Huawei is said to be gearing up to launch a new tri-fold smartphone, succeeding last year’s Mate XT Ultimate Design. While previous reports referred to it as the Huawei Mate XT 2, a new leaks now hint that it could debut under the name ‘Huawei Mate XTs’. The latest leaks also shed light on the expected launch window and possible pricing of the upcoming tri-fold smartphone. It is rumoured to run on the Kirin 9020 chipset. The Huawei Mate XTs is anticipated to rival Samsung’s upcoming tri-fold smartphone.
Weibo tipster GuoJing (translated from Chinese) claimed that the Huawei Mate XTs tri-fold will launch on September 12. Interestingly, this timing aligns closely with Apple’s rumoured iPhone 17 series debut, reportedly set between September 8 and 12. If accurate, Huawei’s upcoming foldable could launch almost exactly a year after the Mate XT Ultimate Design, which was introduced in China last September.
Huawei Mate XTs Price (Expected)
Additionally, according to a report by the Chinese outlet CNMO, the Huawei Mate XTs will be priced at around CNY 20,000 (roughly Rs. 2,43,400). For comparison, last year’s Mate XT Ultimate Design launched at CNY 19,999 for the base 16GB RAM + 256GB storage variant. The new model is expected to compete with Samsung’s first tri-fold smartphone — Galaxy Z TriFold.
The Huawei Mate XTs will reportedly ship with the HarmonyOS 5.1 operating system. It is said to feature an upgraded Tiangong dual-hinge system and a triple rear camera unit led by a 50-megapixel primary sensor with support for variable aperture. The camera unit is expected to include a periscope telephoto sensor. It could come with satellite connectivity.
Recent leaks suggested black, purple, red and white colourways for the Huawei Mate XTs. It is expected to boast the same 7.9-inch main display and 5,600mAh battery as its predecessor. It could run on a Kirin 9020 chipset.
Huawei’s Mate XT Ultimate Design remains the sole tri-fold smartphone currently available commercially in the market. It was released in select global markets in February this year with a price tag of AED 12,999 (roughly Rs. 3,07,800) for the sole 16GB RAM + 1TB storage configuration. Tecno recently unveiled its Phantom Ultimate G Fold Concept, a tri-fold smartphone. However, the company has yet to disclose when it will be commercially available.
