Huawei MateXT: The Starting Point for Tri-Foldable Phones, or a Benchmark?

Huawei MateXT: The Starting Point for Tri-Foldable Phones, or a Benchmark?Huawei is perhaps the only company daring to launch a new product on the same day as Apple. With the MateXT, the world's first mass-produced tri-foldable phone, Huawei's popularity has skyrocketed, with some even saying "Technology Spring Festival Gala" is about to change hands

Huawei MateXT: The Starting Point for Tri-Foldable Phones, or a Benchmark?

Huawei is perhaps the only company daring to launch a new product on the same day as Apple. With the MateXT, the world's first mass-produced tri-foldable phone, Huawei's popularity has skyrocketed, with some even saying "Technology Spring Festival Gala" is about to change hands. Priced at 19,999 yuan, the MateXT is arguably Huawei's most expensive smartphone to date, but that hasn't stopped it from capturing global attention. After years of development, Huawei has incorporated the technology accumulated from its inward and outward folding product lines into this groundbreaking tri-foldable phone. The tri-foldable form factor is eye-catching, and the unfolded large screen is impressive. Initially, the MateXT was in high demand, even with display models in Huawei's offline stores being locked in cabinets, making it difficult for the average person to purchase or experience it. As a result, there's a strong anticipation regarding the MateXT's performance, user experience, the completeness of its first tri-foldable design, and the future prospects of this new form factor.

The MateXT's initial hype has subsided, and discussions about tri-foldable phones have become more rational, moving away from the "pilgrimage" mentality. With a sense of curiosity, I got my hands on the MateXT and used it as my primary device for a while. Is the world's first tri-foldable phone actually usable? Has the user experience been compromised for the tri-foldable form factor? Does this new design benefit or hinder daily use? This in-depth experience will provide all the answers.

Learning to Open and Close: The First Mandatory Course for Using MateXT

The aura of this folding new species is undeniable. For both me and other users who have gotten their hands on the Huawei MateXT, learning how to gracefully open and close it is a mandatory course before mastering it. It's like buying a supercar after striking it rich; you need time to adjust to its incredibly low seating position and exaggerated scissor doors. Elegance is secondary; the priority is to show that you know what you're doing. Even if you go to a Huawei offline store to experience this phone, a staff member will be watching you the whole time, and the first thing they'll do is teach you how to unfold and fold it. To instill a certain reverence for the MateXT's reliability, the packaging paper, system boot guidance, and other materials will repeatedly emphasize various precautions.

The MateXT can achieve a double-fold effect, supported by two sophisticated hinge systems. One serves the inward fold, while the other handles the outward fold. It's evident that this is the culmination of Huawei's accumulated experience with both inward and outward folding product lines. The damping and effects of the two hinges differ, and unfolding the MateXT completely requires attention to the opening sequence. First, gently unfold the inward folding portion with a little force, then use your pinky finger to pry open the outward folding portion to complete the unfolding process. To be honest, the MateXT is still brand new, it hasn't even gone through its "break-in period," so the hinges are quite stiff, and opening and closing requires some effort.

I wonder if you still remember the MateXs2. Since the outward folding hinge couldn't be fixed like the inward folding hinge, Huawei designed a latch for fixing it. In the MateXT, the latch is replaced by an array of magnets that are very strong, so it takes more force to pry it open. Incidentally, the outward folding hinge on the MateXT now also supports free suspension at a certain angle, so you can use it as a stand if necessary. Personally, I don't recommend this, as the screen portion is facing downwards, which could potentially result in friction.

Some are curious about what would happen to this seemingly fragile and thin device if it were folded incorrectly. I was also worried about this at first. During my initial attempt, I folded it in the wrong direction several times due to my unfamiliarity with the folding mechanism. However, this "Heavenly Workmanship" hinge system has a certain strength, capable of withstanding a certain amount of pressure and stretching. But if you find it difficult to unfold it even with a strong force, you should consider whether you've made a mistake with the direction. If you're unsure, you can check out the "negative examples" online. A few days ago, someone accidentally folded their phone backwards after getting drunk and ended up damaging it. After using the MateXT as my main phone for several days, I can confirm that its hinges have a certain level of pressure resistance and the device itself is quite rigid. However, due to the complex mechanical structure, the screen section corresponding to the hinge remains relatively weak. If you want to use it for a long time, you must be mindful of protecting your phone.

To close it, you can fold both hinges simultaneously, using both hands to compress inward. From an outsider's perspective, it looks like you've performed a "magic trick," compressing three devices into one small phone. Why "three devices"? I'll explain later. The gold-colored craftsmanship emblem on the back of the screen, I believe, is for heat dissipation for the front camera, acting as a "finishing touch."

Once you've mastered the unfolding order and folding direction, you've passed Huawei MateXT's "newbie tutorial" and can dive into using it.

Huawei's Most "Prestigious" Mate Phone

Ultimate Design is Huawei's new pinnacle of material science and industrial design understanding. This brand has only released two phone products so far: the Mate60RS and the MateXT. This time, the MateXT comes only in an Ultimate Design version. It's clear that this is the most "prestigious" model in the history of the Mate series.

Nothing better describes the MateXT's completely unfolded form than "thin as a cicada's wing." According to official data, the thinnest part is only 3.96mm, and the thickest side of the device is even thinner than Huawei's original Type-C charging cable head. The completely unfolded screen size is 10.2 inches, with a standard 16:11 aspect ratio, and extremely narrow bezels. The impact of the crease is almost imperceptible from the front, and you can only feel its presence when viewed from the side. When your finger glides across the crease, there is a sunken feedback, but it doesn't affect usage.

If you use it as a tablet, it is probably the thinnest Pad model currently available. A double-folding phone in its folded state is about the same thickness as the tri-foldable MateXT. I often fold up my double-folding phones for use, but the MateXT is an exception. Upon closer inspection, you'll notice the difference between the two hinges. To achieve both inward and outward folding on the same device, the MateXT is equipped with two different hinges, and the structure of the hinge points is also different.

Continuing with the "three devices" mentioned earlier, the MateXT uses two hinges to divide one screen into three parts. When unfolded completely, it becomes a 10.2-inch Pad. Fold it one-third, and it turns into a double-folding phone. Fold it completely, and it becomes a 6.4-inch screen straight phone. Use it however you like. However, I still recommend that you try to unfold the MateXT as much as possible. A weight of over 300 grams is very light and thin for a tablet, but it's quite heavy for a phone. Using it as a regular phone, the feel in the hand is not ideal, and it doesn't represent the true meaning of this form factor.

The screen's display quality is excellent, with enough brightness for outdoor viewing. However, I am curious about how long-term use of the MateXT in different states will inevitably lead to inconsistent pixel lifetime in different display areas. I wonder how Huawei plans to address the issue of display brightness uniformity later on?

Charging Experience: The Difference Between Unfolded and Folded

Regarding charging scenarios, I first tested the time it takes to charge from 1-100% (fully charged) in both fully folded and fully unfolded states using Huawei's 40W charging set (Turbo mode activated). The results were interesting. The charging power curves for the unfolded and folded states are vastly different, and there are "jerks" when switching between gears, like changing gears in a gasoline car.

Firstly, in the unfolded state, the MateXT can maximize the 40W charging head power, and the high-power input is maintained until the trickle charge, with a full charge taking 67 minutes.

However, charging in the folded state is a different story. The power curve fluctuates a lot with large amplitudes, and there are multiple instances of the power dropping from 32W to 9W during the process. Compared to the unfolded state, the charging time is about 12 minutes longer, at 79 minutes.

A preliminary guess is that Huawei has not set up two charging logics for the MateXT because folding the phone makes heat dissipation difficult, and the system will temporarily lower the charging power when the temperature is too high. The charging power will resume after the battery temperature