Huawei Launches Mate XTs Trifold As Folding Phone War Intensifies
While tech giants like Samsung and Apple continue to dabble in book-style foldable phones, Huawei has continued its solo charge into trifold territory. In fact, the company has just unveiled the second-generation Huawei Mate XTs, complete with improvements in the processor, added stylus support, and a new ultrawide camera, among other things.
One of the main calling cards of the Mate XTs is that it features a Z-shaped outward-folding hinge system, allowing the single display to transform into three distinct screen configurations. When fully unfolded, the device presents a proper tablet-sized 10.2-inch OLED panel. When folded once, it becomes a dual-screen device with a 7.9-inch display, and in its most compact form, it functions as a familiar 6.4-inch slab phone. The 3,184x2,232 display is rated for 1,800 peak nits, and is capable of variable 1-90Hz refresh rate.
Under the hood, the Mate XTs is powered by Huawei’s latest Kirin 9020, a small bump from the previous model's 9010. The device's camera system has been massaged as well: aside from the 50-megapixel main camera with a variable aperture and 12MP periscope telephoto lens with 5.5x optical (and 50 x digital) zoom, there's a new 40MP ultra-wide camera to replace the older 12MP unit.
Huawei’s launch of the Mate XTs places it in a league of its own, as the company is currently the only manufacturer to have commercially shipped a trifold smartphone. The new model comes as competitors are still in their developmental phases, with Samsung’s own tri-fold device and the rumored iPhone Fold remaining subjects of speculation. For now anyway, Huawei is focused on refining the formula and perhaps be able to trickle the technology down to producing cheaper trifold models.
Currently available in China only, the Huawei Mate XTs Ultimate Design starts at $2,250 for the 16GB RAM / 256GB ROM version, topping out at $3,080 for the 16GB RAM / 1TB ROM model. The stylus is an extra $84.
