The Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design, alleged to be the world’s very first-ever tri-foldable phone, is now going up for sale outside of China. Indeed, it folds in three different ways.
Unveiled shortly after the launch of the Apple iPhone 16 in September, the Mate XT Ultimate Design is now set to cash in on its wide release. The first markets are said to be in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico, with potential further markets, according to The Verge.
However, the phone is less likely to hit U.S. shores anytime soon due to the sanctions that inhibit Huawei’s access to advanced American technology vital for certain components.
While other manufacturers have shown truly amazing concept devices with several folding displays, Huawei is the only one that has managed to deliver one for sale.
The company claims it is the slimmest phone that has ever been manufactured, with a thickness of only 3.6 millimeters, fully unfolded, and a width of a generous 10.2 inches, according to their official press release. The screen has a unique design that folds in two positions, producing three distinct sections reminiscent of an accordion.
CNET’s Sareena Dayaram, on her reporting trip in Hong Kong, had the phone in her hands since last fall and found it to be as lofty as one would expect. She went on to comment on how light it was, especially compared to the usual foldable, and gave some hearty praise to the solid hinges.
She remarked, “I’m not entirely convinced that it’ll be a hit due to its eye-watering price tag. Rather than targeting massive sales, the Mate XT Ultimate Design appears to be a daring declaration from the Chinese company, showcasing its ability to create innovative devices despite the challenges posed by US sanctions.”
