Huawei has officially launched its first triple-folding phone with a staggering asking price. The Mate XT Ultimate Design starts at 19,999 yuan (around S$3,660) for its 256GB storage model, which is S$1,000 more than the most expensive foldable phone on the market — the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.
Apart from the standard model, the phone also comes in 21,999-yuan (around S$4,025) 512GB and 23,999-yuan (around S$4,390) 1TB versions. All models come with 16GB of RAM, with a choice of two colourways: black and red.
The Huawei Mate XT features a dual-hinge system that works in tandem to support inward and outward folds. To accommodate this, the screen is made of flexible materials that allow bending in both directions. The phone can be used in three configurations, measuring 10.2 inches when fully unfolded, 7.9 inches when partially unfolded and 6.4 inches when fully collapsed.
Specifications-wise, the phone features an OLED touchscreen with an up to 240Hz touch sampling rate, with a 5,600mAh battery supporting 66W of wired super-fast charging and 50W of wireless charging. Its rear features a triple camera setup consisting of a 50-megapixel (MP) ultra-optical variable camera, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a 12MP periscope telephoto camera, while its front camera is 8MP.
Despite its steep price and unavailability outside of China, the foldable handset hasn’t deterred enthusiasts who are keen to get their hands on the latest technology, racking up over 5 million pre-orders on Chinese retailer Vmall’s website.