On September 10, Huawei introduced the Mate XT, a triple-folding smartphone with two hinges. The company took pre-orders from September 14 and started selling them from September 20, the same day Apple released the iPhone 16.

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Huawei Mate XT launch ceremony in China on September 10. Photo: CNBC

The Huawei Mate XT also comes with artificial intelligence features like text translation and cloud-based content creation. According to Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's consumer division, the device took five years to develop. It comes in red and black colors and three memory options, priced from 12,999 yuan ($2,809) to 23,399 yuan ($3,371).

Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 starts at $799 and the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199.

The Mate XT is 3.6mm thick when opened, revealing a 10.2-inch display inside. The phone can display content on one, two, or all three screens. The battery is 1.9mm thick. The Mate XT is also compatible with a folding keyboard.

According to the company's website, as of mid-September 10, more than 3.5 million people had pre-ordered the Mate XT. Huawei did not mention any chip advancements during the product launch.

Huawei is looking to re-enter the smartphone market after being banned by the US in 2019. In October 2022, the US imposed broader bans on advanced chips sold to China. However, in late August 2023, the tech giant unexpectedly announced the Mate 60 Pro, using a chip manufactured on a 7nm process.

At the event, Mr. Yu affirmed that Huawei will not give up despite the 4 rounds of embargo. Huawei started the event by discussing the details and price of Mate XT.

(According to CNBC)