Huawei finally confirms the name of its triple-decker smartphone in a new teaser video
Huawei has officially named its upcoming triple-screen smartphone the Huawei Mate XT.
The name, which follows the convention of Huawei’s Mate X foldable series, was confirmed in a new teaser video shared with Weibo by the Chinese manufacturer (via GSMArena).
The teaser also links the upcoming phone to Huawei’s Ultimate Design brand, a continuation of its previous partnership with Porsche Design, which currently offers a luxury smartwatch.
This association with Ultimate Design could mean Huawei is preparing consumers for a hefty price tag – the Mate XT’s predecessor, the Mate X3, retails for around $1,825 / £1,390 / AU$2,700 in China, and a new, higher-end product is likely to be even more expensive.
At the time of writing, Huawei devices are banned from sale in the US due to a ban. The company also doesn’t sell phones in the UK, despite offering tablets, laptops and other accessories.
It’s fair to speculate that the XT stands for X Triple or X Tri-Fold, suggesting Huawei has embraced the ‘tri-fold’ naming convention – this despite the fact that the Mate XT actually folds twice, not three times.
A good rollout
The new teaser follows Huawei’s announcement of its upcoming “grand ceremony,” a product event in the vein of Apple’s annual iPhone launches.
GSMArena reported that Huawei has scheduled the launch for September 10, just one day after the highly anticipated Apple event on September 9.
Huawei likely wants to avoid a clash with Apple’s event, where the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will almost certainly be unveiled and are likely to draw huge interest.
By announcing a world first immediately after an annual update to the iPhone, Huawei could be making an attempt to win over Apple.
This event announcement, along with the new Mate XT teaser, has lent an air of officialdom to the tri-fold’s rollout, which has previously been led by leaked images and stray comments. Only recently, Huawei Consumer Business Group CEO Yu Chengdong (aka Richard Yu) seemingly confirmed a September release date for the Mate XT in a comment made at the launch of Huawei’s STELATO S9 electric car.
A real world first
Throughout the year, there have been rumors of a triple-fold device hitting the market. It is suggested that Samsung, Honor, and even Huawei are working on the production of the first phone of this type.
In addition, there are concept devices from Tecno Mobile and a suspicious looking OPPO render have contributed to the speculation, as well as a working prototype shown by TCL CSOT.
While the Mate XT is unlikely to launch globally, it’s always exciting to see a truly new product reach consumers.
For the latest updates on foldable phones, check out Ny Breaking’s phone coverage, as well as our guide to the best foldable phones of 2024.