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Huawei has released the Mate XT clamshell, the world's first smartphone that can be folded in three thanks to a dual-hinge mechanism. In China, millions of pre-orders have been received for this unique device, but so far its release is planned only in a very limited series. In Russia, the Mate XT was not officially announced at all, but still attracted more attention. Kommersant-Review found out what is interesting about Huawei's first foldable phone, what experts say about this unusual new product, and what the future holds for foldable smartphones.
Official sales of Huawei Mate XT began in China on September 20. The price of the smartphone starts at 20,000 yuan (272,000 rubles) for the version with 256 GB of memory. The price of the version with 512 GB of memory is 22,000 yuan (299,000 rubles), the version with 1 TB of memory is 24,000 yuan (327,000 rubles).
The main OLED display of the Huawei Mate XT has a diagonal of 10.2 inches, a resolution of 3K and an aspect ratio of 16:11. The screen refresh rate is 90 Hz. When folded, the new Huawei has a screen diagonal of 6.4 inches and a thickness of 11 mm, so it can be used as a regular smartphone. For comparison, the thickness of the iPhone 16 Pro Max is 8.3 mm.
When unfolded, the Mate XT is only 3.6 mm thick. The device weighs 298 g (iPhone 16 Pro Max: 227 g). The Huawei Tri-Folder fingerprint scanner is located on the side panel. The main camera of the smartphone boasts three sensors - a 50-megapixel sensor with optical stabilization, an ultra-wide-angle module, and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with 5.5x optical zoom.
The Mate XT also features an 8MP front camera. The smartphone’s processor is a 12-core Kirin 9010 5G, which is significantly behind the flagships of 2023 and 2024. However, it ensures smooth operation of all applications and interfaces. The Mate XT is equipped with 16 GB of RAM, a 5600 mAh battery, 66 W fast charging, and 50 W wireless charging.
The smartphone is released in red and black colors, the frame and camera unit are finished in gold, the back panel is finished with eco-leather. Mate XT can be supplemented with accessories, such as covers and wireless keyboards. The wireless keyboard folds in half and is convenient to store in a purse or pocket. And to the right of the keyboard buttons, the manufacturer has provided a small touchpad.
Pre-orders for the Huawei Mate XT have reached millions, but production of the smartphone in China is very low. Only 20,000 units, says Eldar Murtazin, a senior analyst at Mobile Research Group. Experts estimate that the Mate XT could sell in the range of 50,000 to 60,000 units, so there is a possibility that Huawei could release additional smartphones. “Today in China, the Mate XT is a rare model that sells for about $ 10,000 per unit,” says Eldar Murtazin.
The expert added that the Mate XT is not officially presented in Russia and is sold for big money only on the gray market. According to his estimates, there are currently only about 20 such smartphones in the country. Roman Tinyaev, director of the mechanical engineering and technology division of the consulting company Strategy Partners, estimates the price of the Mate XT with 256 GB of memory on the Russian market at 300,000 rubles, and the price of the top model with 1 TB of memory at about 300,000 rubles. 350,000 rubles. Avito, as Kommersant-Review assured, is accepting pre-orders for the Huawei Mate XT at an average price of 450,000 rubles.
Huawei was the world's first mass-produced triple foldable phone, but prototypes of such devices have been shown at trade shows by a number of companies over the past three to four years, including China's TCL Corporation and Tecno Mobile. The latter will unveil the "3 Folders" in 2024.
However, as Eldar Murtazin notes, the main form factor of foldable smartphones is the clamshell, which Samsung released in 2019. Samsung specialists have been investing in the development of these screens for the past 10 years and, having become pioneers in this field, continue to actively develop them. According to Mr. Murtazin, today Samsung controls about 90% of the entire global market for smartphones with flexible screens. The remaining 10% is accounted for by other companies, including Huawei.
"Foldable smartphones instantly became a hit among technology enthusiasts. However, these devices had many technical problems related to the durability of the foldable display and folding mechanism. However, developers quickly took into account the shortcomings and significantly improved the model by 2024," says Ilya Fofanov, an independent IT expert and technology blogger.
According to various estimates, experts predict that global sales of foldable smartphones in 2024 will grow by more than 40% compared to the previous year. At the same time, as noted by the press service of MTS, high interest in foldable smartphones is also recorded in Russia. From January to August 2024, 54,000 such devices were sold in the country for a total of 5.5 billion rubles. This is 11% more in units and 6% in value compared to last year. And the average price of a foldable smartphone decreased by 4% to 102,436 rubles.
The main factor in increasing sales of MTS foldable smartphones is the expansion of the range, mainly due to Chinese brands. For example, at the moment there are already more than 30 models in Russia. In addition, smartphones with flexible screens are becoming more technologically advanced and affordable. "By 2025, more than 30 million units will be sold on the foldable device market. Technological advances will reduce the cost of producing flexible screens, which will affect prices for end consumers. At the same time, we will see even more innovative solutions in this sector," predicts Ilya Fofanov.
Roman Tinyaev also agrees that the market for foldable smartphones is growing. According to experts, technological developments, reduction in weight, thickness and cost should lead to greater penetration of these devices into the market. At the same time, the expansion of the line of foldable smartphones will occur mainly due to Chinese companies, Eldar Murtazin points out. At the same time, according to him, now these devices belong to the premium segment and have a very small market share (apparently, even in this segment less than 1%), so it is forbidden to talk about them taking over them. "The reason is simple: foldable smartphones are quite expensive devices that buyers have not yet had time to use to the fullest," the expert concluded.
This text is part of a new project by Kommersant Publishing House dedicated to business and financial market trends. You will find additional content on our Reviews page, including analysis of key sectors of the Russian economy, expert interviews, and opinion columns.