Foldable phones have nothing on the Huawei Mate XT. In a world where two folds are the norm, the Chinese giant took it by storm with an intriguing tweak in formula – upping the count to three, and turning the mould into a first-ever tri-fold smartphone.
The effort paid off handsomely, scoring over five million pre-orders in China after its initial announcement, despite a steep price tag of 19,999 yuan (S$3,660 / US$2,747). Now, the rest of the globe can finally get in on the folding action, with Huawei kicking off the international rollout of the device in Malaysia on 18 February.
Unveiled at a special event held in Kuala Lumpur, the country’s capital, the Huawei Mate XT comes in black or red, and will set customers back by a whopping €3,499 (S$4,904 / US$3,652) for the 1TB iteration. The full list of countries and territories has yet to be announced, but it will be released in Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Cambodia within Southeast Asia. Singapore, unfortunately, is excluded from the regional launch.
First announced last September, the device is built around two hinges instead of the standard one, allowing for both inward and outward folds. It can be used in three configurations, measuring 10.2 inches when fully unfolded, 7.9 inches after a single fold, and 6.4 inches when collapsed another time. The OLED display supports up to a refresh rate of 90Hz, offering the following resolutions across its various form factors: 3,184 x 2,232 pixels, 2,048 x 2,232 pixels, and 1,008 x 2,232 pixels, respectively.
In terms of photography, it touts a 50-megapixel (MP) main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 12MP telephoto lens, alongside an 8MP selfie camera. Other notable features of the device include a IPX8 rating for dust and water resistance, a 5,600mAh battery, and support for 66W Huawei SuperCharge and 50W wireless charging.
It’s also unclear whether the global version will share the same chip as its Chinese counterpart – the latter is said to be powered by the brand’s own Kirin 9010 processor, though no confirmation was ever given.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Natalie
Destro
