Foldable phones became a thing in 2018, and for the most part, they are still considered to be in relative infancy (at least compared to the state of regular smartphones). They’re very expensive and still seen as cutting-edge tech by most people, even though we’re several years in. I don’t know too many people with foldables.
Well, despite how young that smartphone segment is, it seems that we’re about to enter a new era of foldable smartphones: the tri-foldable phones. Huawei has just unveiled the Mate XT foldable, which comes with two hinges and not just one, to provide a much larger screen when fully unfolded. It won’t be coming to the US though, as expected.
The Huawei Mate XT Is The First Of Its Kind, Has A 10.2-Inch Foldable Display
There’s only one reason why anyone would need a tri-fold smartphone, and that’s because they’re craving the versatility of a foldable with a much bigger screen than the current ones provide. The Huawei Mate XT delivers on that, with a 10.2-inch 120Hz LTPO OLED display with a 2,232 x 3,184 resolution and a 16:11 aspect ratio. Compared to the 8-inch maximums other foldables (like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold) offer, that’s a difference.
Technically, there’s no cover display on this. It uses a single screen that bends around to the front to operate as a cover display when the device is folded. At that point, it’ll measure 6.4 inches, and the cool part is you can also “half-fold” it in a sense, which will make it 7.9 inches. And since it is technically the same display, you still get the 120Hz LTPO OLED perks regardless of how you fold it.
That’s really what makes this foldable different from all the others we’ve been used to, so it’s only right to start off talking about that. I have to say, that red vegan leather finish looks pretty good too.
The Rest Of The Spec Sheet Is Definitely Impressive
Current foldables are struggling to get thinner, which is one of the things that the OEMs who manage to get it right like to flex on us. Despite having a full extra segment, the device only measures 12.8mm when folded. Just for reference, the freshly-released Z Fold 6 measures 12.1mm when folded.
Despite the slim form factor, Huawei takes advantage of the extra area to fit in a 5,600 mAh silicon battery. It supports 66W wired charging and 50W wireless, so you don’t compromise on that. The chip is likely the Kirin 9010 5G; US sanctions impeded the company’s chip development, so it’s not the same level as what you’d get with the flagship Snapdragon, but it is still good.
The main camera is a variable aperture (f/1.4 to f.4.0) 50MP lens, with a 12MP ultrawide and a 12MP 5.5x periscope telephoto camera. There’s an 8MP selfie camera punched into the cover section of the display. You also get an IR blaster and a power button-based fingerprint sensor.
The Huawei Mate XT Is Only In China For Now; Might Not Leave Those Borders
The Huawei Mate XT, unsurprisingly, has only been launched in China, and it is going to start at CNY 19,999 (~$2,810) for the 16/256GB model, and the 16GB/1TB option stretches the price up to CNY 23,999 (~$3,370).
As a first-generation device with a very hefty price tag, I’m somewhat doubtful as to whether Huawei will bother with a global launch, especially with that GMS ban still going on. More tri-fold devices are in the works though, so it’ll be nice for the competition to get started.
