Among the many smartphone manufacturers, Huawei was the quickest to release its foldable smartphone in 3! We had the opportunity to take charge of the Huawei Mate to the folding ones.
Unveiled just a few days ago, the first three-fold smartphone is already a hit in China. More than 10 million units Huawei Mate XT have been pre-ordered, and the shortage is such that the smartphone is already being sold there at a premium.
For the moment, it is impossible to acquire it in France, but Huawei France has done what is necessary to catch up with a copy and allowed us to take it in hand in its Parisian store. Here are our first impressions of the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Designa smartphone which does not lack technological advantages and which could well revolutionize the classic uses of a smartphone.
Huawei Mate XT: the first smartphone that folds in 3 is here!
You’ll have to get used to it. When we talked about a folding phone until now, we systematically imagined a foldable device like the Galaxy Z Fold6 or the Galaxy Z Flip6, regardless of the opening mode. From now on, we will also have to rely on a new category of devices: smartphones foldable in three !
We had the opportunity to test the very first 3-folding phone model actually marketed, the Huawei Mate XT. And let’s say it from the outset: even if the experience was short-lived, the smartphone literally amazed us. Its main advantage lies in its display surface once the device is fully unfolded.
A quick tour of the owner is necessary before starting
The Mate XT comes in a large black box. Inside it, we find two cables (one in USB-A and the other in USB-C), a power supply (in USB-A/USB-C), the case and the cigarette lighter adapter (also USB-A/USB-C). And of course the smartphone itself.
The case has its own rotating support, which allows you to hold the smartphone either vertically or horizontally. Enough to watch a series or a film in very good conditions (horizontally), or work/surf the web (vertically, therefore).
Hardware level, inside the device we find a Kirin 9010, the same one that powers the Pura 70 Ultra, a 5,600 mAh battery, 16 GB of RAM and storage space of 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 To. And for the photo, it is a 50 MP sensor (main module) and two 12 MP (optical zoom and ultra-wide-angle) which equips the foldable smartphone.
Our very first impressions of the Mate XT
While the display surface of a 2-folding smartphone ultimately remains quite limited (count between 7.5 and 8″), Huawei’s 3-folding smartphone offers comfort of use very close to that of a real tablet . So, in the case of the Mate XT, we benefit from a display surface of… 10.2″! And this is felt from the first seconds of handling. We really have the impression of finding ourselves facing a fairly large classic Android tablet, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 (an 11″ tablet, remember).
Once the smartphone is completely folded, it is one of the internal screens, in this case the left one, which acts as an external screen. Note also that it is possible to only use two of the three screens, the left screen turning off automatically if the smartphone is not completely unfolded. In short, everything is possible with the Mate XT, which offers completely new uses.
To display an application in windowed mode, nothing could be simpler: a simple drag and drop on one of the 3 screens is enough to automatically adapt the display size of this same application. From then on, you can display 3 applications at the same time on the Mate XT and benefit from real multitasking mode. Some applications already take advantage of display on 1, 2 or 3 screens. This is particularly the case with TikTok, whose videos automatically adapt to the available screen space. Due to HarmonyOS and the time allotted during our hands-on session, we were unable to verify whether an application like YouTube was also supported, but there is very little chance that it is.
In the end, we were particularly seduced by this Mate XT and by the experience it provides. The device also surprised us with its lightness (less than 300 grams). Enough to definitively relegate the foldable in 2 to oblivion? Perhaps, but it will still take a few months, or even a few years, before this type of product really becomes established. Because its price risks turning off more than one person!
When will it be commercialized in France?
If you plan to acquire the Mate XT, you will have to import it from China on the one hand, and on the other hand break the bank. Because Huawei does not currently intend to market its new smartphone here. Some rumors claim that the device could be launched internationally in early 2025. Information that Huawei France has not confirmed to us, at least as far as France is concerned.
Regarding the price of the device, it is negotiated in China between 2580 and 3090 € depending on the internal storage capacity. Here too, there is reason to be doubtful about a launch in France, since once the various taxes are applied, we would have to count on prices oscillating between 3500 and 4000 euros. Or twice as expensive as a classic foldable. Technological innovation comes at a high, very high price.
