Huawei Mate XT 2

 Expected upgrades in the upcoming Huawei Mate XT 2

Last year Huawei stunned the world when it launched the first-ever tri-fold device, the Mate XT and now the company is allegedly working on its successor.  Huawei Mate XT 2 is said to feature an upgraded periscope telephoto shooter. Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design debuted in China in September 2024 and Huawei Mate XT 2 could launch in September this year. The upcoming tri-fold is tipped to offer satellite connectivity.

According to rumours from China, this won't be a huge upgrade compared to the original one, but there will still be some tweaks. The Mate XT 2 will be powered by the Kirin 9020 SoC, and it will have satellite connectivity. Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design was launched in September last year as the world's first triple-fold smartphone with dual hinges. The handset featured a Kirin 9010 chipset and housed a 5,600mAh battery. Now, the Chinese smartphone brand appears to be aiming to launch a sequel to its triple-folding phone, most likely named the Huawei Mate XT 2. Ahead of any formal confirmation, leak suggests several details about the upcoming tri-fold handset.

Chinese tipster Digital Chat Station took to Weibo to suggest the key specifications of the Huawei Mate XT 2. It is said to run on the Kirin 9020 5G SoC. This would be an upgrade over the existing model, which has the Kirin 9010 chipset under the hood. The main camera will be new, still 50 MP resolution and with variable aperture. There will also be an upgraded periscope telephoto shooter. The Huawei Mate XT 2 is tipped to offer satellite connectivity. The screenshots included in the post suggest that Huawei have filed for regulatory approval for the upcoming tri-fold with model number GRL-AL20.

Huawei Mate XT 2 is tipped to offer the same screen size and battery capacity as the Mate XT Ultimate Design. Previous leaks pointed out a September launch window for the phone. It is likely to rival Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Z Tri-Fold smartphone. The Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design is priced at CNY 19,999 for the 16GB RAM + 256GB storage model. It was later launched in select global markets in February this year. It ships with HarmonyOS 4.2 and features a 10.2-inch flexible LTPO OLED main screen. Folding it once reveals a 7.9-inch display, and folding it again shows a 6.4-inch smartphone-like form. The camera unit of the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design features a 50-megapixel camera with OIS and variable aperture, a 12-megapixel ultra wide camera and a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto camera. It has a 5,600mAh battery with 66W wired and 50W wireless charging support. The handset offers 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of on board storage.

And this is the entire list of changes from the Mate XT. Everything else should remain the same, including the folding screen and battery capacity. Samsung is rumoured to be joining the tri-fold fray this year, and the small iteration of the Mate XT is definitely Huawei's answer. Following are the key specifications:-

RAM                        16GB

OS                                   HarmonyOS 4.2

Front Camera           8-megapixel

Rear Camera                50-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Resolution                 1008x2232 pixels

Storage                        256GB

Battery Capacity        5600mAh

Display (Primary)         6.40-inch