On Tuesday, weeks after Huawei debuted the world’s tri-fold smartphone, Mate XT faced backlash amid durability problems.
According to reports, the firm’s executive director, Charlie Wei, said at the launch event that it took five years to achieve tech innovation in screens and hinges. This emphasized its dedication to flourishing the TianGong hinge system installed in the device.
However, despite the optimistic claims, Mate XT’s durability has come under investigation.
Meanwhile, Huawei began selling the tri-fold smartphone on September 20. Nevertheless, shortly after its release, videos of the Mate XT being damaged started circulating on Bilibili and social media, which drew widespread notice.
The videos showed the device with a thick black line at the hinge where the screen folds and a damaged display, sparking concerns about the smartphone’s durability.
Unlike Samsung’s foldable smartphones with an in-folding structure, the Mate XT features an out-folding design, exposing the flexible display. This design has heightened concerns about the device’s longevity, as issues have quickly arisen.
Furthermore, the device’s high costs have further escalated the controversy. The flagship’s 1TB is priced at ¥23,999.00 and costs ¥19,999.00 for its cheapest 256GB.
Meanwhile, customers who invested in the Mate XT expressed disappointment as signs of damage appeared earlier than expected.
HarmonyOS Next of Huawei Plans to Challenge iOS, Android
Huawei HarmonyOS Next, which debuts Tuesday, claims to be an alternative to Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android.
The telecom giant is rallying local tech companies to build a Chinese mobile ecosystem amid the US ban.
Furthermore, HarmonyOS Next will be released to the public on Huawei’s Mate 60 series, the Mate X5 foldable smartphone, and the 13.2-inch MatePad Pro tablet.
Huawei’s latest operating system (OS), which is entirely independently developed, no longer supports Android apps and is referred to in China as pure blood HarmonyOS.
According to reports, the tech giant summoned China’s app developers to support the OS in an oath-taking ceremony last month. Furthermore, Baidu, JD.com, Meituan, and Tencent Holdings attended the meeting.