On Tuesday, after Apple Inc. AAPL launched its iPhone 16 series, China’s top smartphone maker Huawei Technologies Co. announced Mate XT that will launch on Sept. 20.
The tri-fold smartphone has a starting price tag of $2,800, which is significantly expensive compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s $1,199 for 256 GB storage.
The move has marked Huawei’s ramped-up efforts to challenge Apple’s smartphone dominance, making it a subject of curiosity about Mate XT. Here are a few things that users should know about Huawei’s latest smartphone:
Price And Availability
Huawei’s Mate XT, the world’s first tri-fold smartphone, comes in three storage options with prices ranging from $2,800 to $3,371.
The iPhone 16 series has a starting price of $799 for the basic version and iPhone 16 Pro Max, the tech giant’s most premium model starts with $1,199 for its minimum storage option.
Both devices are set to hit the market on Sept. 20, but they cater to different consumer needs and preferences.
Innovation Vs. Familiar Form
The Mate XT features a unique tri-fold design that allows it to transform from a compact phone to a tablet. It also works with foldable keyboard.
The Mate XT boasts a 10.2-inch display with a 3K resolution, a powerful camera system including a 50 MP main sensor, and AI functionalities for text translation and image editing.
In contrast, the iPhone 16 maintains a traditional slab design. The regular iPhone 16 and the larger iPhone 16 Plus will come with 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays, respectively.
The iPhone 16 Pro screens are the largest ever on an iPhone, measuring 6.3 inches for the Pro model and 6.9 inches for the Pro Max.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max features a new fusion camera and an upgraded interface, including a 48MP fusion camera with a second-generation quad-pixel sensor. There’s a new 48MP ultra-wide camera with autofocus.
Both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are now equipped with a 5x telephoto lens featuring a 120 mm focal length.
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Consumer Sentiment And Pre-Orders
Despite its high price, the Mate XT has already racked up millions of pre-orders, indicating strong interest in its innovative design.
However, analysts have previously cautioned that the Chinese smartphone maker might make only a few hundred thousand devices because Mate XT is expensive and its foldable screen is difficult to make, reported the New York Times.
IDC analyst Arthur Guo also shared doubts about trifold devices significantly boosting the foldable market, noting challenges such as complex technical demands, low production yields, high costs, and a small number of companies involved.
On the other hand, the iPhone 16 has faced criticism for its incremental upgrades and limited AI features, which some consumers feel do not justify an upgrade from previous models.
Why It Matters: Huawei is seeking to make a comeback in the smartphone industry after the U.S. imposed sanctions on the company in 2019 and 2022.
Despite these challenges, Huawei managed to rank fourth by market share with 10.6 million smartphones shipped, according to Canalys.
In July this year, reports indicated that Apple slipped from third to sixth place in China’s smartphone market, while Huawei experienced a notable increase in smartphone shipments.
Apple’s market share in China dropped to 14% in the second quarter of 2024, a decline of two percentage points compared to the same period last year.
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