[ITmedia Mobile] Will the tri-fold smartphone “HUAWEI Mate XT 2”, whose folding method has changed from Z-type to G-type, become an “iPhone Duo killer”? When opened, it is 10.2 inches and is also waterproof for the first time

Two days before Apple announced its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, Huawei announced its new tri-fold smartphone model, the HUAWEI Mate XT 2 ULTIMATE DESIGN, in China.

Prices start at 19,999 yuan (approximately 460,000 yen) for the 16GB memory/256GB storage model, making it a high-end machine that approaches 500,000 yen in Japanese yen. Sales began in China on September 12th, and you can now touch the actual machine at stores. In this article, I would like to report on my experience with the actual machine in the field and write about the potential of this product.

From Z-type to G-type: Huawei's tri-fold smartphone has a new folding method

The biggest change in Mate XT 2 is the way the screen folds. The first generation Mate XT and Mate XTs used a "Z-type" design that combined folding inward and folding outward. The system folds one large display into three, which was advantageous in terms of weight reduction, but it also had the drawback that even when folded, part of the soft inner panel was always facing outward.

As someone who owns a Mate XT, I can attest that the structure of the machine made me nervous every time I carried it around. Since it was a single display, there was a risk that if a single crease was damaged, the entire display would become unusable, and there were parts of it that could not be denied the feeling of being a prototype.

The Mate XT 2 has changed this structure to a ``G-type'' (Huawei's name is ``trifold fold'') in which the left and right panels are rolled inward at the same time. When closed, the main panel retracts completely inside the case, leaving only a separate outward-facing panel exposed. The idea is the same as the Galaxy Z TriFold, but the placement of the outward-facing panel is different.

The screen size is 6.5 inches when closed and 10.2 inches when fully opened. Although it does not have the intermediate stage of ``7.9-inch once opened'' like the first generation, it is still possible to use it by standing only one panel or opening only two panels.

The main body size is 157.2 (width) x 77 (depth) x 12.3 (thickness) mm when folded, and 157.2 (width) x 219.2 m (depth) mm when unfolded, and the thickness is lined up in three numbers: 4.0 / 3.69 / 3.5 mm. This is because the thickness of each three-part panel differs, and the "3.5mm" that Huawei claims is for the thinnest part.

However, it has become steadily thinner compared to previous models. The thickest part of the Mate XT was 4.75mm, but this machine has been reduced to 4.0mm. The thickness when folded has also been reduced from 12.8mm to 12.3mm. The results of the redesigned structure are clearly reflected in the numbers, with the thickest part reduced by 0.75mm while incorporating a new waterproof mechanism (described below) and an independent outward-facing panel. The weight is approximately 298g.

On the other hand, the width when folded has increased by 3.5mm from 73.5mm to 77mm. This is because the panel division ratio has changed with the change to the G type, so the feeling when holding it with one hand is different from the first generation.

The hinge has a slightly stiff feel and is not the type that can be quickly unfolded with one hand. On the other hand, thanks to this stiffness, the angle of the screen was held firmly, and the panel did not move freely due to the weight of the device. Screen creases have also been suppressed to the same level as the company's "Pura X Max." You can only see streaks depending on the lighting, but it doesn't detract from the viewing experience.

In terms of durability, the manufacturing method for the hinges and panels has been completely redesigned using the ``Genbu Architecture.'' The ``Genbu Kunlun Glass'' used for the cover display has 30 times more drop resistance and 16 times more scratch resistance than previous models. The inner panel is made of multiple layers of UTG (ultra-thin glass) and high-strength aviation-grade steel, which is said to improve impact resistance by 200% compared to conventional models. The second generation hinge uses an interlocking mechanism that does not use gears.

It is also the first tri-fold smartphone to be IP58/IP59 waterproof and dustproof. Once waterproofing was achieved in a tri-folding machine with a complex hinge mechanism, it can be said that the design around the hinge had been refined considerably.

The screen brightness is at a peak of 6,500 nits on the outward-facing panel, which is a high level compared to typical smartphones.

However, there are some things that are lacking. The refresh rate of the panel when unfolded is limited to 1 to 90Hz, and only the model equipped with a privacy display (described below) supports 120Hz. I felt that it was difficult for consumers to understand product development where only the top-level configuration had significantly different hardware.