Huawei’s new trifold smartphone ‘Mate XT’ priced over $2,800 amid apple iPhone 16 launch

BEIJING: Huawei has announced that its new trifold smartphone, the Mate XT, will start at over $2,800.

The phone, which began pre-orders on Saturday, will be available in stores from September 20, coinciding with release of Apple’s new iPhone 16 series.

The Mate XT, which offers features like text translation and cloud-based content generation, comes in red and black with storage options ranging from 19, 999 yuan to 23, 999 yuan ($2, 809 to $3, 371).

The device features a 10.2-inch screen and supports single, double or triple-screen displays. Over 4 million pre-orders have been recorded since the launch event.

Apple’s iPhone 16 series will start at $799 for the base model and $1, 199 for the iPhone 16 Por Max. Apple’s new A18 chip, using3-nanometer technology, promises significant speed improvements over previous models. Pre-orders for the iPhone 16 series begin Friday, with in-store sales also starting September 20.

Huawei’s Mate XT marks a significant effort by the company to rebound in the smartphone market which has been challenging due to US sanctions.

Despite these hurdles, Huawei’s latest advancement and product releases have bolstered its market position in China. Apple, meanwhile, has fallen out of the top five smartphone vendors in China, with Huawei ranked in market share.