The HarmonyOS operating system running on a Huawei Mate XT2 foldable smartphone displayed at a Huawei store in Beijing, China, on Sep 7, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Florence Lo)
07 Sep 2026 03:19PM
(Updated: 07 Sep 2026 09:33PM)
GUANGZHOU: Huawei launched its new flagship foldable smartphone series on Monday (Sep 7) as it seeks to defend its lead in the Chinese market for premium handsets against Apple and Xiaomi, both of which are also unveiling new products.Phones in the new Mate XT2 series, which fold out twice to open into a tablet-sized screen, feature Huawei's new Kirin 9050 Pro chip.But they are not cheap. Prices start from 19,999 yuan (US$2,980) with the most expensive version costing 24,999 yuan (US$3,725). Sales will start on Sep 12."Pricing right now is a real challenge, because memory costs have risen sharply. We adopted a lot of new technology, and the cost pressure has been enormous," Huawei Executive Director Richard Yu told a press conference.
Huawei says the new chip's design allows it to deliver more computing power while using less electricity. The design architecture, called LogicFolding, is part of the "Tau Scaling Law" principle Huawei unveiled in May to help the company overcome US restrictions on access to advanced technology.
