So what is this thing? Well the short answer is basically a normal 6.2 inch phone that turns into an 8 inch tablet, but then also unfolds a THIRD TIME to become a full 10.2 inch large tablet, making the dream of anyone who ever watched Westworld finally come true, as these are basically the unfolding Phone-tablet hybrids from that show. It has an incredibly thin design as well, actually being thinner than most regular smartphones unfolded but also ironically not much thicker than normal tablet-style foldables when all three screens are stacked onto each other. Though three screens is probably not the best way to describe this, as the phone is essentially one big tablet that instead has three distinct sections which allow it to take up its different forms. It’s giant screen is actually an LTPO OLED panel with a 120 hz refresh rate, meaning Huawei didn’t skimp on its capability and quality either. This is all powered by 16GB of RAM, 256GB-1TB of storage and Huawei’s Kirin 9010 processor. Now admittedly that processor does raise an eyebrow, as it’s performance figures show it being 2-3 years behind what Qualcomm and Apple offer in their processors. But so does the Pixel 9’s Tensor G4 and yet anyone who isn’t a huge tech nerd doesn’t seem to mind much. As such, while the Mate XT isn’t a full blown power monster, it will perform fine against other phones. After all this phone isn’t banking on power, but rather the amazing experience it offers.

And what an experience that is. If the hands on videos above haven’t already given you a hint, this is clearly a luxury device as well. Huawei pulled out all the stops here with a Faux leather backplate and two striking colors. The concept video shows off what look like highly affluent business people showing off the device and running events with it and honestly, considering that this thing will cost $2800 USD (in China, not counting any import costs), Huawei at least seem to make it seem like the best luxury tech product available. U boxing videos also show a bunch of extra accessories including free Huawei Mate Buds.

Doesn’t offset almost $3000 worth of cash, but it helps. And at least in China a lot of apps already seem perfectly optimized for this device, so along with that premium feel, the software on this thing should feel up to par as well.

Another area Huawei wants the Mate XT to be set apart is the camera, though this area doesn’t quite excel. The camera array on this actually seems similar to Honor’s Magic V2 from last year, with a 50MP main camera joined by a 12MP telephoto and ultra wide camera as well. None of these are bad. After all the main reasons they’re limited is probably because of how incredibly thin the sections of this phone are, and if even normal foldables like the Z Fold 6 just started upgrading their camera sensors this year, Huawei bringing up a respectable stack on its first try is pretty commendable in its own right. Now how well these cameras perform is obviously up in the air at the moment, but hopefully review samples will stack up well against the likes of the Z Fold 6 and Pixel 9 Fold.

The one area that I am worried about when it comes to this phone however? Battery size. A 5600mAh is a pretty huge battery for any regular phone. We’ve pretty much established that such a battery size is more than enough for a normal phone, and is essentially the standard size for a tablet style foldable of about 8 inches. However for a 10.2 inch this might be a little small. For comparison, the 11 inch iPads are around 7000mAh, and even they aren’t the gold standard for battery performance. This is a comparable device with a much smaller battery. But perhaps Huawei has accounted for that. After all their HarmonyOS operating system is basically famous(infamous?) for its battery management practices, so maybe we should just relax about that.

Either way, at the end of the day the wow factor of this device is undeniable. Even if it had been leaked months prior. After all we should acknowledge one thing – the sheer balls Huawei had launching this device on the same day as Apple had their iPhone 16 event, which let’s face it, as boring and iterative as those phones were always going to be, people were going to pay more attention to anyway.

But two weeks later, every typical iPhone fan is giving themselves excuses why THIS ONE is the one worth upgrading for, while people all over the world are crying that the Mate XT is a China exclusive(though thankfully, plans for a more global release next year have been announced). Even if it isn’t a perfect device, it gives the tech landscape and tech fans a much-needed shot of excitement in the arm, and what could one want more than that?! Now let’s see if it can inspire other foldable makers to follow suite.

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