Huawei has officially launched the Mate XT 2, marking its third-generation trifold smartphone, in China. The release comes just two days before Apple’s anticipated ‘Surprise and Shine’ event on September 9, where the tech giant is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone. This strategic timing positions Huawei’s device in direct competition with Apple’s upcoming offering, highlighting the rapidly evolving landscape of foldable smartphone technology.
The top-spec Huawei Mate XT 2 becomes Huawei’s first foldable smartphone to offer a dedicated privacy screen feature. When closed, the handset measures 12.3mm in thickness with 6.5-inch screen on top; when fully opened, the profile slims down to between 3.5mm and 4mm around the 10.2-inch workspace. The exterior cover screen supports refresh rates up to 120Hz at a resolution of 2,442 x 1,140 pixels. The expansive internal foldable display delivers a higher resolution of 3,184 x 2,232 pixels, running at a standard 90Hz, with only the top-tier version upgrading the inner panel to 120Hz. Under the hood is Huawei’s new Kirin 9050 Pro SoC, which the company states provides a 46% jump in performance compared to the prior Kirin 9030 Pro. The smartphone runs on a 5,600mAh battery supporting 66W wired USB-C fast charging and 50W wireless charging. The rear camera setup features a 50MP primary camera with a variable aperture ranging from f/1.49 to f/4.0, paired with a 40MP ultra-wide sensor and a 50MP periscope telephoto lens offering 3.5x optical zoom.
When activated, the viewing angles narrow significantly so that the panel looks nearly black from the side while staying clear to the person looking straight on. Huawei applies this privacy filter across the entire display at once, whereas Samsung’s tool can mask specific sections of the screen. Both screens feature LTPO AMOLED panels. Both the outer cover and main inner displays house an 8MP front camera.
The flagship device will officially go on sale across China on September 10. Pricing begins at ¥19,999 (roughly $2,980) for an entry-level configuration featuring 16GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The top-tier variant, which packs 1TB of storage alongside an optional privacy screen, tops out at ¥24,999 (around $3,725). Departing from the outward folding mechanisms seen on earlier Mate XT iterations, Huawei redesigned the Mate XT 2 to fold inward along both sides of its 10.2-inch panel, taking cues from Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold.
The company also overhauled the hinge system to smooth out and soften the display crease along the bending lines.