Huawei’s New Tri-Fold Phone Raises the Stakes Before Apple’s iPhone Event

 

Huawei’s New Tri-Fold Phone Raises the Stakes Before Apple’s iPhone Event

The smartphone industry is entering another major competitive phase as Chinese technology companies push deeper into foldable devices and premium hardware.

Huawei has unveiled its new Mate XT2 series, featuring a tri-fold design that opens twice to create a tablet-sized display. Xiaomi has also introduced its latest high-end foldable smartphone, creating a direct challenge to established premium brands just before Apple’s expected new product announcements.

Huawei’s Mate XT2 starts at 19,999 yuan, or roughly $2,980, while the highest-priced version reaches 24,999 yuan, around $3,725. Sales are scheduled to begin on September 12.

Huawei doubles down on tri-fold technology

The Mate XT2 represents one of Huawei's biggest attempts yet to differentiate itself in the premium smartphone market.

Its defining feature is the tri-fold display, allowing the phone to fold twice before opening into a larger screen.

Huawei has also introduced improvements to the hinge, water resistance and privacy features.

Under the hood, the device uses Huawei's Kirin 9050 Pro chip. The company says its new architecture, called LogicFolding, is designed to improve computing performance while reducing power consumption.

The chip is particularly significant because Huawei has faced restrictions on access to advanced semiconductor technology.

Xiaomi takes aim at Apple

Huawei is not the only Chinese company making a major move.

Xiaomi has launched its Xiaomi 18 Fold, positioned as its most premium smartphone yet.

The phone uses what Xiaomi calls a “medium-fold” design and features the company's own XRing O3 AI processor.

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun highlighted the device's weight and thickness, arguing that it offers advantages over Apple's premium smartphones.

The Xiaomi 18 Fold is priced between 10,999 yuan and 14,999 yuan—significantly below Huawei's most expensive tri-fold model.

The pricing difference shows that Chinese smartphone manufacturers are targeting different parts of the premium market while competing on hardware innovation.

Huawei already dominates China’s foldable market

Huawei's position in China's smartphone market gives the new launch particular importance.

According to figures cited by Reuters from IDC, Huawei held 22.6% of China's smartphone market in the second quarter of 2026, ahead of Apple at 18.1% and Xiaomi at 12.4%.

Huawei's position is even stronger in foldables. The company accounted for around 68% of foldable smartphone shipments in China during the second quarter, according to Smart Analytics Global.

That gives Huawei a major advantage as the foldable category develops.

Why Apple matters

The timing of the launches is particularly important.

Huawei and Xiaomi introduced their new devices just before Apple's latest product event, where the company is expected to unveil its next generation of iPhones.

There is also growing anticipation that Apple could eventually enter the foldable smartphone market.

If Apple launches a foldable device, competition could intensify dramatically because the company has enormous influence over the premium smartphone segment.

For Huawei and Xiaomi, establishing strong positions before Apple's potential entry could be strategically important.

Foldables are still expensive

The biggest challenge remains price.

Huawei's top Mate XT2 costs several times more than many mainstream smartphones. Even Xiaomi's latest foldable sits firmly in the premium category.

For consumers, the question is becoming increasingly simple: Does a larger and more flexible display justify paying thousands of dollars for a smartphone?

As manufacturers improve hinges, displays, chips and battery technology, prices could eventually become more accessible. But for now, foldable smartphones remain largely a premium experience.

The next smartphone battle

The smartphone race is no longer simply about better cameras or faster processors.

Manufacturers are competing over AI chips, foldable displays, device thickness, battery efficiency and increasingly sophisticated software ecosystems.

Huawei's new tri-fold phone shows how aggressively Chinese companies are pushing the boundaries of smartphone design.

And with Apple preparing its own product announcements, the next phase of the premium smartphone battle could become even more intense.

The smartphone may have started as a simple communication device. Today, it has become a technology platform—and the race to build the next big form factor is only getting started.

Source: Reuters