Huawei, the Chinese tech giant is expected to introduce the new tri-fold smartphone, succeeding last year’s Mate XT Ultimate Design. The latest leaks also shed light on the expected launch window and possible pricing of the upcoming tri-fold smartphone. It is rumoured to run on the Kirin 9020 chipset.

Weibo tipster GuoJing (translated from Chinese) claimed that the Huawei Mate XTs tri-fold will launch on September 12. Huawei’s upcoming foldable could launch almost exactly a year after the Mate XT Ultimate Design, which was introduced in China last September.

Huawei Mate XTs Price (Expected)

According to a report by the Chinese outlet CNMO, the Huawei Mate XTs will be priced at around CNY 20,000. For comparison, last year’s Mate XT Ultimate Design launched at CNY 19,999 for the base 16GB RAM + 256GB storage variant. The new model is expected to compete with Samsung’s first tri-fold smartphone — Galaxy Z TriFold.

The Huawei Mate XTs will reportedly ship with the HarmonyOS 5.1 operating system. It is said to feature an upgraded Tiangong dual-hinge system and a triple rear camera unit led by a 50-megapixel primary sensor with support for variable aperture. The camera unit is expected to include a periscope telephoto sensor. It could come with satellite connectivity.

Huawei has started rolling out the HarmonyOS 5.1.0.128 SP5 update to its Mate XT tri-fold phone. The system package size is about 1.90GB, bringing more new features and experiences.

For example, the live window will receive a new upgrade in visuals and motion effects, while covering more life scenarios; the AI photo editing function of the gallery will add magic image transfer and portrait refinement functions.

Version push time

July 29, 2025: Unlimited upgrades from 5.0.1.130SP8 to 5.1.0.128SP5 are available . Go to Settings > Tap your device name > Check for updates. If your device hasn’t yet been upgraded to HarmonyOS 5, it’s recommended to upgrade first through My Huawei App > Upgrades > (Multi-device Upgrades) and then upgrade to 5.1.0.128SP5 through Settings > Tap your device name > Check for updates.

Compatible models
HUAWEI Mate XT | ULTIMATE DESIGN ( GRL-AL10 )

Version Changelog
Update points from 5.0.1.130SP8 to 5.1.0.128SP5:

Live Window
The visual and dynamic effects are completely upgraded, the live window is displayed in the center , the real-time information flow and the camera hole are cleverly combined, the key information is in the visual focus, the amount of text information on the left and right has doubled, and the delivery status of the takeaway order, the license plate number of the taxi and other information are clear at a glance

Covering more life scenarios, supporting multi-task display and interaction , and obtaining information more efficiently

Gallery
New Magic Image Shift function , you can freely drag, scale or copy the elements in the photo you have taken. You can easily adjust the relationship between the elements and the background without professional cutout tools, and easily achieve creative composition (Gallery Edit > AI Photo Editing)

New portrait retouching function , AI intelligently analyzes portrait scenes, automatically optimizes lighting and composition effects, making your portrait photos more outstanding (Gallery Edit > AI Retouching)

Support adding gallery cards on the desktop for quick browsing of albums

Theme
Supports the use of the silly dance theme shared from the HUAWEI Pura80 series

Xiaoyi
Supports the Creative Studio agent. Provide a text to describe the picture. The Creative Studio agent can draw a variety of imaginative pictures for you (Xiaoyi App > Discover > Agent > Creative Studio)

Supports Xiaoyi Photo Studio intelligent agent, which can generate your own exquisite creative photos through templates of various styles, experience different hairstyles, travel through different time and space, realize various “what ifs”, and experience various parallel lives without leaving home (Xiaoyi App > Discover > Intelligent Agent > Xiaoyi Photo Studio)

Supports Xiaoyi’s deep problem-solving intelligent body, which has multiple functions such as photo-taking and problem-solving, homework correction, etc. It is a parent tutoring assistant that helps improve learning efficiency throughout the whole process

System
Notification center supports batch management of notifications (Settings > Notifications and Status Bar)

Optimize the document recognition capability of Huawei payment upload

Optimize the smoothness of dragging large files between Huawei Windows PC and mobile phone

Lock screen
Optimize the smoothness of sliding messages left and right on the lock screen

Recording
Support multiple applications to record at the same time

Game
Optimize the stability and fluency of the game engine to enhance the gaming experience

Wallet
Wallet card swiping is connected to the new live window . Card swiping status such as transportation cards, access cards and car keys will be presented in the form of live window cards, with key information displayed locally, and light reminders are more comfortable

Calendar
Subscription service supports subscription to “This Day in History” (Sidebar > Subscription Service > Manage)

Added illustration background to solar term cards in month view (Calendar Settings > Other Calendars > Chinese Lunar Calendar)

Accessories
Smart voice broadcast in headphones

Connect to Huawei headphones to support live window information broadcasting of travel applications, such as taxis and boarding. When the vehicle arrives or boarding starts, the headphones will automatically play reminder messages, making it easy to cope with busy lives

Connecting Huawei headphones supports integrated broadcasting of long text notification messages received by the phone in scenarios such as travel, takeout, and payment, so that only key information is obtained without internal consumption.

HiCar Shake App Flow

After connecting to HiCar, when the “transferable” live window appears on the mobile application interface, shake the phone and the page content can be transferred to the car screen display.

Huawei has now started the HarmonyOS 6.0 Developer Beta Phase 2. It aims to recruit developers to experience and test the new version before the official release, thereby more comprehensively verifying product functionality, ensuring product quality, and improving the user experience.

Developers can experience more new functions and features of HarmonyOS, as well as the convenience and efficiency of DevEco Studio when developing applications.

1. Registration Period

Registration period: July 29-August 10, 2025

Review period: August 1, 2025 – August 25, 2025. Please wait patiently for the actual review time. Please pay attention to Huawei’s official news for subsequent registration opening.