Forget Galaxy Z TriFold: The world’s first tri-fold phone just got a successor

Switch to inward-folding mechanism

The original Huawei Mate XT features a rather bizarre zig-zag folding mechanism. Our Editor-in-Chief Rad extensively tested the device and even though he was very impressed with the tri-fold, he mentioned that this system requires getting used to.

That's now ancient history because Huawei has taken a page of Samsung's tri-fold book and made the Mate XT 2 inward-folding only.

This design comes with pros and cons. The obvious benefit is that the main, triple-folding screen remains protected when the device is in a folded state. The original Mate XT left one portion of the screen on the outside to act like a cover screen. The Mate XT 2 adopts the same design Samsung uses for its Galaxy X TriFold.

The drawback is that the inward-folding design requires an additional cover screen for the times you want to use the device folded. It's also a tad more uncomfortable and awkward to use the device partially unfolded.

Huawei Mate XT 2 specs and features

Apart from the new design, the pre-order listing on Vmall gives us a peek into Huawei Mate XT 2's specs. The phone will be available in two memory configurations. The entry model features 16GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage, while the second option comes with 1TB storage and the same amount of RAM.

We also know the color options for the Mate XT 2, classic White and Black, along with a special edition in Purple that will also feature a privacy display. That's pretty much everything we know at the moment. The chipset, camera configuration, battery, and charging all remain a mystery.

Tri-folds are not dead, but do we need them?

Just like Rad, I was super impressed with the Mate XT. It was thin, it felt solid, and the aspect ratio when unfolded was not some strange square but something that resembled a conventional tablet. Much more useful, if you ask me.

But the big issue lies elsewhere. It's the same thing that kept me away from normal book-style foldables and also clamshell folds. The act of folding and unfolding the phone gets old real quick. Some people get used to it, I couldn't.

Tri-folds are solving one big problem and creating two smaller ones. For starters, the aforementioned aspect ratio makes the device much more usable and solves the square screen misunderstanding. Recent wide foldables try to alleviate the issue, but tri-folds solve it with finesse.

This, however, creates two smaller problems — the hinges. There are two of them, and it doubles the chance for something to go wrong. Whether it's dust and dirt, scratches, physical damage, or just a mechanical failure, tri-folds are more susceptible.

Then, to top it all off, there's the price. The Mate XT was very, very expensive, and so was the Galaxy Z TriFold. I don't expect the second iteration of the Mate XT to be cheaper, especially in the current tech climate.

Would you buy a tri-fold if it were priced as a normal foldable?