Huawei Doubles Down On Tri-Fold Phones As Apple, Xiaomi Step Up Competition

Huawei has launched its latest tri-fold smartphone series in China as the technology giant looks to defend its lead in the premium handset market against Apple and Xiaomi, according to a Reuters report.

The new Mate XT2 series features phones that fold twice to open into a tablet-sized display. Prices start at 19,999 yuan ($2,980), while the top-end version costs 24,999 yuan ($3,725). Sales will begin on September 12.

The launch comes as Xiaomi prepares to unveil a rival foldable phone and Apple gets ready to launch its latest iPhone series on Wednesday. Apple is also widely expected to enter the foldable smartphone segment.

New Chip, Upgraded Features

The Mate XT2 series is powered by Huawei’s new Kirin 9050 Pro chip. Huawei says the chip is designed to provide more computing power while consuming less electricity.

The chip uses an architecture called LogicFolding, which is part of the “Tau Scaling Law” approach Huawei introduced in May. The company has been developing new chip technologies as it faces US restrictions on access to advanced semiconductor technology.

The phones also come with a redesigned folding mechanism and improved water resistance. Huawei has added upgraded cameras and a display feature designed to prevent people nearby from viewing what is shown on the screen.

Huawei Leads China’s Foldable Market

Huawei Executive Director Richard Yu acknowledged the pressure on pricing, saying, “memory costs have risen sharply” and that the company had faced significant cost pressure from adopting new technology.

Huawei remains the only major smartphone brand currently selling a tri-fold phone. Samsung Electronics, the world’s biggest foldable phone seller, launched its own tri-fold device in December but reportedly stopped sales after three months.

According to consultancy IDC, Huawei held a 22.6% share of China’s smartphone market in the second quarter, ahead of Apple at 18.1% and Xiaomi at 12.4%.

Huawei’s position is even stronger in foldables. Smart Analytics Global, a US-based research company, estimates that Huawei accounted for 68% of foldable smartphone shipments in China during the second quarter.

The latest launch therefore comes at a key moment for Huawei, with Apple and Xiaomi preparing to increase competition in the premium and foldable smartphone segments.