China’s Huawei unveils world’s first triple-folding phone with hefty price tag

Chinese tech giant Huawei on Tuesday unveiled its new smartphone, billed as the world’s first trifold phone, hours after US competitor Apple lifted the curtain on its new iPhone built for AI. The Mate XT was officially launched in a keynote presentation by Huawei executive Richard Yu at the firm’s headquarters in the southern city of Shenzhen. Originally designed as a premium phone for a niche audience, over three million people registered interest in buying the Mate XT ahead of its launch. The gadget officially goes on sale on September 20, with prices beginning at an eye-watering $2,800 — over three times more than the new iPhone 16. Advertised in a sleek red and gold design, the phone can transform into a 10.2 inch (26 centimetres) tablet and weighs 298 grams.“This is the world’s first triple-folding phone,” Yu said at the keynote. “We have put in a huge amount of effort into solving the problems regarding mass production and product reliability,” he added.