GUANGZHOU;Huawei launched its next-generation flagship tri-fold smartphone, the Mate XT2, on Monday as it seeks to protect its dominant position in China’s premium handset market against rivals Xiaomi and Apple.
The handset—which folds out twice to form a 10.2-inch tablet-sized display—features Huawei’s new Kirin 9050 Pro chip. It carries a premium price tag starting at 19,999 yuan ($2,980) and rising to 24,999 yuan ($3,725) for top-tier configurations. Official sales begin September 12.
“Pricing right now is a real challenge because memory costs have risen sharply,” Huawei Executive Director Richard Yu stated during a press conference. “We adopted a lot of new technology, and the cost pressure has been enormous.”
The Kirin 9050 Pro utilizes “LogicFolding” architecture, part of Huawei’s proprietary “Tau Scaling Law” introduced in May 2026 to boost transistor density and performance without relying on U.S.-restricted chipmaking tools. The company claims a 42% overall performance boost over previous generations.
The Mate XT2 features an updated folding mechanism, improved water resistance, upgraded camera sensors, and a privacy screen mode designed to block side-angle viewing.
Xiaomi is scheduled to launch a rival foldable handset later on Monday, while Apple is expected to unveil its latest iPhone lineup on Wednesday. Following Huawei’s announcement, Xiaomi shares slid 3% in afternoon trading.
Huawei currently commands a 22.6% share of China’s overall smartphone market and holds a 68% share of the domestic foldable market segment.
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