Huawei has hit a major milestone with over 2.7 million pre-orders for its upcoming tri-fold smartphone, the Mate XT, according to data released on its website on Monday. Pre-orders for the innovative device began midday Saturday, giving Huawei a head start ahead of Apple’s much-anticipated iPhone 16 launch, which is set to take place early Tuesday morning, Beijing time.
The Mate XT is expected to go on sale starting September 20, although Huawei has yet to announce the device’s official price. The tech giant previously revealed that it would be unveiling a new product at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, but details remain scarce.
Apple, which has historically dominated the Chinese smartphone market, recently fell out of the top five smartphone vendors in China for the second quarter of the year, according to a report by Canalys.
It was the first time in recent years that the top five spots were entirely held by domestic brands, with Huawei securing fourth place with 10.6 million units shipped. For comparison, Apple shipped 10 million iPhones during the first quarter.
While Huawei and its Chinese competitors have already ventured into the foldable and flip phone markets, Apple has yet to release a product in these categories. The Mate XT represents Huawei’s continued push to lead the charge in innovative smartphone designs as it strengthens its position in China’s competitive tech landscape.
