Huawei Rumored to Unveil New Tri-Fold Phone, Setting Up Potential Apple Showdown
Huawei Technologies Co. is rumored to be preparing the launch of a new high-end tri-fold smartphone on Sept. 10, a move that would place its next major product release on the same day as Apple Inc.’s expected annual iPhone event.
The report, which originated from a prominent digital technology blogger in China, suggests the forthcoming device will be the Mate XTs Ultimate Design, a successor to the company's pioneering tri-fold handset. If the speculation proves accurate, it would mark the second consecutive year Huawei has directly challenged Apple’s flagship launch window, signaling an increasingly competitive stance in the premium device market.
A new foldable from Huawei featuring a proprietary Kirin processor would intensify the rivalry in the high-end smartphone segment. For investors and market watchers, such a launch underscores Huawei’s continued push into innovative form factors and its confidence in competing head-to-head with established industry leaders during their most critical product cycles.
The rumored Mate XTs is expected to feature several key hardware upgrades, including a next-generation Kirin chipset and an improved hinge mechanism, aiming to enhance performance and durability while making the device thinner and lighter than its predecessor.
A Familiar Launch Strategy
The potential Sept. 10 release date follows a clear precedent set last year. On that same date, after Apple unveiled its iPhone 16 series, Huawei launched its Mate XT Ultimate Design in China. That device was offered in two colors, red and black, with prices ranging from 19,999 yuan ($2,760) for the 256GB model to 23,999 yuan for the 1TB version. This pattern of counter-programming suggests a deliberate strategy by Huawei to capture media and consumer attention.
Pioneering the Tri-Fold Form Factor
The original Mate XT was the world’s first commercially available tri-fold smartphone, a distinction that generated significant attention upon its debut. The device features an expansive 10.2-inch display when fully unfolded, comparable in size to a tablet, yet folds down to a dramatically thin 3.6 millimeters. At the time of its release, Huawei Consumer Business Group CEO Yu Chengdong stated that the tri-fold design offers double the screen area of conventional foldable phones, making it better suited for productivity tasks like viewing documents and for immersive entertainment.
Rumored Specifications and Enhancements
According to leaked information, the new Mate XTs will be powered by a next-generation flagship processor, the Kirin 9020. This chipset reportedly features a core configuration of one 2.5GHz high-performance core, three 2.15GHz mid-cores, and four 1.6GHz efficiency cores, paired with a Maleoon 920 GPU.
Beyond the processor, the device is expected to incorporate an upgraded "Tiangong hinge system." The new mechanism is said to be a comprehensive redesign of core components, including the hinge and screen, to achieve a thinner and lighter profile while improving overall reliability. Furthermore, the Mate XTs may also introduce eSIM support, allowing users to configure carrier plans remotely and enhancing user convenience.