HUAWEI Mate XT Masterpiece: First Commercial Tri-Fold Phone Sells Out Upon Launch, Reshaping the Foldable Phone Market

HUAWEI Mate XT Masterpiece: First Commercial Tri-Fold Phone Sells Out Upon Launch, Reshaping the Foldable Phone MarketOn September 20th at 10:08 AM, the highly anticipated HUAWEI Mate XT Masterpiece, the world's first commercially available tri-fold phone, officially went on sale with a one-unit purchase limit per user. The moment it launched, all models of the Mate XT Masterpiece were instantly sold out

HUAWEI Mate XT Masterpiece: First Commercial Tri-Fold Phone Sells Out Upon Launch, Reshaping the Foldable Phone Market

On September 20th at 10:08 AM, the highly anticipated HUAWEI Mate XT Masterpiece, the world's first commercially available tri-fold phone, officially went on sale with a one-unit purchase limit per user. The moment it launched, all models of the Mate XT Masterpiece were instantly sold out. HUAWEI's official website is currently out of stock, and the purchase page displays "Queueing". HUAWEI Mall will restock on September 21st at 10:08 AM.

This foldable phone was officially launched on September 10th, priced between 19,999 yuan and 23,999 yuan, offering 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options. Before its launch, over 6.4 million people had pre-ordered the phone on HUAWEI's official website alone.

Fully unfolded, the HUAWEI Mate XT Masterpiece boasts a massive 10.2-inch screen, making it the foldable phone with the largest screen area globally. Despite this, the device is only 3.6 millimeters thick. Equipped with HUAWEI's TianGong hinge system, it features a dual-track linkage mechanism, achieving both inward and outward folding for the first time. It utilizes UTG glass with a composite super-tough laminated structure that enhances impact resistance by 30%. The internal battery is the thinnest in the industry at just 1.9 mm, with three batteries offering an equivalent capacity of 5,600 mAh. It supports 66W wired fast charging and 50W wireless fast charging. Additionally, the phone supports Lingxi Communication and TianTong satellite communication, providing users with a comprehensive connection experience.

Minsheng Securities believes that the HUAWEI Mate XT, as the world's first tri-fold phone, has spearheaded continuous innovation in foldable phone form factors, accelerating the penetration of foldable phones. In the future, tri-fold and even multi-fold designs will emerge as a new terminal form. Hardware-wise, they can accommodate larger screens, achieving the strong productivity attributes of PCs and tablets, effectively putting tablets and PCs in your pocket.

Currently, mainstream smartphone manufacturers have largely completed the layout and iteration of their foldable phone product lines. In the foldable phone market, Chinese manufacturers have demonstrated strong competitiveness. Counterpoint data shows that global foldable smartphone shipments grew 48% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2024, primarily driven by Western Europe, Asia, and Latin America. China accounts for over half of global foldable phone shipments.

According to IDC data, China's foldable phone market shipments reached approximately 2.57 million units in the second quarter of 2024, an increase of 104.6% year-on-year. HUAWEI maintained the top spot with a 41.7% market share. IDC predicts that China's foldable phone market shipments will reach 10.68 million units in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 52.4%. By 2028, it is expected to surpass 17 million units with a five-year compound annual growth rate of 19.8%.

A mature industrial chain provides assurance for technological iteration and production growth. To facilitate the mass production of tri-fold screens, multiple domestic listed companies in the OLED panel, hinge, and material sectors are currently engaged in joint research and development with smartphone terminal brands. Compared to traditional straight-screen phones, tri-fold screens require resistance to compression for inward folding and resistance to stretching for outward folding. The demands on screen properties for inward and outward folding are "mutually exclusive," making the challenges of solving product mass production processes enormous. Hinges and UTG glass are the two key incremental areas compared to non-foldable phones.

However, Guo Mingchi, a consumer electronics analyst, previously emphasized the need to observe whether the market demand for the HUAWEI Mate XT can be sustained following its launch. He pointed out that past HUAWEI flagship models have experienced instances where demand declined rapidly after launch. Currently, the market forecast for global foldable phone shipments in 2024 has been revised downward from 30 million units to 15 million. Guo Mingchi summarizes the reasons for this phenomenon:

1. Software designs struggle to adapt to current large-screen sizes. Existing traditional dual-fold phones, when unfolded, typically have a 1:1 or 4:3 aspect ratio, presenting challenges for software adaptation.

2. Foldable phones have relatively low profit margins, impacting the willingness of brand manufacturers to develop and sell foldable phones.

3. The durability of foldable screens is not ideal, which is the main concern for other brands as to why they haven't followed HUAWEI in releasing tri-fold phones.

Overall, while the potential of the foldable phone market is immense, it still faces challenges such as high technical difficulty, high development costs, insufficient software adaptation, and inadequate durability. The successful launch of the HUAWEI Mate XT undoubtedly injects new vitality into the foldable phone market, but future development requires continuous innovation and breakthroughs.