HUAWEI Mate XT | ULTIMATE DESIGN

Source

極客灣 (Geekerwan)

Key Takeaways

• Over-engineered dual-hinge tri-fold structure leaves the outward screen completely exposed to devastating scratches.
• At nearly 300 grams, it feels like carrying a thick metal brick, with weird uneven weight when unfolded.
• Third-party apps fail miserably to adapt dynamically between three disparate aspect ratios, causing UI glitches.
• Insane retail and screen repair costs make everyday carry an anxiety-inducing nightmare.

✅ Pros

• Impressive engineering milestone
• Massive 10.2-inch tablet real estate
• Visually stunning tri-fold transformation

❌ Cons

• Unprotected outward-folding glass easily scratched
• Crushing 300g weight and cumbersome thickness
• Frequent software scaling bugs across 3 aspect ratios
• Eye-watering repair bills

📝 Verdict

"Mate XT is a triumph of engineering but a disaster as a daily phone: fragile, buggy, and impossibly heavy."

Source

• Video: HUAWEI Mate XT one month REVIEW | What using a TRI-FOLDING phone is REALLY like!
• Channel: Android Authority | Type: Long-term review | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• He used the Mate XT as his main phone outside China for about a month, including flying with it on trips; it costs about £3,500 (about US$3,800), and he thinks at that price everything has to be perfect
• 6.4-inch outer screen, 7.9-inch dual screen and 10.2-inch triple screen; folded, it's about as thick as the Z Fold6, and unfolded it's the thinnest foldable; the hinge is solid and holds at multiple angles, and the exposed screen still looks good after a month of use as a stand
• Opening it takes a few tries to learn, and the system warns you if you open it the wrong way; he says he'll "never get tired of opening it"
• Camera stabilization and video performance are merely passable and don't match the price; outside China there's no real reason to use it as a main phone, and it's more like a concept phone

✅ Pros

• One-of-a-kind tri-fold design
• Solid hinge
• Durable outer screen
• Eye-catching

❌ Cons

• Price close to US$4,000
• Average camera and video performance
• Inconvenient to use outside China

📝 Verdict

Huawei proved its technical prowess with a first-generation product, but after a month he thinks no one should buy it as a main phone.

Source

• Video: Huawei Mate XT Review: Maybe A Tri-Fold Will Fix Me
• Channel: MrMobile [Michael Fisher] | Type: User impressions | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• He took a Mate XT lent to him by MKBHD to India for a week; imported into the US it can cost about US$5,000, and he bluntly says "you probably shouldn't buy it"
• Under the US ban, using Google services is a hassle: after installing microG on HarmonyOS, only half of his Google account works, and minor software issues with the Chinese version persist
• One-handed as a phone for hailing rides and checking boarding passes, unfolded once into book mode for reading, and unfolded again into a 10-inch widescreen for binge-watching; the creases from both the inward and outward folds are visible, but users quickly stop noticing; the software switches smoothly between forms
• He praises Huawei for thriving after the ban through "jugaad"-style improvisation; after going back to a regular foldable, he felt something was missing and hopes other brands will release similar products

✅ Pros

• Three forms: phone, book and widescreen
• Software adapts to each form
• An engineering achievement

❌ Cons

• Extremely high price (about US$5,000 imported)
• Google services setup is tedious and unstable
• Two visible creases

📝 Verdict

He doesn't recommend buying it for now, but it showed him what foldables can do, and he can no longer be satisfied with the status quo.

Source

• Video: The TRIPLE FOLDING phone has a Problem.
• Channel: Mrwhosetheboss | Type: Hands-on | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• He bought it with his own money for over US$5,000; the box includes FreeBuds 5, an 88W car charger and a carbon fiber case, but the wall charger is only 66W
• He thinks regular foldables open into a square, so widescreen videos are barely bigger than on a regular phone; a tri-fold's extra unfold gets close to an iPad's viewing area, which is a real change
• It's 12.8mm folded, between the Z Fold5 (13.4mm) and the latest Fold (12.1mm); fully unfolded it's only 3.6mm
• Some big 3D games get stuck on loading screens and some don't run smoothly; 5,600mAh is good for a phone but only half of a tablet's
• He doesn't recommend giving up a regular phone, saying it's "neither here nor there"; the early frenzy of scalper markups is cooling fast

✅ Pros

• Near-tablet widescreen when unfolded
• Extremely thin when unfolded
• Plenty of accessories

❌ Cons

• Insufficient gaming performance
• Battery small for a tablet
• Extremely high price

📝 Verdict

Huawei launched a usable consumer product rather than a concept phone, which deserves credit, but he still doesn't recommend it as a replacement for a regular phone.