Last year, Huawei launched a head-turning device, the Mate XT, which marked the world's first trifold smartphone. It was initially released in China, featuring 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, and a camera setup with a 50-megapixel main sensor, 12-megapixel ultra-wide and telephoto lenses, and an 8-megapixel front camera. The star of the show, the folding display, was a 10.2-inch flexible LTPO OLED screen that folds into two smaller sizes: 7.9 inches and 6.4 inches.
When Huawei launched the device in China, it quickly garnered a lot of attention, with 6.5 million pre-orders. However, many eager customers were disappointed as walk-in purchases were limited to those with pre-orders.
Now, Huawei is launching the Mate XT for the global market. This will mark what CNBC calls its "comeback in international markets." The Mate XT will start at around $3,660. While we don't yet know all the countries the device will be available in, it is already for sale in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
There are also a few things to note about the Mate XT. It will not feature Android, Google's operating system, but will instead be powered by HarmonyOS, Huawei's proprietary operating system initially announced back in 2019.
HarmonyOS does not come with the Google Play Store and Google apps, a staple for many Android users, which could make it difficult for Huawei to compete with companies like Samsung.
Some experts are not very optimistic about the Mate XT having mass appeal outside of China. Speaking to CNBC, Francisco Jeronimo, the vice president for data and analytics at the IDC, argued that the trifold is likely aimed at those who want to show off that they can afford such an expensive device rather than the average consumer.
I think what they [Huawei] believe is that the trifold can be a unique value proposition, and because it is very expensive, they aim to target wealthy individuals who are more keen on showing off they have the money versus having the best experience you can get.
Foldable devices have come a long way since Samsung released its first foldable back in 2017. Even Apple is reportedly jumping in, and it is rumored to be working on a foldable iPhone and iPad.
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