Huawei's Mate XT 2 adopts the fold design Samsung already gave up on
Huawei will unveil the Mate XT 2 on September 7, 2026, and a new promo video confirms it folds differently from its predecessor — switching from a Z-shaped crease to an inward U-shaped fold, the same approach Samsung used in its Galaxy Z TriFold before that phone was discontinued after just three months. Huawei remains the only company regularly updating a tri-fold lineup. Whether this design shift fixes real durability problems or just borrows a look is the key question heading into launch.
The Samsung shadow
Samsung's Galaxy Z TriFold launched in late 2025 at $2,899 and was pulled from sale by April 2026. GeekBlog's breakdown of the TriFold failures documented hinge dust intrusion, display creasing, and screen failures appearing within months of purchase — with only around 30,000 units produced globally. Samsung treated it more as a technology showcase than a mass-market product, and the economics never worked.
Huawei's engineers apparently looked at that U-fold structure and saw something worth keeping. The inward-folding design protects the inner display when closed, which is one practical advantage over the outward Z-crease. Whether the Mate XT 2's hinge engineering actually solves the durability problems Samsung couldn't is something no pre-launch render can answer.
The phone itself
The promo video shows the Mate XT 2 in a deep purple finish with the same large rear camera block carried over from the original Mate XT. It runs HarmonyOS 7 and is expected to use Huawei's Kirin 9050 Pro chip. Pricing is estimated around $2,800, slightly above the original Mate XT's roughly $2,520 launch price.
Availability outside China is murky. The previous Mate Xs 2 shipped in a single white configuration (8GB/512GB only) in limited markets, and there's no confirmation the Mate XT 2 will reach US or UK retail through any official channel. For most buyers here, this will remain an import exercise — at a price that puts it well above any competing foldable on the market.
Apple has yet to ship a foldable at all, citing screen and hinge reliability as reasons for the delay. Huawei stepping into that vacuum with a redesigned tri-fold is a strong statement — the September 7 launch will show whether the hardware backs it up.
