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2025-02-21
The world of foldable phones is evolving at a rapid pace, with Huawei taking a bold step forward with its Mate XT Ultimate, a tri-fold device priced at a hefty $3,600. This ambitious gadget made waves when it was unveiled in China, quickly garnering a significant number of preorders even before its price was made public. But with the Mate XT Ultimate now set to launch globally, it begs the question: Are foldable phones the future of mobile technology, and do we really need tablets anymore?
In this article, we’ll dive into what makes the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate stand out, from its innovative design and display to its performance and potential drawbacks. After spending a full 24 hours with this groundbreaking device, here’s an honest take on whether this is the foldable phone we’ve all been waiting for.
A Technological Marvel in Your Hands
Huawei’s Mate XT Ultimate is unlike anything seen before in the foldable phone market. When I first held it, I was taken aback by the device’s slim profile and smooth unfolding mechanism. Despite knowing what to expect, the Mate XT Ultimate still managed to surprise me with its ability to transform from a compact, pocketable device to a tablet-like experience in just a few simple folds.
At just 3.6mm thick when fully unfolded, the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate is thinner than the competition, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, which measures 13.4mm in thickness. When folded, it feels solid and substantial at 298g, but the real magic happens once you unfold it. The device’s form factor is enhanced with a satisfying magnetic click when it reaches its single-screen mode, giving the feeling of quality craftsmanship.
Unveiling a Bigger and Better Screen
One of the standout features of the Mate XT Ultimate is its impressive tri-fold screen design. Unlike other foldables, this phone offers three distinct displays: a 6.4-inch cover screen, a 7.9-inch secondary screen, and a massive 10.2-inch main display. The inclusion of the third display significantly improves the user experience compared to standard book-style foldables.
The main display is a 10.2-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 2232 x 3184 pixels, delivering sharp, vibrant visuals. The screen’s aspect ratio is optimized for video consumption, offering a cinematic 16:11 display compared to the more boxy ratios found in other foldables. Watching 16:9 videos feels almost like using a small laptop, and the overall multimedia experience is enhanced, making it a far more enjoyable device for binge-watching or gaming than a typical foldable.
Despite not offering a 120Hz refresh rate, the screen holds its own with a 90Hz refresh rate and features an LTPO OLED panel with 1440Hz PWM dimming to reduce eye strain.
Under the Hood: Power and Performance
While Huawei hasn’t disclosed the exact details of the chipset, it’s expected that the Mate XT Ultimate is powered by the in-house Kirin 9010 processor, paired with 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. While 24 hours of testing isn’t enough for a thorough performance assessment, I noticed fluid transitions between screen modes and smooth multitasking without lag or stuttering.
However, the software feels outdated. Running EMUI 14 rather than Huawei’s HarmonyOS, the Mate XT Ultimate doesn’t come with Google apps out of the box, though there are workarounds for installing them. While this isn’t a deal-breaker, it does make the experience a bit cumbersome for those who rely heavily on Google services.
Camera and Battery Life: The Trade-Offs
The Huawei Mate XT Ultimate features a 50MP primary camera, a 12MP periscope camera with 5.5x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide camera. While the quality is decent, it doesn’t quite match Huawei’s flagship slab phones. This is understandable, given the challenges of including large sensors while maintaining a slim form factor.
Battery life is another area where the Mate XT Ultimate could face challenges. With a 5,600mAh battery, the device offers fast charging at 66W and wireless charging at 50W, but the three-screen mode can quickly drain the battery. For an optimal video experience, Huawei has included a color-matching case with a built-in kickstand, making it easier to prop up the device for hands-free viewing.
The Price Tag: Is It Worth the Cost?
At a starting price of approximately $3,600, the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate is undoubtedly expensive. But for that hefty price, you’re getting more than just a phone: you’re getting a foldable that doubles as a tablet, providing a vastly superior experience for media consumption. While the price might be too high for many, it’s easy to see how this tri-fold design could redefine the future of mobile technology and question the relevance of traditional tablets.
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One of the most intriguing aspects of the Mate XT Ultimate is how it reimagines the user experience in terms of media consumption. Traditional foldables, like the Galaxy Z Fold, have struggled with aspect ratios that make watching content feel awkward. In contrast, the 16:11 aspect ratio of Huawei’s tri-fold is far more optimized for a variety of uses, from watching videos to multitasking. The larger display offers a near-tablet experience, and for video streaming or gaming, it’s significantly better than any book-style foldable.
That said, while the screen may steal the spotlight, the device’s performance and software still leave room for improvement. The outdated software and lack of pre-installed Google apps detract from the overall user experience, which could turn off potential buyers, especially those accustomed to a seamless integration with Android services. Huawei’s decision to use their own Kirin chipset and the EMUI software could work in China, but globally, it might not be enough to compete with the polished software experience offered by Samsung and Google.
Moreover, the camera setup, while competent, doesn’t reach the standards set by Huawei’s other premium devices, and the battery life remains a major concern when using the tri-fold feature extensively. This will be a key area to monitor, as prolonged use of the three-screen mode could rapidly deplete the battery.
As for pricing, the Mate XT Ultimate’s $3,600 price tag is undoubtedly high, but it offers an entirely new foldable phone experience that may justify the cost for enthusiasts or early adopters. However, for most consumers, the question will remain: Is the tri-fold technology truly groundbreaking, or is it just an expensive novelty?
Ultimately, the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate is a glimpse into the future of foldable devices, where phones evolve into more than just communication tools but also powerful, portable entertainment hubs. Whether it can dethrone tablets and make traditional smartphones obsolete remains to be seen, but Huawei has certainly given us a compelling reason to think about how we interact with our devices in a more flexible, innovative way.
References:
Reported By: https://www.zdnet.com/article/i-tested-huaweis-3600-tri-foldable-and-it-made-me-question-why-tablets-still-exist/
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