Huawei’s Chinese website indicates that the company has received over 2.8 million reservations for its new tri-fold smartphone, the Mate XT. Reservations opened on Saturday, and the official launch is set for Tuesday, September 10th, at 2:30 PM local time.
Details regarding the device’s specifications, pricing, and other information will be unveiled during Huawei’s event tomorrow.
We do know that the Mate XT will be available in black and red and is scheduled for release on September 20th. Huawei has previously launched folding devices, including the book-style Mate X5 and the clamshell Pocket P50.
According to research firm TechInsights, shipments of foldable phones increased by 85% in the second quarter compared to the previous year. The company has made a significant recovery in China over the past year after overcoming U.S. sanctions that had restricted its access to advanced chips.
The company had to rely on Snapdragon chips modified to disable 5G functionality in order to power flagship devices such as the P50, Mate 50, and P60. However, in a surprising turn of events, Huawei unveiled the P60 line last year, equipped with its own 7nm Kirin 9000s chip that supports 5G.
This marked the first Kirin-powered smartphone with 5G capability released by Huawei since the Mate 40 in 2020. One challenge for Huawei is that its Kirin chips are produced by SMIC, which faces restrictions on obtaining the latest lithography equipment. As a result, SMIC’s chips lag two generations behind the 3nm chips manufactured this year by TSMC and Samsung Foundry.
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Nevertheless, the most significant development for Huawei is its newfound ability to produce its own 5G processors, even as speculation grows about a forthcoming 5nm chip. It remains unclear which processor will be used in the Mate XT.
Despite powering its last two flagship models (the Mate 60 series and Pura 70) with chips that are two generations outdated, this did not seem to hinder the design or features of the devices. Additionally, Huawei is on the brink of launching the first commercially available tri-fold smartphone, which can expand to reveal a 10-inch tablet-sized display. The price of the Mate XT could also set a record, potentially reaching as high as 28,440 Chinese yuan, or $4,000.
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