Shenzhen: Huawei and Apple’s latest smartphones hit the Chinese market on Friday, but many fans of the Chinese tech giant were left disappointed when its highly anticipated $2,800 tri-foldable phone was unavailable for walk-in purchases.
At Huawei’s flagship store in Shenzhen, self-identified Huawei “super fans” expressed their frustration after learning that only those with confirmed pre-orders could purchase the new Mate XT. “I’ve been here since 10 p.m. last night because this tri-folding phone is a first and I’m excited to support our country,” said a university student surnamed Ye. “But this is very disappointing. They should have made it clear we can’t buy.”
Another eager consumer, surnamed Guo, took a day off from his manufacturing job to queue from Thursday night. “They didn’t make it clear there’d be no phones. It’s disappointing,” he said.
A similar scene unfolded at the Huawei Wangfujing store in Beijing, where customers were informed that only pre-order holders could buy the much-anticipated phone, which features a unique three-way folding design reminiscent of an accordion screen door.
The letdown comes on the heels of warnings from analysts about supply chain constraints potentially leaving many prospective buyers of Huawei Technologies’ Mate XT without a device. Huawei has yet to disclose how many units have been produced or how many customers would receive the Mate XT on launch day.
The Mate XT, priced at over twice that of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, was unveiled alongside Apple’s new smartphone earlier this month.
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Apple’s smartphone launch in China has been overshadowed by its failure to announce an AI partner in the country to support the 16s. The tech giant’s Apple Intelligence AI software is set to be available in Chinese only next year. Some Apple fans, however, downplayed the AI issue. “The lack of AI in iPhones is not currently a major concern for me, as it’s more of a gimmick at this stage,” said a customer surnamed Shi, who upgrades his iPhone annually. Commenting on Huawei’s offering, he noted that the price was too high and “not for ordinary customers.”
The launch of the Mate XT highlights Huawei’s ability to navigate U.S. sanctions, even as concerns about its mass production capabilities persist. Pre-orders for the Mate XT have surpassed 6.5 million, nearly double the approximately 3.9 million foldable smartphones shipped globally in the second quarter of this year, according to consultancy IDC. It’s worth noting that “pre-ordering” does not require consumers to put down a deposit.
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Recent assessments indicate that key components of the Huawei Mate XT, including the display panel, cover glass, and hinges, may be experiencing production yield issues, as stated by Lori Chang, a senior analyst at Isaiah Research.
While the Mate XT demonstrates Huawei’s innovation in the premium smartphone segment, sales may fall short of its bi-folding predecessor, the Mate X5, which retails for 11,500 yuan ($1,630) and has sold 2.2 million units total as of the second quarter, according to Amber Liu, an analyst at Canalys. Liu further explained that, despite both being premium foldable flagships, the Mate XT and Mate X5 differ significantly in value proposition, specifications, and pricing.
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“It’s challenging for the Mate XT to replicate the volume of the Mate X5, but the Mate XT marks a significant breakthrough and evolution in all these aspects,” Liu noted.
