Huawei unveils first tri-fold smartphone

Chinese technology group Huawei on Tuesday (10) unveiled its new mobile phone, the world’s first smartphone that can be folded into three parts, hours after American competitor Apple unveiled its iPhone with generative artificial intelligence, three times cheaper.

“Huawei has always been a leader in the foldable phone industry. Here is the world’s first three-part foldable phone,” said the company’s CEO, Richard Yu, at the launch of the Mate XT model.

The Mate XT will go on sale on September 20, priced at 19,999 yuan ($2,800, R$15,700 at the current exchange rate).

“We have made great efforts to solve the problems related to mass production and product reliability,” Yu added during a conference at the company’s headquarters in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

The model was initially designed as a premium phone for a niche clientele, however, over three million people registered to buy it before it was even launched.

The presentation took place a day after the launch of the iPhone 16, which is equipped with generative artificial intelligence (AI). This model includes new tasks, such as image editing, translation, creative messaging features and suggested responses to emails. The smartphone will hit the shelves on the same day as Huawei’s, priced at US$ 799 (4.4 thousand reais at the current exchange rate).

Huawei is China’s fourth-largest smartphone maker, shipping 10.6 million units in the last quarter, according to a recent report by consultancy Canalys.

– Technological rivalry –

The tech giant has become China’s largest smartphone maker.

But that was before the tech war between Beijing and Washington, which accuses the Chinese company of spying for its own authorities and has cut off access to US technology since 2019.

Huawei, which categorically denies the espionage allegations, was hit but made a strong comeback last year with smartphones equipped with domestically manufactured chips.

It is currently the largest seller of foldable phones in China, with more than half of the domestic market share expected by the first half of 2024.

Analysts said the launch of a three-part foldable phone could further boost the company’s “technology leadership.”

“This will strengthen its position as a leader in the foldable phone sector among consumers,” Toby Zhu, senior analyst at Canalys, told AFP.

Another industry expert said its arrival was unlikely to hurt Apple’s sales in the premium phone sector, given the price difference and initial inventory levels.

“Its impact on Apple’s market share is likely to be very limited given Apple’s strong ecosystem and broader appeal,” said Ethan Qi, associate director at specialist firm Counterpoint.