Huawei’s foldable phones strategy: from dual to triple and wide
Huawei’s foldable phones strategy is a multi-device roadmap that combines a conventional book-style foldable, an advanced triple foldable display model, and a compact wide foldable phone, aiming to cover different user needs and directly challenge rivals relying on single-form-factor foldable designs. At its core, this plan treats foldables not as one niche product but as a family of devices designed to replace both classic slabs and tablets in the premium segment. The key takeaway is clear: Huawei wants to own every major foldable shape, and that puts pressure on Samsung and others to move beyond incremental dual-screen updates. The clearest evidence of this intent is the scheduled launch of two flagship foldables in the second half of the year: the Mate X9 book-style foldable and the Mate XT2 triple-foldable refinement of the original XT line. This is not a cautious move; it is Huawei betting that more hinges and more display modes can be turned into a real market advantage rather than engineering theater.
Mate X9: a more aggressive mainstream foldable
If Huawei’s strategy has a mass-market anchor, it is the Mate X9 release. The device sticks to the proven book-style foldable format with a 6.5-inch cover screen and a larger 8.15-inch inner display. That is a deliberate, incremental step up from the Mate X7’s 8.0-inch inner panel, signaling that Huawei wants to compete head-to-head with Samsung’s main foldable line rather than chase exotic sizes. Where the Mate X9 looks more assertive is in core hardware. It is expected to use the Kirin 9050 Pro chipset, described as having performance comparable to 3nm chips even though it is not built on a 3nm node. The battery jumps to over 6,000mAh, compared with the X7’s 5,600mAh pack, and the main camera upgrades to a 1/1.3-inch sensor plus telephoto and likely ultra-wide modules. One quotable data point sums up Huawei’s pricing intent: “The expected price for the Huawei Mate X9 is in the CNY 10,000 range (USD 1,475, approx. RM6,870).” Given that the base Mate X7 started at CNY 13,000, Huawei is openly repositioning its mainstream foldable as more powerful yet relatively more accessible.
Mate XT2 and the triple foldable display escalation
The more provocative part of Huawei’s roadmap is the Mate XT2, a next-generation triple foldable expected in the second half of this year. In contrast to Samsung’s dual-screen approach, this is an escalation: Huawei is doubling down on the idea that a triple foldable display can deliver a phone-sized device that unfolds past typical tablet dimensions into something closer to a compact laptop screen. Digital Chat Station reports that the Mate XT2 will focus on refining the tri-folding structure of the original XT and XTs. That language matters. A refinement implies Huawei has already learned from the first generation’s mechanical compromises and now believes it can make the triple-hinge concept dependable enough for a wider audience. With the Kirin 9050 Pro likely inside, Huawei is tying cutting-edge silicon to cutting-edge hardware design. This is not a defensive move against Samsung; it is an attempt to force Samsung and other competitors to respond to a form factor they have avoided so far. If Huawei can make tri-fold reliability and thickness acceptable, it will have defined a new premium tier above conventional dual-fold phones.
Wide foldable phone and Mate 80 Air: building a broader ecosystem
The third pillar of Huawei’s plan is the emerging wide foldable phone segment. A reliable tip points to a new small wide foldable next year that is described as a sequel to the Pura X. That matters because the wide-foldable space is rapidly turning into a key battleground for premium smartphone makers: the format promises a more compact footprint when closed but a wide, almost notebook-like canvas when opened. Huawei’s intent to ship a Pura X follow-up signals that it refuses to cede this shape to rivals. At the same time, Huawei is shoring up its non-foldable premium line with the Mate 80 Air, expected in the second half of the year, powered by a Kirin 9030 series chip and supporting Red Maple imaging technology. The Mate 80 Air continues the ultra-thin, large-screen Air tradition set by the Mate 70 Air, which launched last November with a 7-inch quad-depth screen, 6.6mm thickness, a weight of about 208g, and a starting price of CNY 4,199 across several memory and chip variants. By keeping the Air line alive, Huawei makes sure that its foldable phones sit inside a broader ecosystem rather than becoming isolated experiments.
Conclusion: Huawei pushes rivals beyond comfortable dual-fold upgrades
Huawei’s upcoming roadmap sends a blunt message to the rest of the premium smartphone market: dual-foldable phones are no longer enough. With the Mate X9 taking the fight directly to conventional book-style foldables, the Mate XT2 escalating to a triple foldable display, and a Pura X successor preparing to contest the wide foldable phone niche, Huawei is trying to turn form factor diversity into competitive pressure. The confirmed Mate 80 Air release in the second half of the year, with its 7-inch quad-edge screen and Kirin 9030 series chip, shows that this is not a bet on foldables alone but a broader attempt to own high-end screen-centric devices. The conclusion is opinionated but straightforward: if Huawei’s hardware holds up, Samsung and other players will have to answer on three fronts—mainstream book-style foldables, adventurous triple foldables, and compact wide foldables—rather than hiding behind yearly tweaks to a single dual-screen design. That shift would be good for innovation, and it will be driven not by abstract market forces but by concrete devices that are now on the calendar.
