INTRODUCTION
The Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design, the world’s first tri-fold phone, represents a groundbreaking evolution in smartphone design and technology. Huawei has essentially created the ultimate device, combining the functionality of a full-sized tablet with the portability of a smartphone that fits comfortably in your pocket. With the Mate XT, we’re at the threshold of a new era in mobile technology, where smartphones can offer an entirely new range of use cases, enabling more powerful applications and pushing the limits of what’s possible on a handheld device.
SPECIFICATION
Network Technology
- Supported Networks: GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G
- 2G Bands: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 – SIM 1 & SIM 2; CDMA 800
- 3G Bands: HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100; CDMA2000 1x
- 4G Bands: LTE
- 5G Bands: SA/NSA
- Speed: HSPA, LTE, 5G
Launch Date
- Announced: September 10, 2024
- Release Date: September 20, 2024
Body
- Dimensions:
- Unfolded: 156.7 x 219 x 3.6-4.8 mm
- Folded: 156.7 x 73.5 x 12.8 mm
- Weight: 298 g (10.51 oz)
- SIM: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
Display
- Type: Tri-foldable LTPO OLED, 1B colors, 90Hz
- Size: 10.2 inches (~91.9% screen-to-body ratio)
- Resolution: 2232 x 3184 pixels (~381 ppi density)
- Cover Display (1/3 of main): 6.4 inches, 1008 x 2232 pixels
- Dual Display (2/3 of main): 7.9 inches, 2048 x 2232 pixels
Platform
- OS: HarmonyOS 4.2 (China)
- Chipset: Kirin 9010 (7 nm)
- CPU: Octa-core (1×2.3 GHz Taishan Big, 3×2.18 GHz Taishan Mid, 4×1.55 GHz Cortex-A510)
- GPU: Maleoon 910
Memory
- Card Slot: No
- Internal Storage: 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM
Main Camera
- Triple Lens:
- 50 MP, f/1.4-f/4.0, 24mm (wide), PDAF, OIS
- 12 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 5.5x optical zoom
- 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), PDAF
- Features: Laser AF, LED flash, panorama, HDR
- Video: 4K, 1080p, gyro-EIS, OIS, HDR
Selfie Camera
- Single Lens: 8 MP, f/2.2 (wide)
- Features: HDR
- Video: 4K, 1080p
Sound
- Loudspeaker: Yes, with stereo speakers
- 3.5mm Jack: No
Communications
- WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band
- Bluetooth: 5.2, A2DP, LE, L2HC
- Positioning: GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS, NavIC
- NFC: Yes; NFC-SIM, HCE
- Infrared Port: Yes
- Radio: No
DESIGN
Huawei’s new Mate XT Ultimate Design is a groundbreaking addition to the foldable phone market as the world’s first tri-folding phone available for purchase. Unlike standard foldables with a single hinge, the Mate XT’s 10.2-inch display folds twice, forming three sections that collapse into a pocket-sized phone. This gives users a portable device that can transform into a full-sized tablet. Notably, it’s also the slimmest phone on the market when unfolded.
However, this innovation comes with a premium price, starting at about $2,800 and reaching up to $3,420 for higher storage models, making it one of the most expensive foldables out there.
Huawei’s launch of the Mate XT Ultimate Design, the world’s first tri-fold phone, came just hours after Apple’s iPhone 16 announcement, symbolizing a comeback for Huawei following severe US sanctions. Since 2019, these sanctions have blocked Huawei from essential American technology, affecting its semiconductor supply and limiting access to US markets. Now, with strong national support, Huawei’s smartphone business is thriving again.
Dominating the foldables race is a strategic priority for Huawei, placing it in direct competition with Samsung, Google, and Xiaomi. However, the Mate XT’s high price tag may limit its appeal. A CNET survey in September showed 52% of consumers remain uninterested in foldable phones. Despite this, Huawei achieved a global foldable market share of 27.5% in Q2 2023, outpacing Samsung’s 16.4%, according to IDC data. While its foldable may not drive mass sales, Huawei remains focused on innovation, and hands-on experiences with the Mate XT suggest it’s impressive in both design and functionality.
LOOKS, DISPLAY AND OVERVIEW
From the front, the Mate XT Ultimate Design resembles a regular smartphone with a 6.4-inch screen and the proportions of a candy bar phone. However, when viewed from the side or top, its unique accordion-like, tri-fold design becomes apparent. The Mate XT has three layers that fold inward, expanding into a 10.2-inch display when fully opened.
The display features two subtle creases, common in foldables, but watching videos remains immersive due to the screen’s brightness and vividness, making the creases less noticeable. It feels similar to navigating a tablet—though an incredibly slim one at only 3.66 millimeters thick, comparable to four or five stacked SIM cards.
Despite its thinness when open, the Mate XT becomes a chunky device when closed. Its three stacked layers add up to 12.88 millimeters in thickness, making one-handed use challenging. In comparison, book-style folding phones like the Z Fold 6 and Pixel 9 Fold Pro are thinner at 12.1mm and 10.16mm, respectively, but they have smaller 7- to 8-inch inner displays with only a single crease due to their simpler designs.
The Huawei Mate XT offers two main modes: a book-style “dual-screen mode,” similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and a larger “triple-screen mode” for tablet-like use. Navigating these modes requires unfolding the two hinges in sequence, creating a slight learning curve as the hinges open in different directions. While the hinges feel sturdy, their durability over time is uncertain, and the phone lacks an IP rating for water or dust resistance.
Some design concerns include the exposed screen edge when folded, which Huawei advises protecting with a case, although this adds weight to the already hefty device. Battery life may also be a challenge, as the large 5,600-mAh battery must power a 10.2-inch screen, which could drain power quickly.
CAMERA
Foldable phones often compromise on camera hardware, but Huawei has chosen to break this trend with the Mate XT. Its 50 MP main camera is competitive with other foldables, featuring a variable aperture for enhanced photo control—a feature typically found on high-end photography-focused devices like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra.
While the 12MP ultrawide camera doesn’t match the 48MP sensor on the OnePlus Open, the 12MP 5.5x telephoto lens stands out as a remarkable feature for a foldable phone, highlighting Huawei’s commitment to delivering high-quality optics. The Mate XT also includes an 8MP front camera, which, while lower in resolution, still surpasses the 4MP inner camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
SOFTWARE
Switching from Android to Huawei’s own HarmonyOS, the Mate XT initially felt unfamiliar, especially since many of the pre-installed apps were tailored for the Chinese market. However, navigating between apps was smooth, and resizing apps when opening or closing the screen worked seamlessly. This is expected, as the Mate XT’s three display sizes aren’t groundbreaking on their own—it’s the way it combines them into one device that sets it apart.
Multitasking is currently limited to two split-screen apps, with a third in slide-over mode. This setup is no better than what’s offered by other foldables and falls short compared to Samsung’s three-app split or OnePlus’ impressive Open Canvas desktop mode.
PERFORMANCE
The Mate XT Ultimate Design is powered by Huawei’s in-house Kirin 9010 processor, paired with 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. While my brief time with the device didn’t allow for an in-depth performance test, it felt responsive, and app navigation was smooth. However, I didn’t push the device to its limits.
Due to time constraints, I didn’t explore apps across all three screens. However, I observed that multitasking was limited to two split-screen apps with a third in a floating window, which doesn’t offer much more than what current book-style foldables provide. It would be ideal for Huawei to enhance multitasking by using each screen section more effectively, and it’s possible that future software updates could bring such improvements.