CHINESE technology giant Huawei on Tuesday launched an industry-first tri-fold smartphone in Shenzhen, with a number of technological breakthroughs such as a dual-hinge system and screen-bending features.

The Mate XT Ultimate Design looks like a regular phone when folded, but it can expand into what Huawei calls dual- and triple-screen modes. The dual-screen mode resembles a square and the triple-screen mode offers the experience of a 10.2-inch tablet. The Chinese tech giant says the display, which folds twice, is made of flexible materials that can bend in either direction.

Huawei credits the hinge system for this, saying it “involves two tracks working in tandem to support inward and outward folds.” This allows for switching between single-, dual- and triple-screen modes.

So far, there are two colors available: red and dark black, both of which have leather skins. The new smartphone comes with a new update to the in-house HarmonyOS of the technology company.

Some of the AI features of the Mate XT Ultimate Design include a voice editing function to help polish up voice-to-text transcription as well as a translation expert for side-by-side language switching in texts.

The AI also supports photo editing, which can extend the background of a picture or remove objects from photos when the user desires.

The base version starts at 19,999 yuan (US$2,800) and goes up to 23,999 yuan, for the highest storage variant. The tri-fold phone has already garnered over 4 million preorders, with no deposit required, according to the company’s online store. It’s currently only available in China.

Yu Chengdong, Huawei’s executive director, said that constant technological innovation is the primary driving force in the development of folding-screen smartphones, an industry segment with high technology density.

China’s foldable mobile phone market saw a growth of 114.5% in shipments in 2023, with the number of shipments surpassing 7 million, according to global market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC).

The worldwide foldable market is forecast to reach 25 million devices by the end of 2024, up 37.6% from the 18.1 million units shipped in 2023, according to IDC. By 2028, total foldable phone shipments worldwide are expected to rise to 45.7 million units, IDC predicts.(Xinhua, SD-Agencies)