Huawei has just introduced the Mate XT Ultimate, the world's first smartphone with a tri-fold design. When fully unfolded, the device measures 10.2 inches in diagonal. Folding the left section behind reduces it to a 7.9-inch foldable, and folding the right side transforms it into a compact 6.4-inch bar-style phone. Despite its complex design, the Mate XT Ultimate is impressively thin at 3.6 mm (unfolded) and weighs just 298 grams, even with its large camera setup based on the Mate X5 foldable.
The device technically features a single
screen—a flexible LTPO OLED with a 120 Hz refresh rate and support for 10
billion colors. Its full resolution is 3,184 x 2,232 pixels, which adjusts to
2,232 x 2,048 and 2,232 x 1,008 pixels depending on the folding configuration. Huawei
calls this display “3K,” positioning it as a middle ground between 2K (QHD) and
4K. The screen has a 92% screen-to-body ratio, with the fully unfolded
10.2-inch display boasting a 16:11 aspect ratio. Huawei also claims to enhance
the display with "AI computing image quality."
The rear camera setup resembles the Mate
X5 but incorporates Huawei's P series features. The primary camera is a 50 MP
sensor with PDAF and OIS, paired with the P60 Pro's variable aperture of f/1.4-f/4.0.
There’s also a 12 MP telephoto lens with 5.5x optical zoom, a 12 MP
ultra-wide-angle camera, and a laser autofocus module. The device also features
an 8 MP front camera in a punch-hole on the large display, which functions as
the selfie camera when the device is folded.
The Mate XT Ultimate's hinge system, named
after the Tiangong space station, allows for "internal and external
bending" using dual tracks and moving parts to ensure zero-gap folding.
The hinge is constructed from a composite laminate with non-Newtonian fluid
components, adding durability. Huawei says the Mate XT’s single-screen mode is
ideal for daily tasks, the dual-screen mode is optimized for web browsing and
reading, and the fully unfolded triple-screen mode is best for detailed work or
study. The large screen enhances productivity tools like email, financial
management, multitasking, video playback, and AI-based features.
While the company has not officially
commented on the SoC powering its devices, a hands-on from the launch event in
China revealed that the tri-fold is equipped with the Kirin 9010. The chipset features an 8-core CPU consisting
of 1x 2.3 GHz Taishan Big core, 3x 2.18 GHz Taishan Mid cores, and 4x 1.55 GHz
Cortex-A510 cores, paired with a Maleoon 910 MP4 GPU. Manufactured by SMIC
(Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation), the largest chipmaker
in China, the Kirin 9010 is also used in the Pura 70 Ultra cameraphone. It's
built on a 7 nm process, locally called N+2, the same as the Kirin 9000s found
in Huawei's Mate 60 series. In terms of performance, the Kirin 9010 is
comparable to MediaTek's Dimensity 8200 - impressive, considering the
restrictions Chinese companies have faced.
The device features the upgraded Xiaoyi
voice assistant, known internationally as Celia. AI functions include
voice-to-text, automatic split-screen, real-time document translation, and
photo retouching. All of this runs on HarmonyOS 4.2, a system based on Android
Open Source Project (AOSP) without Google services. A key feature available
only in the Chinese market is dual-way satellite communication, connecting only
to Tiantong satellites via China Telecom.
The Mate XT Ultimate’s battery consists of
three silicone-carbide composite cells, offering a total capacity of 5,600 mAh.
It supports 66W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and reverse wireless and
wired charging at 7.5W and 5W, respectively.
Available in Black or Red with elegant
gold accents around the hinges, edges, and camera, the Mate XT Ultimate is
priced at CNY 19,999 (US$ 2,800/€ 2,550) for the 256 GB version, CNY 21,999
(US$ 3,100/€ 2,800) for the 512 GB version, and CNY 23,999 (US$ 3,400/€ 3,100) for the
1 TB model.
It’s unlikely that Huawei will release the
Mate XT Ultimate outside China, especially given that the last international
release of a Huawei foldable, the Mate X3, was nearly 18 months ago. A
non-Ultimate version is also improbable in the near future, as this is a luxury
device targeting a niche market.
