Huawei's Tri-Fold (Mate XT 2) is Here Before the First iPhone Fold Debuts

The foldable phone battle has taken a sharper turn just two days before Apple is expected to enter the market, with Xiaomi and Huawei launching new premium devices in China on Monday.

The timing gives Xiaomi the first move ahead of Apple's September 9 event, where the company is widely expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone (iPhone Ultra). Huawei used the same day to introduce its latest Mate XT2 series, keeping pressure on China's premium smartphone market.

There is one important distinction: Huawei's Mate XT2 is a tri-fold phone. Xiaomi's new Xiaomi 18 Fold uses a different folding design that opens into a larger display and supports three apps side by side. Calling Xiaomi's device a tri-fold would be inaccurate here.

Huawei keeps the tri-fold lead

Huawei's Mate XT2 takes a more unusual approach, folding twice and opening into a tablet-sized screen. The new model brings a redesigned hinge, improved water resistance and a privacy display designed to make the screen harder for people nearby to view.

Prices start at 19,999 yuan, roughly $2,980, and rise to 24,999 yuan for the most expensive configuration. Sales are due to begin September 12. Huawei is also using its new Kirin 9050 Pro chip, built around an architecture the company calls LogicFolding.

Huawei executive Richard Yu acknowledged the cost pressure surrounding the new hardware, pointing to sharply higher memory prices and the expense of developing new technology.

The Xiaomi 18 Fold starts at 10,999 yuan, about $1,540, and reaches 14,999 yuan for the top version.

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun highlighted the phone's 219-gram weight and 5.02-millimeter thickness when unfolded, saying it is lighter than Apple's iPhone Pro Max. The phone also uses Xiaomi's XRing O3 processor, which Lei said responds faster than Apple's A19 Pro.

Xiaomi is also using memory supplied by Chinese chipmaker CXMT, adding another local technology angle to a product being positioned against Apple's premium hardware.

Apple walks into a tougher market

Apple's expected foldable iPhone now arrives in a market that looks very different from the one it would have faced a few years ago. Huawei has already established a lead in China's foldable segment, accounting for 68% of foldable phone shipments there in the second quarter, according to Smart Analytics Global.

Huawei also held 22.6% of China's overall smartphone market in the quarter, ahead of Apple's 18.1% and Xiaomi's 12.4%, according to IDC.

That gives this week's Apple event a different context. Xiaomi has chosen to bring its new foldable to buyers before Apple reveals its own answer, and Huawei has reinforced its position with another tri-fold model.

Apple may still generate the biggest global attention when it unveils its new iPhone lineup on September 9. The harder question now is whether its foldable phone can offer enough to pull buyers away from products that Chinese manufacturers have already spent several generations refining.

For Xiaomi, launching just before Apple looks like a deliberate chance to control part of the conversation before the iPhone Fold gets its first official reveal. For Apple, the foldable market is no longer waiting for its arrival.