The Huawei Mate XT tri-fold phone began its pre-order on September 7, 2024 with users flooding Huawei’s official stores and third-party channels to secure the device. Within hours, the pre-order count reached 10,000 units and by the end of the day, the number skyrocketed to 2 million reservations. As of September 9, 2024, the total pre-order count reached Over 2.7 million.
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With Apple scheduled to reveal its smartphone on September 10, the industry is watching the competition between these two tech giants. Huawei’s Mate XT has already overshadowed Apple’s launch buzz by millions of pre-orders.
The CTO of Huawei’s Device Business Group, Bruce Lee even expressed surprise at the demand, stating, “It has almost exceeded 2 million in less than 24 hours. Are there really so many people who want to buy the Huawei Mate XT?”
One of the factors driving the success of the Mate XT is its tri-fold design, an industry-first innovation. The Huawei Mate XT takes foldable technology to a new level by incorporating three folding panels.
Consumers are drawn to the device’s potential to function as both a smartphone and a tablet. This innovation is with the rising demand for flexible, portable devices that can cater to both productivity and entertainment needs.
While specific technical details about the Huawei Mate XT have yet to be fully revealed, some early information provides insight into the device’s capabilities.
The Huawei Mate XT will be available in two storage variants, 16GB of RAM paired with either 512GB or 1TB of internal storage.
These configurations cater to consumers who prioritize storage space particularly those who use their smartphones for professional work, gaming or media consumption.
The device will also be offered in two colors, Black and Red, both of which boast a premium, eye-catching design that complements its appeal.
Huawei’s decision to offer the device in multiple storage options ensures that it appeals to a broad spectrum of consumers. This flexibility with the powerful performance anticipated from its Kirin chipsets makes the Huawei Mate XT a competitive player in the premium smartphone market.
As with many high-demand smartphones, the availability of the Huawei Mate XT may be limited especially during the initial release phase.
Some reports suggest that Huawei is offering the device in limited quantities through official stores and third-party channels.
While the official price of the device has not yet been disclosed, pre-order listings on some platforms have quoted prices ranging between 20,000 and 30,000 yuan, approximately $2,800 to $4,100 USD. Some speculative prices have even reached as high as 999,900 yuan.
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The anticipation for the Huawei Mate XT is evident from its pre-order numbers. Huawei began accepting pre-orders on September 7 and within a matter of days, over 3 million orders had been placed, according to the company’s website.
On the first day of pre-orders alone, Huawei Mall reported over 190,000 orders within the first hour. By the time the article was written, that number had ballooned to over 2 million.
In addition to online sales, offline stores experienced heightened activity. Huawei’s flagship store in Shanghai saw all its pre-order slots filled on the first day and in-store inquiries have surged as buyers express excitement about the tri-fold Huawei Mate XT.
After launching the Mate 60 Pro in August 2023, featuring an advanced 5G chip, Huawei has been regaining its foothold in China.
Market analysts have say that this success is due to Beijing’s increasing support for domestic technology and a growing sentiment among consumers to shift away from foreign products.
Despite US export controls aimed at limiting China’s access to chipmaking equipment, Huawei has surprised the tech world by producing advanced chips using older equipment.
According to a report by market intelligence firm IDC, Huawei held 18.1% of the Chinese smartphone market in the second quarter of 2024, a massive 50.2% year-on-year growth.
Apple has struggled in China, coming in sixth with a 3.1% year-on-year decline. Data from Counterpoint Research shows a similar trend with Huawei holding a 15.4% market share (up 44.5% year-on-year), nearly on par with Apple’s 15.5% share, which fell 5.7% year-on-year.
Apple’s sales in the China region (including Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan) fell by 6.5% year-on-year in the quarter ending June 2024, a decline to $14.7 billion in revenue.
Over a nine-month period, Apple’s sales in this region saw a year-on-year drop of 9.7%.
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