The Huawei Mate XT 2 is the most accomplished tri-fold smartphone you can buy right now, but it is meant for very few people: it is sold only in China, without Google services, from 19,999 yuan, or about €2,567 (about 1,684,000 FCFA). Announced on 7 September 2026 and on sale since 12 September, it fixes the main flaw of the first model: both of its panels now fold inwards and protect the flexible screen. Opened out, it gives you 10.2 inches in 299 g. It is aimed at wealthy enthusiasts who are comfortable with importing, not at the general public.
Introduction: the Huawei Mate XT 2, a tri-fold phone reserved for China
Huawei unveiled the Huawei Mate XT 2 in China on 7 September 2026, under the full name Mate XT 2 Ultimate Design. Sales began on 12 September, the same week as the expected presentation of Apple’s foldable, the iPhone Duo. The timing is no accident: Huawei held 68% of the Chinese foldable market in the second quarter of 2026, TechRepublic reports.
This is the third generation of the formula. The first Mate XT, released in September 2024, introduced the format, followed by the Mate XTs in 2025. The new model drops their accordion fold and adds a proper cover screen.
The range has five versions, all with 16 GB of memory, priced from 19,999 to 29,999 yuan. Huawei has not announced any release outside China. So this tri-fold phone is for people who want a 10-inch tablet in their pocket and who know what a Chinese device without Google involves. For a foldable that is officially sold and covered by a warranty in Europe, the Honor Magic V6 remains the sensible choice.
Verdict in brief: our take on the Huawei Mate XT 2
Verdict in 30 seconds
The Huawei Mate XT 2 fixes the fragility of the first model with two panels that fold inwards, and its 10.2-inch screen really can replace a tablet. Sold only in China, without Google and hugely expensive to import, it remains a purchase for enthusiasts. Score based on the spec sheet and the first published hands-on reports, with no testing by our editorial team.
For whom Wealthy enthusiasts who want a 10-inch tablet in their pocket and know their way around importing.
Avoid if You depend on Google apps, on a European or African banking app, or on a local warranty.
We like
- Flexible screen protected once the device is closed
- 10.2 inches unfolded in 299 g
- Proper 6.5-inch cover screen at 120 Hz
- Variable-aperture camera and 3.5x periscope
- 50 W wireless charging
We like less
- Sold only in China
- HarmonyOS 7 with no Google and no Android apps
- Over €3,600 to import
- Inner screen at 90 Hz on the base versions
- 12.3 mm thick once closed
Huawei Mate XT 2 specs
| Écran | Interne pliable OLED LTPO 10,2 pouces, 3 184 × 2 232 px, 90 Hz (120 Hz sur les versions haut de gamme), écran de confidentialité en option ; externe OLED LTPO 6,5 pouces, 2 442 × 1 140 px, 1 à 120 Hz, 6 500 nits en pointe selon Huawei |
|---|---|
| Processeur | Huawei Kirin 9050 Pro (9 cœurs) |
| Mémoire | 16 Go |
| Stockage | 256 Go, 512 Go, 1 To ou 2 To ; pas de microSD |
| Appareil photo principal | 50 Mpx RYYB, capteur 1/1,28 pouce, 23 mm, ouverture variable f/1,49 à f/4,0, OIS ; capteur multispectral de couleur |
| Ultra grand-angle | 40 Mpx, f/2,2, 13 mm |
| Téléobjectif | Périscope 50 Mpx, f/2,2, 81 mm, zoom optique 3,5x, OIS |
| Caméra selfie | 8 Mpx sur chaque écran |
| Batterie | 5 600 mAh silicium-carbone |
| Charge | 66 W filaire, 50 W sans fil, charge inversée |
| Système | HarmonyOS 7 (sans services Google ni applications Android) |
| Réseau | 5G, double SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, infrarouge, liaison satellite en Chine |
| Étanchéité | IP58 et IP59 |
| Dimensions et poids | Ouvert : 157,2 × 219,2 × 3,5 à 4,0 mm ; fermé : 157,2 × 77 × 12,3 mm ; 299 g |
| Date de sortie | Annoncé le 7 septembre 2026, en vente en Chine depuis le 12 septembre 2026 ; non commercialisé hors de Chine |
| Launch price | Pas de prix officiel en France ni en Europe. Chine : à partir de 19 999 yuans, soit environ 2 567 € (environ 1 684 000 FCFA) en 16 Go + 256 Go ; 21 999 yuans (512 Go) ; 23 999 yuans (1 To) ; 24 999 yuans (1 To, écran de confidentialité) ; 29 999 yuans (2 To, stylet). Import : à partir de 3 626 € (environ 2 379 000 FCFA) hors taxes selon Notebookcheck |
Three figures sum up the Huawei Mate XT 2 specs. The first, 10.2 inches, is the diagonal of the unfolded screen, the size of a regular tablet. The second, 299 g, is the total weight, one gram more than the first Mate XT according to L’Éclaireur Fnac. The third, 12.3 mm, is the thickness once both panels are folded shut.
Design of the Huawei Mate XT 2: 299 g and 12.3 mm once closed
The measurements of a folded tablet
Closed, the Huawei Mate XT 2 measures 157.2 × 77 × 12.3 mm according to the spec sheets published by NoypiGeeks and Kimovil. Unfolded, it stretches to 219.2 mm wide and is 3.5 mm thick at its thinnest point, 4 mm at its thickest.
You will feel those 299 g in a shirt pocket. By way of comparison, the Oppo Find N6, a two-panel foldable, weighs 225 g. The extra panel therefore costs about 75 g.
Materials, colours and sensors
PhoneArena describes an aluminium frame and a glass back. The cover screen is protected by the latest generation of Kunlun glass, which Huawei says is tempered with basalt. There are three colours: black, white and a dark purple.
The fingerprint reader sits in the side button, and the metal frame doubles as the electrodes for taking an electrocardiogram.
Water resistance: yes for water, partly for dust
The Huawei Mate XT 2 carries IP58 and IP59 ratings. Immersion and pressurised hot-water jets are therefore covered. The digit 5, on the other hand, means only partial protection against dust. With two hinges, that matters, especially during the harmattan season.
Foldable format: two hinges, two creases and a screen that is finally sheltered
From a Z-fold to a U-fold
This is the major change on the Huawei Mate XT 2. The first model folded like an accordion: one hinge inwards, the other outwards. A third of the flexible screen was therefore left exposed to keys, sand and drops. Here, you fold the left panel in, then the right one, and the 10.2-inch panel ends up enclosed inside the chassis.
Samsung had chosen the same principle for its Galaxy Z TriFold, launched in late 2025 and discontinued in April 2026 according to Gagadget.
A cover screen that has become essential
That choice comes at a cost. Since the flexible screen disappears inside, an extra display is needed on one of the outer faces. Huawei has therefore added a 6.5-inch panel, as on a conventional foldable.
Creases and durability: what we know
On the Huawei Mate XT 2, two hinges mean two creases. In his hands-on video, Matthew Moniz finds them very discreet compared with earlier foldables. No independent measurement of their depth has been published yet.
Huawei has not given a certified number of folding cycles in the sources we consulted. So there is no track record to go on. According to Gagadget, Samsung’s tri-fold suffered dust ingress in the hinge and screen failures within a few months.
Good to know — the surface of a flexible screen is still a plastic film, softer than glass. Before closing the device, wipe the panel: a grain of sand trapped between two panels can mark it.
Display: 10.2 inches unfolded and a privacy panel
The inner screen, a real tablet
The main panel of the Huawei Mate XT 2 is a 10.2-inch LTPO OLED at 3,184 × 2,232 pixels, or roughly 381 pixels per inch. Its shape, close to 4:3, suits reading and documents better than 16:9 video.
Refresh rate is the weak point of the base versions: only 90 Hz, according to Notebookcheck and PhoneArena. 120 Hz is reserved for the high-end versions, the ones with the privacy display. Gadget Hacks even restricts it to the 2 TB edition.
The cover screen, bright and smooth
On the outside, the 6.5-inch LTPO OLED panel shows 2,442 × 1,140 pixels and varies from 1 to 120 Hz. Huawei claims a peak brightness of 6,500 nits. That is a laboratory figure: wait for independent measurements before judging how readable it is in direct sunlight.
The privacy display, a first on a foldable
Some versions of the Huawei Mate XT 2 get a hardware privacy display. A dual pixel structure narrows the viewing angles on demand: the person sitting next to you sees nothing but a dark surface. According to Gadget Hacks, the feature is switched on app by app, and the side with the USB port is less well protected.
The option costs 1,000 yuan more, or about €128 (about 84,000 FCFA).
Performance: the Kirin 9050 Pro, an in-house chip that is hard to place
What Huawei claims
The Huawei Mate XT 2 runs on the Kirin 9050 Pro, a nine-core chip designed by Huawei, with its own graphics processor, Balong modem and neural processing unit.
The announced gains are flattering: 46% more performance than the Kirin 9030 Pro, and 142% on the graphics side, according to L’Éclaireur Fnac. These are manufacturer figures.
What to expect from it
No serious independent test has been published yet. US sanctions cut Huawei off from the finest manufacturing processes, and recent Kirin chips have stayed behind the Snapdragon and Dimensity chips of their year. Nothing suggests the pecking order is about to flip.
In practice, browsing, three-window multitasking and office work will not be a problem with 16 GB of memory. How hot it gets in a 3.5 mm chassis remains to be measured.
- 16 GB + 256 GB: 19,999 yuan, or about €2,567 (about 1,684,000 FCFA)
- 16 GB + 512 GB: 21,999 yuan, or about €2,824 (about 1,852,000 FCFA)
- 16 GB + 1 TB: 23,999 yuan, or about €3,081 (about 2,021,000 FCFA)
- 16 GB + 1 TB with privacy display: 24,999 yuan, or about €3,209 (about 2,105,000 FCFA)
- 16 GB + 2 TB, collector’s edition with stylus: 29,999 yuan, or about €3,851 (about 2,526,000 FCFA)
Storage is not expandable. Flash memory explains part of these gaps, against the backdrop of a RAM shortage that is pushing up the price of every component.
Camera: variable aperture and a 3.5x periscope under the XMAGE label
A main sensor with a variable aperture
Huawei has not worked with Leica since 2022 and now signs its cameras under its own brand, XMAGE. The main module of the Huawei Mate XT 2 uses a 50 MP sensor in the 1/1.28-inch format, with an RYYB array and optical stabilisation. Its 23 mm lens has a variable aperture, from f/1.49 to f/4.0.
Wide open, this mechanical diaphragm gathers more light at night and separates the subject from the background. Stopped down, it keeps every plane of a group photo sharp. Notebookcheck also mentions laser autofocus.
Ultra-wide, periscope and spectral sensor
The ultra-wide offers 40 MP behind a 13 mm lens with an f/2.2 aperture. The stabilised 50 MP periscope telephoto is equivalent to 81 mm, which makes a 3.5x optical zoom. That is a portrait focal length, a little short for distant subjects.
A 1.5 MP multispectral sensor, which Huawei calls Red Maple, analyses ambient light to correct colours. The two front cameras make do with 8 MP each.
Video and first impressions
Video goes up to 4K at 60 frames per second on the rear cameras, according to PhoneArena. In his hands-on, Matthew Moniz describes good results in daylight and with digital zoom. Night-time comparisons and stabilisation tests are still missing.
On paper, the Huawei Mate XT 2 is not the camera phone of the range. The brand’s conventional models, such as the Huawei Mate 80 Pro, have more room for their optics. Among foldables, the vivo X Fold 6 bets on a 200 MP Zeiss sensor.
Battery life and charging on the Huawei Mate XT 2: 5,600 mAh for 10.2 inches
A capacity that is standing still
The 5,600 mAh silicon-carbon battery in the Huawei Mate XT 2 keeps the capacity of the previous generation. To power a 10.2-inch panel, that is on the tight side.
Matthew Moniz expects a day of use, with no measurement to back it up. With heavy tablet use, plan on a top-up before the evening.
66 W wired, 50 W wireless
Wired charging reaches 66 W and wireless charging 50 W, with the matching Huawei charger. These are decent figures, a long way from the 100 W of some Chinese rivals.
Huawei’s fast-charging protocols are proprietary: with a standard USB-C charger, the power will be lower.
Software: HarmonyOS 7 and three apps side by side
The Huawei Mate XT 2 ships with HarmonyOS 7. This system no longer has anything to do with Android: since HarmonyOS 5, Huawei has used its own kernel and its own apps. The interface makes the most of the large screen, with three apps displayed side by side, each one the size of a phone.
The Celia assistant and the neural unit run some of the AI features on the device itself. The M-Pen 3 stylus works on the inner screen. It comes with the 2 TB edition and is sold separately for 1,199 yuan, or about €154 (about 101,000 FCFA), according to Ubergizmo.
The Chinese version also handles Tiantong satellite calls and BeiDou messages. These services are designed for China. Huawei has not specified how long updates will last in the sources we consulted. According to Notebookcheck, the languages are limited to Chinese and English.
The Huawei Mate XT 2 without Google: what works and what does not
AppGallery and native apps
The app store is AppGallery. On HarmonyOS 7, it only offers apps written for Huawei’s own system. The catalogue is rich for a Chinese user, far less so for anyone living outside China.
On the Huawei Mate XT 2, that means no Play Store, no Android Auto and no compatibility with Wear OS watches. Check the apps you rely on one by one: banking, mobile money, messaging, ride-hailing. Many do not exist in a HarmonyOS version.
Workarounds, without illusions
On older Huawei phones running EMUI, tools such as microG or GBox could run Google apps. According to Notebookcheck, microG works up to HarmonyOS 4.3, not on HarmonyOS 7.
In China there are container apps that launch certain Android apps in an isolated environment. OSNews described their limits on HarmonyOS Next: a closed list of apps, erratic notifications, banking apps often blocked. Notebookcheck says these solutions also fail with version 7.
That leaves the browser. Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps and most social networks can be used in their web versions, with shortcuts on the home screen. A possible international version would change things: outside China, the first Mate XT ran EMUI, which accepts Android apps. Nothing of the kind has been announced for this one.
Huawei Mate XT 2 price and availability in Europe and Africa
The Huawei Mate XT 2 in Europe
There is no official Huawei Mate XT 2 price in euros. Huawei sells the device on its Chinese website and has not announced any release in France or elsewhere in Europe. The first Mate XT waited five months before its global launch in February 2025, at €3,499 (about 2,295,000 FCFA).
In the meantime, you have to go through importers. Notebookcheck notes a starting price of €3,626 (about 2,379,000 FCFA) at Trinity Electronics, in Hong Kong, before import duties. At AverageDad, the base version costs €3,685 (about 2,417,000 FCFA) with taxes included.
The gap with the Chinese price exceeds €1,000. The same site points out that the iPhone Duo starts at €2,300 (about 1,509,000 FCFA) in Germany. No product page exists at Amazon, Fnac, Darty or Cdiscount in France at the time of writing.
West and Central Africa: imports, warranty and networks
Huawei does not distribute the Huawei Mate XT 2 in Douala, Abidjan or Dakar. It will arrive through resellers who source their stock in Dubai or Hong Kong. The warranty is then limited to the seller’s own, and a repair means sending the phone back abroad.
On the network side, Kimovil lists 4G bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20 and 28, along with 5G bands n1, n3, n28, n41, n77 and n78. On paper that is enough for the main operators in Europe and in West and Central Africa, but neither Huawei nor the importers confirm this list. Notebookcheck also reports that there is no eSIM, whereas Kimovil mentions one.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Flexible screen enclosed and protected once the device is folded.
- 10.2 inches at 3K resolution in 299 g: a tablet that fits in a pocket.
- 6.5-inch cover screen at 120 Hz, missing from previous generations.
- Complete camera module, with variable aperture and a stabilised 3.5x periscope.
- 50 W wireless charging, stylus support, built-in electrocardiogram.
Cons
- Sales limited to China, with no timetable for the rest of the world.
- HarmonyOS 7 with no Google services and no Android apps, and workarounds that no longer work.
- Price: over €2,500 in China, over €3,600 to import.
- Inner screen limited to 90 Hz on the cheapest versions.
- Unchanged 5,600 mAh battery and dust only partly kept out.
These scores are based on the spec sheet, Huawei’s announcements and the first published hands-on reports. Our editorial team has not had the device in hand.
Alternatives to the Huawei Mate XT 2
Oppo Find N6 5G 16 Go + 512 Go
Huawei Mate 80 Pro 16 Go + 512 Go
The Honor Magic V6 is the easiest to recommend: €2,299.90 (about 1,509,000 FCFA) in France, with Google and a local warranty. The Oppo Find N6 also has to be imported, but as a global version running Android. Xiaomi is betting on two panels as well, with its Xiaomi 18 Fold.
Conclusion: should you buy the Huawei Mate XT 2?
The Huawei Mate XT 2 is a convincing technical demonstration. Folding inwards solves the most serious problem of the first model. The unfolded format replaces a 10-inch tablet.
Our view of the Huawei Mate XT 2 is nonetheless cautious for a reader outside China. At over €3,600 to import, without Google, without Android apps and without after-sales service, buying one is a matter of passion. If your banking or mobile money apps do not exist on HarmonyOS, the device cannot be your main phone.
Wait for a possible international version if the format tempts you. For a foldable right now, the two-panel models sold in Europe cost a thousand euros less.
Good to know — if you import one anyway, ask the seller for the exact model reference, the list of network bands, the length of the warranty and who pays for shipping if it breaks down. Insist on a written answer.
Frequently asked questions about the Huawei Mate XT 2
What is the Huawei Mate XT 2 price in Europe?
There is no official price in Europe, because Huawei only sells the device in China. Chinese pricing starts at 19,999 yuan, or about €2,567 (about 1,684,000 FCFA) for 16 GB + 256 GB. For imports, Notebookcheck notes a starting price of €3,626 (about 2,379,000 FCFA) at a Hong Kong reseller, before import duties.
Will the Huawei Mate XT 2 be released in Europe?
Huawei has announced nothing so far. The brand has neither confirmed nor ruled out an international version. The first Mate XT, unveiled in China in September 2024, reached the global market in February 2025 at €3,499.
Can you use the Huawei Mate XT 2 without Google day to day?
Yes, provided you accept some compromises. HarmonyOS 7 offers neither the Play Store nor Android apps, and the known workarounds, such as microG, no longer work according to Notebookcheck. Gmail, YouTube and Maps remain accessible through the browser. On the other hand, many banking, mobile money and transport apps do not exist on AppGallery.
Is this tri-fold phone waterproof?
It resists water, dust less so. Huawei announces IP58 and IP59 ratings, which cover immersion and pressurised water jets. The digit 5 denotes partial protection against dust, whereas an IP68 rating guarantees a complete seal. With two hinges, fine sand is best avoided.
What is the difference between the Huawei Mate XT 2 and the first Mate XT?
The fold changes. The first model folded like an accordion and left part of the flexible screen on the outside. The new one folds both panels inwards and adds a 6.5-inch cover screen. It also gets the Kirin 9050 Pro chip and an optional privacy display. The weight, 299 g, and the 5,600 mAh battery barely move.
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