A New Era Unfolds.. How the Triple Foldable Smartphone Disrupted the Industry

When Huawei surprised the world with its announcement of the first-ever triple foldable smartphone, shockwaves rippled throughout the tech industry. The product amassed an impressive 3 million pre-orders ahead of its release in China, and renowned tech experts worldwide eagerly sought to review the device hands-on before its global rollout.

But how did foldables rise to popularity, and how did HUAWEI Mate XT | ULTIMATE DESIGN’s groundbreaking innovation contribute to the evolution of foldable technology?

Early Emergence: The Beginning of Foldables

The tech boom of the 2010s saw unprecedented growth in smartphone capabilities. Information accessibility expanded, cross-device integration became more seamless, mobile software development advanced significantly, and audio-visual entertainment diversified.
For years, these advancements drove smartphone screens to grow larger to handle increasing information demands while maintaining portability. We swiftly transitioned from Motorola’s DynaTAC in 1983 to IBM’s touchscreen in 1994, then to Samsung’s 5.3-inch Galaxy Note in 2011, followed by the full-screen smartphone era initiated by the iPhone X in 2017, eventually leading to a new era of foldables sparked by the Huawei Mate X in 2019.

Simultaneously, PCs shrank into thinner, lighter designs, eventually leading to the creation of the lightweight tablet. In just seven years, we witnessed the development of lightweight laptops, starting with Intel’s launch in 2003. The HUAWEI MatePad followed suit, pioneering a tablet-PC “hybrid” in 2023, merging a large screen with exceptional thinness in a single device.

At the convergence of these trends emerged the foldable smartphone, striking a perfect balance between large screen efficiency and portability. By 2010, Huawei was already at the forefront of foldable technology production. The launch of the HUAWEI Mate X in 2019 is regarded as a pivotal moment in foldable history, transforming the product from a novel invention into a mainstream phenomenon. With this shift, research institutions predicted a compound annual growth rate of 21% for the foldable market from 2019 to 2022, forecasting it would reach USD 51.1 billion by 2022.

Dawn of a New Era: The Birth of the Trifold

As dual-screen foldables gained widespread adoption, Huawei was already preparing to unveil the unimaginable — a triple-display foldable that combined the lightweight, thin, and durable qualities of traditional dual-screen foldables. According to Huawei spokespersons, the vision for the trifold began five years before its launch, during the early days of dual-screen technology.

While prototypes of triple foldables had appeared at MWC and CES in the past, none proved feasible for mass production. It was not until the release of Huawei’s latest innovation, the HUAWEI Mate XT | ULTIMATE DESIGN, that the world witnessed the transformation of the impossible into reality.

This triple foldable offers a perfect fusion of large-screen productivity and portability, expanding user experience possibilities. It’s the first device to truly merge the functionalities of a tablet PC and a smartphone, creating a new category of handheld technology.

If the Tesla Model Y represented the future of automotive terminals, then the trifold signifies a new revolution in mobile displays with its groundbreaking folding design.

Beyond multi-tasking and immersive viewing, the trifold smartphone could revolutionize how users live and work by seamlessly integrating digital and real-world interactions. With single, dual, and triple-screen modes, users can accomplish more simultaneously, enhancing both leisure and productivity.

Trailblazing the Future of Smartphones

Huawei’s daring venture into uncharted innovation has propelled the company ahead of its competitors. According to Counterpoint Research, Huawei dominated the global foldable market with a remarkable 257% year-over-year growth in Q1 2024.

Since Huawei’s entry into this space, other brands have scrambled to keep up. Samsung has announced plans to launch its version of a trifold smartphone, while Apple has yet to reveal its own foldable due to developmental setbacks, potentially delaying its release to 2027 or 2028.

In an era where the global smartphone industry grapples with economic challenges, Huawei’s strategic foresight has sparked inspiration and injected fresh energy into a market that had grown complacent with repetitive product cycles.

Experts predict that the advent of the HUAWEI Mate XT | ULTIMATE DESIGN could catalyze further advancements, motivating software developers to explore this new foldable trend and contribute to a vibrant market ecosystem. As an industry leader, Huawei’s trifold has set new benchmarks, encouraging healthy competition and technological progress.

An Exemplary Story of Audacity and Innovation

As we advance further into the digital age, it’s astonishing that we’ve relied on single-screen devices for so long. Now that engineers and innovators are challenging the limits of single-screen technology, it’s thrilling to imagine how the industry will adapt to the triple foldable.
The journey behind the HUAWEI Mate XT | ULTIMATE DESIGN exemplifies the power of visionary thinking — a reminder that it often takes a bold leap to ignite transformative progress.