Huawei on Tuesday held a global launch for the industry’s first tri-foldable phone, which analysts said marked a symbolic victory for the Chinese tech giant amid U.S. technology curbs. But challenges over pricing, longevity, supply and app constraints may limit its success.
Huawei said at a launch event in Kuala Lumpur that the Huawei Mate XT, first unveiled in China five months ago, will be priced at 3,499 euros ($3,662). Although dubbed a trifold, the phone has three mini-panels and folds only twice. The company says it’s the thinnest foldable phone at 3.6 millimeters (0.14 inches), with a 10.2-inch screen similar to an Apple iPad.
Although dubbed a trifold, the phone has three mini-panels and folds only twice.
It’s three elements that can fold together.
It’s probably called tri- because it rolls better on the tongue than dual or double fold.But goddam €3.499m,- is a steep price, especially considering there were initial reports of quite serious problems with it.
Trifold wallets fold twice, which also doesn’t make sense, but it’s probably where they got the name.
I didn’t know that, but yes, it would probably seem confusing to use different terminologies for essentially the same thing.
3500 is a lot for a device with an always exposed, easily scratched display.
Bi-fold would work… But tri means 3 and 3 is a bigger number than 2 sooooo that’s what the marketing is going with
Americans would still get confused. Refer to ⅓lb>¼lb burger, flopped because Muricans claim weird fraction math for length is superior…yet still cannot fraction their way out a wet paper bag…
except bifold and trifold are established terms for wallets, brochures, etc.
I think it makes more sense like this, anyway, especially considering that those words don’t really refer to the folds themselves. (trifold can just mean triple)
I was going to say the same thing a bifold wallet is two panels and one for, trifold is the panels and two folds
Yes of course, bi-fold rolls equally well. 👍
The whole “folding screen” concept is nice but I always have a sense of caution when I play with the idea of buying a folding screen phone. Something that is used as much as a smartphone is can ware out moving components really quickly. Also more parts, more stuff that can break or fail…
For what its worth, my galaxy flip 5 is over 2 years by now and have no issues whatsoever. I also work in construction so it is by no means pampered. Ive had regular phones break earlier than this have held up now.
I’ve got the Honor Magic V3, it’s the 2 panel version of the OP device. I’ve had it for 6 months now, no complaints so far. I’m a stone mason, loooooots of super fine dusts of varying degrees of caustic. I got a slightly more robust case than what came with it, and I’m a bit more careful about what pocket I keep it in. I’ve dropped it over a dozen times, and mangled the hinge on one case already. But like you, I’ve had regular phones start failing around now, and this one is still fine. I feel like the first and 2nd gen foldables were where most of the kinks were worked out, and now they’re only slightly more delicate in very specific ways compared to a regular slab phone.
That’s not bad, given your profession. You got a case on it? Just curious since I always get a case with a new phone.
I do use a case, nothing special, just some random chinese plastic. I also keep it wrapped in plastic protectors, both on the back and front, and tend to switch them out when it begins to look scuffed.
So far it looks kinda brand new besides the edges that have some actual scuff marks, i tend to drop it frequently lol
Don’t we all haha, thanks for the feedback. I’m sold 😁
Seconding the other guy’s endorsement of the zflip. I got mine as a really cheap trade in upgrade thinking the folding was just a gimmick and now I’m pretty much always advocating for the thing. Hasn’t been any less durable than any other phone I’ve had and though there’s a very minor crease mostly from the protective panel, it’s never been an issue.
Very very interesting, and stupid
“priced at 3,499 euros ($3,662)”
Mmm… nope!
It would be enticing even with that price for some, IF ( THIS IS BIG IF) they could use Google apps. It’s quite useless without Google’s android, and in Western world you can’t use it for banki g purposes due to lack of security
without Google’s android, and in Western world you can’t use it for banki g purposes due to lack of security
Weird how I can use this PC (Made in China) without needing no oversight from lel Google to access my bank without issue. Right?
And here I am on GrapheneOS trying to get rid of Google. Although I personally would rule out Huawei for privacy concerns. (and the price, of course)
But if you don’t care about that, what’s stopping you from using Aurora store and your bank’s website?
So is Aurora Store replacement for play store only? What about Security like android security which is core for vägning apps? I do want to get rid of Google things but email is essential and in dont want paltry GBs subs in have lit of emails. I am all for foss infact any utility which I search on play store I always try foss alternative but Gmail and maps are 1. Too good 2. Too much convenient 3. Highly accessible (e.g. with Google maps I can get local commute options which I highly dependent upon )
Which is weird, because where I am, most banks don’t rely on Google services at all for this precise reason (and as a side effect my bank works perfectly on Graphene). Not all budget Chinese phones lack Google services of course, but Huawei and such are still a big chunk of the market.
Wake me up when the quadfold drops. Heck, quilt me a smartphone/picnic blanket, then we can talk.
Edit: I’m sorry if this comes off as too snarky, I just don’t get the trend… I thought we were heading directly away from large form stuff with this whole smartphone thing. I mean, didn’t we already see this not working with tablets, and how they kinda’ ended up repurposed as quasi-laptops?
I want to have a phone that I have to wrangle-fold like an old paper map
Call me when the phone folds into an origami swan
It’s a laptop you can fit on your pocket. I think it’s a great idea, if it’s effective enough. Knowing this company, it isn’t… So I’ll wait for Samsung.
Sso… like my already existing smartphone. Only larger.
I kind of get the appeal, like turning your phone into a media munching device.
See, that’s just it, I already do that with my standard phone… At this point, they’re all basically phablets, Nexus 6 was right all along (although it still did it better, save for the weird speaker system…). Multi-window splits have also been a thing for a good while now, I honestly don’t see the point for more screen on my pocket device… Heck, I even mainline it as a secondary PC, use it to have YT/movies in the background while doing stuff on the big dude.
The company says it’s the thinnest foldable phone at 3.6 millimeters (0.14 inches),
I mean, it better be, otherwise, if its 3x as thick in your pocket, that’s going to be one chonky phone.
3.6 × 3 = 10.8 mm folded. It’s definitely on the thicker side, but not outlandishly so.
Oh man, this is a cool phone, but I’m not touching potential Chinese surveillance equipment.
Still a dumb concept… just bring back classic flip phones. ffs
