Thought Leadership
Huawei has presented the second major generation of its tri-fold smartphone in China with the Mate XT 2 Ultimate Design.
Unlike the predecessor, both outer wings now fold inward, fully protecting the sensitive flexible display when closed. When closed, the device measures 157.2 by 77 by 12.3 millimeters with a weight of 299 grams; fully unfolded, it reaches a width of 219.2 millimeters with a minimum thickness of just 3.5 millimeters. The outer, 6.5-inch LTPO OLED display offers a resolution of 2,442 by 1,140 pixels, a refresh rate of 1 to 120 Hertz, and a peak brightness of up to 6,500 nits, protected by basalt glass.
The inner, unfolded main display measures 10.2 inches with a 3K resolution of 3,184 by 2,232 pixels in an unusual aspect ratio of 12.8 to 9 and a maximum refresh rate of 90 Hertz. Optionally, Huawei also offers a version with a hardware-based privacy feature called Lingdun, which specifically blocks side viewing angles via a dual-pixel structure.
The device is powered by the new Kirin 9050 Pro processor, which for the first time is based on Huawei’s own LogicFolding architecture with three-dimensionally stacked computing units. Huawei CEO Richard Yu described it as the “most powerful Kirin chip of all time” with a performance increase of 42 percent compared to the predecessor.
The central processor is complemented by a Maleoon graphics unit with hardware-accelerated ray tracing as well as a Da Vinci AI processing unit, which according to the company can execute a language model with up to 30 billion parameters directly on the device itself. The device also features a triple 50-megapixel main camera, satellite communication, eSIM support, as well as IP58 and IP59 protection ratings against water and dust.
Prices between the equivalent of 2,980 and 4,470 US dollars
All variants feature 16 gigabytes of RAM. The base model with 256 gigabytes of storage starts at 19,999 yuan, equivalent to around 2,980 US dollars; the 512-gigabyte version costs 21,999 yuan, and the 1-terabyte version costs 23,999 yuan. The 1-terabyte version additionally equipped with the Lingdun privacy feature costs 24,999 yuan, while the special edition with 2 terabytes of storage including a stylus set is priced at 29,999 yuan, equivalent to around 4,470 US dollars. Pre-orders are already possible in China, with deliveries scheduled to begin on September 12 or 13 depending on the source; early buyers will additionally receive a free protective case with a rotating kickstand.
Huawei: Unveiling coincides with Apple’s own event
The unveiling took place just a few days before Apple’s own fall event, where reports indicate a first-ever foldable iPhone is also expected. According to figures from market research firm IDC, Huawei already controlled the Chinese smartphone market in the second quarter of 2026 with a market share of 22.6 percent, ahead of Apple at 18.1 percent and Xiaomi at 12.4 percent. Samsung, the global market leader in foldable devices, presented its own tri-fold smartphone last December, but discontinued the product after around three months.
(Editorial Team)
