In the long human pursuit of carrying more capability in smaller form, Huawei has crossed a new threshold — a phone that unfolds into something closer to a window than a screen. The Mate XT Ultimate Design, released in China in September 2024, is the world's first triple-foldable smartphone, stretching to 10.2 inches and priced at $2,800. It is less a product for the masses than a proof of concept wrapped in premium materials, asking whether the dream of a single device that replaces all others is worth the compromises that dream still demands.
Huawei's $2,800 triple-fold phone is a marvel—but is it worth the premium?
The tax on convenience is very high—more fragile, expensive to repair.
Mark
So Huawei actually shipped this thing first? I thought Samsung and OnePlus were working on triple folds too.
Mimi
They were, but Huawei got to market first. It's only available in China right now, though there are rumors about a global launch next year.
Luke
And we should note that "first" here means first to actually sell one commercially. The engineering has been in development at multiple companies for years.
Mark
What's the actual experience like? Does it feel like a gimmick or does the extra fold solve a real problem?
Mimi
It's genuinely useful if you want a tablet-sized screen that fits in your pocket. When it's fully open at 10.2 inches, you get real estate for work or media. But the design has a serious flaw—one hinge forces part of the display to sit exposed on the outside edge.
Luke
Which means if you drop it, that's where it breaks first. Huawei includes a case to cover it, but that's a band-aid on a structural problem.
Mark
At $2,800, who's actually buying this?
Mimi
Early adopters in China, apparently. It's already on back-order. People who want the latest technology and don't mind paying for it.
Luke
But we don't have sales numbers yet, and we don't know how many of those pre-orders will actually convert to purchases. Back-order could mean genuine demand or just curiosity.
Mark
Is the hardware actually good, or is it all about the fold?
Mimi
The specs are solid. 16GB of RAM, a 50-megapixel camera with variable aperture, a 5.5x telephoto. Huawei didn't cut corners on the internals.
Luke
Though the software experience is limited by HarmonyOS and the lack of non-Chinese apps. That's a real constraint for anyone outside China.
Mark
So should someone actually buy this instead of, say, a Galaxy Z Fold and an iPad?
Mimi
Probably not, unless you specifically want one device instead of two. A phone and tablet together would cost less and give you more flexibility.
Luke
And better durability, easier repairs, and apps actually optimized for both form factors. The Mate XT is solving a problem that most people don't have.
O Pulso
- Huawei has done what no manufacturer has shipped before — a phone with three folds, two hinges, and a display that rivals a small tablet at 10.2 inches.
- The engineering triumph carries a hidden wound: one hinge forces a section of the display to sit exposed on the phone's outer edge, a structural vulnerability no case can fully solve.
- At $2,800 — nearly a thousand dollars more than competing dual-fold devices — the Mate XT forces buyers to weigh novelty against the cold math of buying a flagship phone and a tablet separately for less.
- Despite its bulk when folded and software limited to a China-specific HarmonyOS ecosystem, the device is already on back-order, signaling that appetite for the extraordinary outpaces practical hesitation.
- The question the Mate XT leaves open is whether triple-folding is a genuine evolution or an expensive first draft of a form factor that isn't ready to live in the world yet.
In the long human pursuit of carrying more capability in smaller form, Huawei has crossed a new threshold — a phone that unfolds into something closer to a window than a screen. The Mate XT Ultimate Design, released in China in September 2024, is the world's first triple-foldable smartphone, stretching to 10.2 inches and priced at $2,800. It is less a product for the masses than a proof of concept wrapped in premium materials, asking whether the dream of a single device that replaces all others is worth the compromises that dream still demands.
Huawei has shipped the first commercially available phone with three folds, and a reviewer got hands-on time with it in China — currently the only place it's sold. The Mate XT Ultimate Design exists in three distinct states: a 6.4-inch phone when closed, a 7.9-inch intermediate form when partially open, and a 10.2-inch tablet-like display when fully extended. That last configuration is only 3.6 millimeters thin — thinner than leading competitors — achieved by spreading the screen across three panels rather than two.
The two hinges open in opposite directions, which makes the device disorienting to handle at first, though the build quality feels solid. The more serious concern is structural: one hinge leaves a bent section of the display exposed on the phone's outer edge, vulnerable to drops. Huawei includes a protective case flap to address this, but the flaw points to a fundamental tension in the triple-fold concept that can't be engineered away without starting over.
The camera system defies the usual foldable compromise — a 50-megapixel main sensor with variable aperture, a 5.5x telephoto that stands out in its class, and a weaker 12-megapixel ultrawide. The phone runs on Huawei's in-house Kirin chip with 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, and a 5,600mAh battery with fast wired and wireless charging. Software is HarmonyOS 4.2, and while the interface handles screen transitions smoothly, multitasking tops out at two split apps plus a slide-over — no improvement over standard foldables.
At $2,800, the Mate XT arrives with a full accessory bundle and an optional folding keyboard, but the central question it raises is whether three folds justify the premium over simply owning a phone and a tablet separately. Back-order demand in China suggests Huawei has found buyers willing to pay for the prestige of something genuinely new — though whether that enthusiasm survives into the broader market, and whether the design's vulnerabilities can be resolved in future generations, remains the real story still unfolding.
Huawei has shipped the first phone with three folds instead of two. The Mate XT Ultimate Design opens to a 10.2-inch display—larger than most tablets—and costs $2,800. A reviewer got hands-on time with the device in China, where it's currently the only place you can buy one.
The phone exists in three states. Fully closed, it's a 6.4-inch rectangle that fits in a pocket, though at 12.8 millimeters thick and 298 grams, it's chunkier and heavier than almost any phone on the market today. Partially open, it becomes a 7.9-inch square-ish device. Fully unfolded, the screen stretches to 10.2 inches with a tablet-like aspect ratio. When fully extended, the Mate XT is only 3.6 millimeters thick—thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 6 or OnePlus Open—a feat Huawei achieved by spreading the display across three panels instead of two. The screen runs at 90Hz refresh rate with 3K resolution.
The engineering required two hinges that open in different directions, which makes the phone confusing to handle at first. You instinctively try to bend it the wrong way. But the build quality is solid enough that fumbling with it doesn't feel dangerous. What does pose a real risk is the design itself: one hinge forces a bent portion of the display to sit on the outside edge of the phone, exposing it to damage if dropped. Huawei includes an in-box case with a protective flap to cover this vulnerability, but the flaw suggests a fundamental problem with the triple-fold concept that can't be fixed without redesigning the entire phone.
Huawei didn't skimp on the camera system, breaking the typical foldable phone rule of cutting corners on optics. The main camera is 50 megapixels with a variable aperture—a feature usually reserved for specialist photography phones. The ultrawide is only 12 megapixels, which is weaker than competitors, but the 5.5x telephoto is extraordinary for a foldable device. The front-facing camera is 8 megapixels. The phone runs on what's believed to be Huawei's in-house Kirin 9010 chip, paired with 16 gigabytes of RAM and storage options of 256 gigabytes, 512 gigabytes, or 1 terabyte. The battery is 5,600 milliamp-hours—huge for a foldable, though modest when you consider it's powering a display twice the size of a regular phone's screen. Charging is fast at 66 watts wired and 50 watts wireless.
The software runs HarmonyOS 4.2, Huawei's own operating system built after the company lost access to Android. On the demo units, the experience felt alien, partly because most installed apps were China-specific. The interface was smooth when resizing apps as you folded and unfolded the screen, but multitasking is limited to two split apps plus a third in slide-over mode—no better than standard foldables and worse than Samsung's three-app split or OnePlus' Open Canvas desktop mode.
The price is the real story. At $2,800 converted from the Chinese listing, the Mate XT costs nearly a thousand dollars more than a typical two-panel foldable. Huawei includes accessories: wall and car chargers, wireless earbuds, and a case with a rotating stand. The company also sells a folding keyboard with a trackpad if you want to use the Mate XT as a work device. But the fundamental question remains: is the novelty of three folds worth the premium over buying a regular flagship phone and an iPad mini separately? The Mate XT is already on back-order in China, suggesting Huawei has tapped into real demand for something new. Whether that demand extends beyond early adopters willing to pay for prestige and screen space remains unclear. The phone is thinner when open but thicker when closed, more durable than it looks but fragile in ways that can't be easily fixed, and packed with features that don't quite justify the cost when you can buy two separate devices for less money and greater flexibility.
Citações Notáveis
One hinge forces a bent portion of the display to sit on the outside edge of the phone, exposing it to damage if dropped.— Reviewer's assessment of design flaw
A standard flagship phone and a tablet with keyboard bought together is unlikely to cost more than the Mate XT, and will probably be much easier to buy and use.— Reviewer's value comparison
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