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Huawei Unveils Mate XT 2 Tri‑Fold with New Kirin Chip as Foldable Race Heats Up

The launch highlights Chinese makers' push into expensive foldables to lift prices by using new chip designs that sidestep limits on foreign semiconductor access.

Overview

  • Huawei unveiled the Mate XT 2 in Guangzhou on Monday, Sept. 7, pricing the device from ¥19,999 and scheduling China sales to begin on Sept. 12.
  • The phone is powered by the Kirin 9050 Pro, which Huawei says uses its Tau Scaling Law and 'LogicFolding' vertical stacking to shorten signal paths and deliver roughly 42% better performance versus the prior model.
  • Xiaomi planned a rival foldable for the same week, reported to use domestic CXMT memory and a Xiaomi Xring O3 processor, and Apple is widely expected to reveal its first foldable at a mid‑September event.
  • Companies are emphasizing premium foldables to protect profit margins as global smartphone shipments face a steep 2026 contraction and Huawei holds a dominant share of China’s foldable market.
  • The shift toward in‑house chip designs, local suppliers and HarmonyOS upgrades could raise prices for buyers and reshape supply chains if Apple’s entry broadens consumer demand for foldables.