Huawei has made headlines with its new tri-fold device, the Mate XT, which gained over 2.7 million pre-orders within a few days of its announcement. This hype comes just ahead of Apple’s much-anticipated iPhone 16 launch, positioning Huawei as a serious competitor in the foldable phone market.
Huawei’s strategic timing in unveiling the Mate XT appears to be a tactical play in the smartphone market. The Chinese tech giant had previously teased the release of a new product during an announcement planned for Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. Beijing time, though details regarding the device’s pricing are yet to be revealed. The official sales of the Mate XT are set to begin on September 20, and expectations are high as the tri-fold design marks a unique offering in the smartphone space.
This pre-order response shows Huawei’s growing influence in the smartphone market, especially in China. According to data from Canalys, Apple recently dropped out of the top five smartphone vendors in China for the second quarter, marking a significant shift in market dynamics. Chinese brands, including Huawei, now dominate the top five spots. Huawei, in particular, secured fourth place with 10.6 million smartphones shipped in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, Apple shipped 10 million phones in the first quarter, but the rise of domestic players such as Huawei continues to pose a challenge for the U.S. tech giant.
Notably, Apple has yet to venture into the foldable and flip phone categories, a market that Chinese competitors, including Huawei, are actively exploring. This gives Huawei and other Chinese manufacturers an edge in terms of innovation and diversity of product offerings.
