The Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design is the first tri-fold smartphone to reach the market. Huawei announced it in China on September 10, 2024, and sales there began on September 20. The global version was unveiled in Kuala Lumpur in February 2025. In Europe, it costs €3,499. That price covers the only global model, with 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage.
Design and display
The phone has one OLED screen that folds in two places. One hinge folds inward and the other folds outward. Used as a single panel, the screen measures 6.4 inches. Opened halfway, it becomes a 7.9-inch display. Fully opened, it reaches 10.2 inches with a 2232 × 3184 resolution.
The panel refreshes at up to 90 Hz and uses 1440 Hz PWM dimming. The back is vegan leather with a gold-colored trim, in Red or Black. Folded, the phone is 12.8 mm thick and weighs about 298 g. Fully opened, the thinnest section is just 3.6 mm. Huawei states that the phone is not water or dust resistant.
Performance
Inside is the Kirin 9010, an octa-core chip, paired with 16 GB of RAM. China gets 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB versions, while the global market gets 1 TB. There is no memory card slot. The global model GRL-LX9 supports 4G LTE networks, and its specs page lists no 5G bands.
Cameras
The rear has three cameras. The 50 MP main camera has a physical aperture that adjusts from f/1.4 to f/4.0, plus OIS. A 12 MP ultrawide camera covers wider scenes. A 12 MP periscope telephoto with OIS gives 5.5x optical zoom. The selfie camera has 8 MP, and both front and rear cameras record video at up to 4K.
Battery and charging
The battery has a typical capacity of 5,600 mAh. It charges at up to 66 W by cable and up to 50 W wirelessly with Huawei’s own chargers. Whether a charger is in the box depends on the market.
Software and updates
The global version runs EMUI 14.2, while the Chinese model runs HarmonyOS 4.2. Neither version includes Google services. Huawei has not published how many years of updates the phone will receive.
Should you buy the Mate XT Ultimate Design?
The Mate XT suits buyers who want a phone that opens into a 10.2-inch tablet. It also stays one of the few tri-fold phones sold outside China. Keep in mind the lack of water resistance, the 4G-only global model and the missing Google apps. In China, Huawei has already launched newer tri-fold models.
