Huawei Sees Over 3 Million Pre-Orders for Triple-Folding Smartphone

BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese tech giant Huawei has garnered more than 3 million pre-orders for its triple-folding smartphone, as indicated on its website on Monday, shortly before Apple’s debut of its new iPhones.

Huawei’s Mate XT, a Z-shaped tri-fold phone, is set to be unveiled at a launch event on Tuesday, as announced through its social media account WeChat.

Customers who pre-order will receive purchasing instructions on Tuesday, coinciding with the launch event, instead of making a down payment.

This high pre-order figure highlights Huawei’s adeptness at navigating U.S. sanctions and strengthens its position as a key competitor to Apple, which has lowered prices earlier this year to maintain market share.

The Huawei launch event will occur immediately following Apple’s Sept. 9 event, during which Apple plans to announce its iPhone 16 lineup, focusing on artificial intelligence integrations in its flagship devices.

In the second quarter, Huawei led the foldable phone market in China with a 42% domestic market share, according to consultancy IDC.