Huawei has introduced its Mate XT Ultimate Design tri-fold smartphone to Singapore, nearly eight months after its launch in other Southeast Asian countries, and over a year since it was first unveiled in China.
Delayed arrival and pricing in Singapore
Singapore consumers learned that the Huawei Mate XT is now officially on sale locally, ending a wait that set the country apart from its ASEAN neighbours. Markets like Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Cambodia had access to the device much earlier. The model first debuted in China more than a year ago.
While the delay may have cooled some enthusiasm, there is a silver lining in the price. The device will cost S$3,498 in Singapore. That is approximately 22% cheaper than its Malaysian launch price of RM14,999, which at current rates is equivalent to approximately S$4,500.
Pre-orders begin at 8 pm on 9 October 2025 via Huawei Experience Stores and the brand’s official stores on Lazada, Shopee and TikTok Shop. Customers who order through those online stores will receive a S$50 Early Bird voucher, valid from 9 to 17 October. The general launch date for retailers is 16 October 2025.
What the Mate XT offers
The Mate XT tri-fold combines tablet-size display capabilities with standard smartphone usability. When fully unfolded, its main screen is 10.2 inches. It can fold into a dual-screen mode of 7.9 inches, or down further to a cover screen size of 6.4 inches. The OLED panels refresh at a rate of up to 90Hz.
Under the hood, Huawei’s Kirin 9010 processor is paired with 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of internal storage. The device is powered by a 5,600mAh battery, split into three cells behind its tri-fold design, which optimises internal space. It supports 66W wired charging.
On the software side, the phone runs Huawei’s EMUI 14.2, based on Android 12. As with recent Huawei devices, Google Mobile Services are not included. Apps can be obtained through Huawei’s own AppGallery. Some applications that are not available may be accessed via third-party tools, such as the GBox app.
Photography is handled by a triple rear-camera system: a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 12MP periscope telephoto lens with 5.5× optical zoom. The phone also has an 8MP front-facing camera.
Context and user expectations
By the time the Mate XT arrived locally, it had already been superseded in China by the Mate Xs, Huawei’s next tri-fold model. This had led some potential buyers to hold off, hoping for newer features and improvements. Nonetheless, many still value the Mate XT for its design, usability and hardware.
Early impressions suggest that despite being a previous-generation device, the tri-folding form factor still delivers a satisfying experience in day-to-day use. The reduced price in Singapore softens the blow of its delayed release and competition from newer models.
