Ahead Of Apple's First Foldable iPhone Launch, A Tri-Folding Smartphone Has Gone On Pre-Order In China: All Details
· Free Press Journal
As Apple prepares to unveil its first foldable iPhone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro series in September, Huawei has opened pre-orders in China for the Mate XT 2, the third generation of its tri-fold smartphone line. Bookings for the device went live at 10:08 am. China time on August 31 through Huawei's online store, ahead of the phone's full launch on September 7. This goes to show how far Chinese technology has come, in comparison to the discreetly cautious Apple which enters the foldable category for the first time.
Pre-order details and pricing structure
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Buyers can currently reserve the Mate XT 2 with a 1,000 yuan deposit, with the window for final payment opening on September 7 after 2:45 p.m. local time. Units are expected to ship no later than October 31, meaning the phone will not be immediately available at launch. The device will be sold in three finishes, listed on Huawei's store as Xuanhei black, Hao Bai white, and a marble-patterned Jinzi purple.
Configurations range from a base 16GB RAM/512GB storage model up to a top-end 16GB/2TB purple edition that adds a privacy display and stylus support, positioning it as the fully loaded option in the lineup. The standard black and white variants are limited to the 512GB and 1TB tiers, while the higher-capacity, stylus-equipped configuration remains exclusive to the purple colourway for now.
What's changed under the hood?
The Mate XT 2 is expected to run on Huawei's Kirin 9050 Pro chipset, a successor to the Kirin 9010 that powered the original Mate XT. The device carries a triple rear camera setup and a 6,000mAh battery with 100W fast charging, an upgrade over the 5,600mAh cell and 66W charging on the first-generation model.
Perhaps the more significant shift is structural: Huawei has moved to an updated inward-folding design in which both side panels tuck in over the centre panel, fully enclosing the flexible main display when shut. That replaces the outward Z-fold mechanism used on the previous two Mate XT models, which left part of the screen exposed and vulnerable to scratches. The redesign is aimed squarely at durability, a persistent concern with tri-fold hardware given the added hinges and moving parts.
Just ahead of the Apple launch
The timing is notable. Apple is widely expected to introduce its own first foldable iPhone, tipped to be called the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra, at its fall keynote alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. Unlike the Mate XT 2, Apple's device is a book-style foldable rather than a tri-fold, with a roughly 5.5-inch cover display and a 7.8-inch inner screen when unfolded. Reports on its production schedule have varied, with some supply chain leaks pointing to a September on-sale date and others suggesting availability could slip as late as December or even early 2027 due to hinge and display supply issues.