Chinese tech firm Huawei unveils first tri-folding phone

Huawei tri-foldable phone—an industry first. The Mate XT has been launched to the international market in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. Its 10.2-inch screen is similar to the most compact Apple iPads. The company says the phone, first released in China six months prior, is the thinnest foldable phone at 3.6 millimeters (0.14 inches), and though dubbed a trifold, the phone has three mini-panels and folds only twice. Some Huawei enthusiasts praise the phone's design, saying it would look good for lifestyle-conscious consumers. "When I saw the XT, I was just really amazed by it, how unique and elegant it looks,” says Filipino tech journalist Kathleen Manangkil. “It's actually nice for an O-O-T-D (outfit of the day) if you are a content creator who is into lifestyle. I think it would really suit your fashion as well." Arif Ed Osman watched the presentation, and said, "It's actually really impressive like how they've managed to fit everything into this tiny phone. The battery is 1.9 millimeters, width-wise. That's insane if you think about it, the schematics and stuff, right? But in terms of design, in terms of how it looks, in terms of how it feels, seems a very durable product." Bryan Ma, an analyst for International Data Corporation (IDC), says, "Huawei is basically the only one with that kind of design right now. There's rumors about competition from Korea that may eventually come later. But right now, Huawei kind of stands alone as that innovator, who really pushed aggressively quite hard compared to the rest of the other vendors in the industry. And so that's why they stand out." For now, Huawei has the trifold phone market to itself, and launching the Mate XT outside of its home market will help determine what the appetite for this sort of large-screen phone might be. However, the Mate XT’s price tag of 3,499 euros ($3,662) is raising some eyebrows in the industry. This article was provided by The Associated Press.