TL;DR
- HUAWEI introduced the Mate XT last year as a 10.2-inch triple-screen foldable phone.
- While consumer demand was high, sales of the Mate XT were initially limited to China.
- HUAWEI has now scheduled an event for February 18 where the company teases news of expanded Mate XT sales.
Companies that make the best foldable smartphones have been seriously pushing manufacturing limits over the past year or so, bringing us some stunning hardware like the impressively thin Oppo Find N5. Sadly for many of us, some of those coolest foldable models aren’t available in many markets, often arriving as China exclusives. The good news there is that sales can always expand, like we just heard about Oppo planning for the Find N5. Now we’re learning new details about another high-end foldable’s plans for international expansion.
We’re talking about the HUAWEI Mate XT, which debuted last year as the first foldable model that bends twice, for a three-screen effect. While that novel construction and huge 10.2-inch display instantly made this one of the most desirable foldables to date, it was also prohibitively expensive, demanding in the neighborhood of $3,000.
Initial Mate XT sales have been limited to China, but it wasn’t long after the smartphone’s arrival that we were able to confirm with HUAWEI plans to expand Mate XT sales internationally, starting sometime in the first quarter of 2025. Right on schedule, HUAWEI has posted an announcement on X for a February 18 event.
While HUAWEI doesn’t mention the Mate XT by name, it’s impossible to look at this teaser with its Z-shaped device and see it as anything else than a reference to the dual-fold Mate XT.
Probably the biggest question we have concerns which markets Mate XT sales will ultimately come to. The fact that this event is scheduled to take place in Malaysia probably suggests broader availability across Asia, and we’d like to think that HUAWEI is very interested in European sales, but may have to wait until February 18 for specifics. Then there’s the issue of the phone’s sky-high price, and how that will translate across currencies — just be prepared for some sticker shock.
Will you be lining up to drop a several thousand dollars on the Mate XT when it comes to your neck of the woods? Or are you tempted to wait things out for another triple-screen foldable, like maybe Samsung’s rumored Galaxy G Fold? Let us know your preference down in the comments.
