We checked out the world's first triple-screen foldable, and it's bonkers

We’ve previously seen concepts from various manufacturers over the years, but HUAWEI made tech headlines last week when it launched the world’s first dual-folding, triple-screen foldable, the Mate XT.

The new foldable phone is only available in China right now, but we were fortunate enough to briefly check it out this week. So is the Mate XT as cool as it looks?

That dual-folding design

It almost goes without saying that the Mate XT’s dual-folding design is the big selling point. The device features a 10.2-inch dual-folding OLED screen, with one fold turning it into a 7.9-inch display in line with conventional foldable phones. A second fold turns the Mate XT into a smartphone with a 6.4-inch screen. The phone measures 12.8mm thick when folded, which means it’s thinner than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 but a little thicker than the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

In practice, we thought that folding the Mate XT made for a smooth experience, and the folding mechanisms had a good snap to them. The device felt like any other foldable when closed, while the unfolded phone felt pretty natural to use (akin to a tablet). It helps that the device is pretty thin when unfurled.

The foldable weighs a hefty 298 grams, but it didn’t actually feel noticeably heavier than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold (257 grams). Then again, we only used the device for less than 30 minutes, so it’s entirely possible our mileage will vary with longer-term use.

It almost goes without saying that two hinges mean two display creases. Once again, we didn’t spend much time with the device, but these looked and felt like the creases on most other foldable phones. So if creases on current foldable phones annoy you, the Mate XT won’t change anything.

HUAWEI Mate XT specs

The rest of the triple-screen foldable phone is typically HUAWEI. Expect an unnamed Kirin 5G chip that’s likely the Kirin 9010 seen in the Pura 70 series, which means this phone is a couple of steps behind the best Android phones when it comes to pure performance.

The Mate XT is also equipped with a 5,600mAh battery, 66W wired charging, and 50W wireless top-ups. We do wonder about endurance when primarily using the unfolded screen, though.

Otherwise, the HUAWEI device also has a pretty capable triple rear camera system. We’ve got a 50MP variable aperture main camera (f/1.4 to f/4.0), a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 5.5x 12MP periscope camera. It’s worth noting that this might be the first foldable phone with a variable aperture camera, giving you more flexibility when it comes to depth-of-field effects and focusing. An 8MP camera in a left-aligned punch-hole cutout handles selfies and video calls.

Should you add the Mate XT to your wishlist?

It’s far too early to make any definitive conclusions about the Mate XT given the brief time we spent with it. However, the industry’s first triple-screen foldable phone certainly left us feeling tentatively impressed. And we can see this being handy for people who want a truly large screen that fits in their pocket.

We do have our reservations about durability, though, as the exposed folding screen makes us nervous about dropping the device. But it nevertheless feels like something out of science fiction.

The Mate XT is only available in China right now, but we can confirm that the foldable phone will be available in global markets from Q1 2025. That’s a while to wait, but we’re still glad it’s getting a wide release.

Don’t expect a cheap price tag, as the device starts at 19,999 yuan (~$2,835) in its home market. So a price tag of over $3,000 seems like a good bet for Europe and other regions.