—meet the triple-fold Mate XT.
The hype around foldable or flip smartphones these days just keeps growing and growing. The market has been buzzing with entries like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold series, and there’s a strong rumor that Apple is gearing up to launch a flippable iPhone. Amidst this growing interest, Chinese tech giant Huawei introduced the Mate XT Ultimate Design, claiming the title of the world’s first triple-screen foldable smartphone. It made its grand entrance on September 10.
The release of the Mate XT came just hours after Apple introduced its iPhone 16 series. This timing was clearly a strategic move by Huawei to steal some of the spotlight. Besides coming out with a unique dual-folding mechanism, the Mate XT is also one of the thinnest foldable phones on the market and allows for viewing multiple resizable app windows at once.
However, innovation doesn’t come cheap—the Mate XT starts at an eye-watering RMB19,999 (about US$2,800). Let’s take a look at the features and design of the Mate XT to see whether it is truly a pioneering device or merely a flashy entry into the tech market.
Display
Image by Huawei
The triple-fold Mate XT features a 10.2-inch LTPO OLED display with a resolution of 3,184 × 2,232 pixels and a 16:11 aspect ratio, complemented by a 120 Hz refresh rate. It stands out as larger than any current foldable smartphone, surpassing models like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Honor Magic V3. What’s more, the display supports viewing multiple app windows at once, which you can resize and arrange according to your needs.
Thanks to its innovative dual hinge design, the Mate XT can bend both inwards and outwards to offer three operational modes. When fully folded, the display features a 6.4 inches, similar to a standard smartphone. Unfold it once, and you get a 7.9-inch screen, perfect for tasks like reading. Unfold it completely, and it transforms into a 10.2-inch screen, ideal for watching movies or editing documents. This adaptability makes it easy to switch between a compact phone and a more expansive tablet interface.
Huawei has developed a special hinge system that supports seamless transitions between each mode. The hinges, made with high-grade steel used in rockets, are designed to withstand frequent folding. Reviews have highlighted that the folds remain invisible when the screen is viewed head-on; they only become apparent when viewed from an angle. Also, the most commonly used apps in China like Douyin (TikTok’s Chinese counterpart) are already well-optimized for the Mate XT’s unique trifold screen.
Measurements
Weighing 298 grams, the Mate XT measures just 3.6 mm in thickness when fully unfolded—the same thickness as four stacked credit cards—and bulks up to 12.8 mm when folded. Although it’s slightly thicker than the Samsung Z Fold 6, which measures 12.2 mm, the Mate XT remains highly portable. This is especially notable given that it incorporates three screens into one sleek device.
Camera quality
The Huawei Mate X’s camera setup is led by a 50-megapixel main sensor with variable aperture (f/1.4 to f/4). It also has a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens that offers a 120-degree field of view, perfect for capturing expansive landscapes or group photos. Additionally, there’s a 12-megapixel periscope camera with 5.5x optical zoom, great for snapping clear shots of distant objects. For those who love photography, the camera’s versatility and the physical shutter that adjusts lighting conditions for each shot are a major plus.
AI features
Powered by Huawei’s own Kirin 9010 chipset, the Mate XT has incorporated several AI features that enhance its functionality and user experience. Its camera system utilizes AI to optimize image quality through features like scene recognition, portrait enhancement, smart object removal.
Besides photography, its AI assistant offers several features like:
- voice editing that refines voice-to-text transcriptions
- advanced translation function that facilitates side-by-side language switching in texts
- smart summary extraction
- cloud-based content generation
Celia, Huawei’s voice-activated AI virtual assistant, can generate article summaries.
Screenshot from Huawei’s official website
Other specificities
Images by Huawei
The Mate XT comes in two colors—black and red—and features a vegan leather back. It’s equipped with 16 GB of RAM and a 5,600 mAh battery—which is about 10% larger than typical smartphone batteries, even though the display is twice as large. It supports both 66W wired and 50W wireless charging for quick power-ups.
Running on Huawei’s proprietary Harmony OS, the Mate XT has all essential connectivity options, like GPS, Bluetooth 5.2 and 5G. It also includes standard smartphone features like a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. A particularly notable feature is the inclusion of satellite communication, which guarantees connectivity even in the most remote areas.
Image by Huawei
Each box includes several extras: a rotating bracket protective case, Huawei FreeBuds 5 earbuds, a 66W charger and an 88W car charger. For added productivity, Huawei offers an optional foldable split keyboard.
Is it worth the splurge?
Huawei’s Mate XT is a marvel of foldable technology and stands out in the market. However, it’s important to weigh its high cost against the benefits. Starting at RMB19,999 yuan (US$2,809) for the base model and rising to RMB23,999 yuan (US$3,371) for the 1 TB version, it’s not for everyone. Additionally, if the display gets damaged, repair costs could reach US$1,100. For context, the first-time repair of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6’s folding screen—covering the OLED panel, metal bezel and battery replacement—is discounted to US$200, but subsequent repairs escalate to US$549.
Another significant concern is that Huawei devices cannot run on Google’s Android operating system. In 2019, U.S. sanctions against Huawei halted access to essential Google services like the Play Store, Gmail, Google Maps and YouTube. Huawei now uses its own HarmonyOS 4.2, but switching entirely to this platform could be a challenging adjustment for users accustomed to Google’s ecosystem.
The Mate XT is available for sale exclusively in China starting September 20. For those outside China eager to get their hands on one, they may need to wait until the first quarter of 2025 for its international release.
Ultimately, the Mate XT is designed for those who are enthusiastic about cutting-edge technology and can handle its hefty price tag. If that describes you, investing in the Mate XT could be a rewarding experience.
Also read:
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- Samsung’s Ballie Robot Rolls Back with AI and A Projector at CES 2024
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Header Image from Huawei’s website
