Huawei’s Mate XT Ultimate Design tri-fold to ring in SA

South Africa’s foldable smartphone market is expected to get a boost and shake up with Huawei’s announcement that its Mate XT Ultimate Design triple-fold device will be launched in the country.

The device, which finally debuted worldwide in Kuala Lumpur in Indonesia on Tuesday, will likely excite tech enthusiasts.

The first-ever trifold display in the industry has smashed ceilings while setting many new records in smartphone innovation.

Competition

Samsung, with its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip series, Oppo, with its Find N2 Flip, and Honor, with its Magic V2, are likely to face tough competition from Huawei.

With Apple expected to announce what CEO Tim Cook called a “new member of the family” yesterday, the Cupertino company is scurrying to catch up with competitors as it grapples with the lukewarm status of its latest iPhone 16 line-up.

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Availability and price

The Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design will be available in South Africa in April 2025. With no price point provided for South Africa, the device will likely cost between R50 000 and R60 000, which is almost the price of a small second-hand car.

Foldable smartphones

Prices for foldable smartphones have dropped slightly in recent years after Samsung first unveiled its Galaxy Fold. But that drop is not big enough for consumers to fork out cash for the devices.

Therefore, many resort to mobile phone contracts to subsidise the cost of foldable smartphones.

Contracts

However, with mobile contracts now expanding from 24 to 36 and even 48 months, users have to contend with staying with the same smartphone for years while tech companies release new devices every year with new innovative features and, more importantly, artificial intelligence with little aesthetic enhancements.

Depending on the contract’s monthly price, customers could pay triple the amount for the phone.

An example is paying R3 518 monthly for 24 months for foldable smartphones, which works out to
R84 412 when the contract expires. While many will argue that the contract includes SMS, call time minutes and data, mobile companies provide minimal data packets on expensive contracts, forcing customers to top up when the data runs out.

Other products

While Huawei’s new Mate XT Ultimate Design means you will have to dig very deep in your pocket to buy the device, some users also contend with keeping the same smartphone without upgrading for years. Users will be assured that the innovative tech will be hard to beat.

It is now the thinnest and largest foldable display simultaneously. When unfolded, it measures as thin as 3.6mm and 26cm wide.

Built with an Advanced Precision Hinge System, the trifold display has achieved a breakthrough in durability and is the first to support inward and outward folding.

During Tuesday’s launch, Huawei also unveiled the MatePad Pro 13.2” tablet, FreeArc buds and Band 10, which are all coming to South Africa.

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