Huawei took the consumer tech community by storm with the commercial launch of the world’s first triple-screen foldable phone. Mate XT Ultimate Design is a new style of foldable phone that can be folded to fit in your pocket and unfold into a 10.2 inch tablet. Before Huawei released it, triple-screen foldable phones or “triple” phones could only be found at tech conferences like CES and MWC as concept phones (or in the pockets of characters in the dystopian Westworld TV series).
Needless to say, it comes at a price. The Mate XT Ultimate Design costs roughly $2,800 when converted from 19,999 yuan, and that’s if you can get your hands on it.
Read more: Huawei’s new triple-screen phone is a big deal. but it may not be the future
I had the opportunity to use the phone during a trip to Shenzhen, China. Here are the most frequently asked questions CNET has received about the Mate XT and my answers. If you want additional hands-on knowledge, read my Mate XT Ultimate Design hands-on story.
Will the Mate XT Ultimate Design come to the US?
Huawei has no current plans to launch the Mate XT Ultimate Design in the United States.
How many folds does the Mate XT Ultimate Design have?
Here is the Mate XT Ultimate Design in Red-Orange.
Although the word trifoldable is something of a misnomer, the term has been widely used and accepted by the media and the general public. In reality, the phone folds twice, not three times. It also only has a large flexible OLED touch screen. But because the Mate XT Ultimate Design folds into two places, that larger 10.2-inch screen turns into three thinner panels, which is why we call it a triple-screen phone.
Book-style foldable phones like Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold only have one fold, but actually have two separate screens: a flip-top display and an internal one. The internal display usually measures between 7 and 8 inches, depending on the manufacturer.
How much does the Mate XT Ultimate Design cost?
The phone costs 19,999 yuan, which converts to roughly $2,800, £2,160 or AU$4,195.
Where can you buy a Mate XT Ultimate Design?
The Mate XT is only sold in China through Huawei. Although the phone can be found on a number of reseller sites for thousands of dollars more than its retail price.
The internal screen of the Mate XT Ultimate Design is 10.2 inches.
What colors does the Mate XT Ultimate Design come in?
Currently the Mate XT Ultimate Design comes in two color variants, either black or red-orange with gold accents. Both use a material that Huawei calls vegan leather, similar to what Motorola uses on its Razr Plus and Moto G phones.
How visible are the wrinkles on the Mate XT Ultimate Design?
The Mate XT Ultimate Design has two hinges, and therefore two creases along the screen. During my short time with the phone, I could see creases at certain angles, but overall I found the creases to be inconspicuous when watching videos, scrolling through email, and other tasks. I could feel the creases when using the phone, but they didn’t detract from my experience. Overall, the creases are no more or less noticeable than on flagship book-style foldable phones like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Honor’s Magic V3.
What is the battery life of the Mate XT Ultimate Design?
I only spent about an hour with the Mate XT Ultimate Design and didn’t get to test the battery life. The phone has a 5,600 mAh battery, which is larger than those used in most flipbook-style phones that range from 4,400 mAh to 5,150 mAh. The exception is the Vivo X Fold 3 and X Fold 3 Pro, which have 5,500 and 5,700 mAh batteries, respectively. Keep in mind that the Mate XT’s battery has to power a larger 10.2-inch screen, which is closer to the size of a tablet that can have batteries ranging from 6,500 to 8,000 mAh.
How can I buy the Mate XT Ultimate Design if I live in the United States?
There is no direct way to buy the Mate XT Ultimate Design if you live in the United States. Currently the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design is limited to China making it nearly impossible to get elsewhere. Huawei has a history of releasing global versions of its phones, which, despite not being sold in the US, are somewhat easier to get through third-party sellers that ship to the US. At this time Huawei has not announced plans for a global release of the Mate XT.