Why the triple foldable is completely unnecessary

I admit: I’ve actually long wanted a smartphone that opens like a book and has a screen like that. But even the latest craze, the innovative Mate XT Ultimate design from the Chinese electronics company Huawei, remains for me a dispensable, expensive gimmick with built-in breaking points.

The Huawei Mate XT looks technically brilliant with its double folding mechanism. After all, it transforms from a smartphone into a tablet with a screen diagonal of more than ten inches. That’s quickly as much as an iPad Pro 11 from Apple. Other folding cell phones, for example from Samsung, only have one hinge, so that the display area doubles when opened.

Huawei will have worked on this miracle for five years. While YouTubers are singing their praises, the folding and folding concepts of smartphone manufacturers are reducing the basic principle of smartphones to absurdity – and that is: simplicity and longevity, ideally at an affordable price.

Smartphone form factor

Let’s start with the fusion of simple operation and complex functions. For me, the previous unconvertible, rectangular form factor of smartphones is unsurpassed. It fits quickly into any shirt or trouser pocket without causing too much tension or pulling down on clothing. In addition, the devices are quick to start and, despite all their functions, offer an acceptable service life in a relatively small housing. They are also durable because, apart from the vibrator, there are no moving parts that could break.

Advantage foldable

Foldable smartphones today have the undisputed advantage that the displays are larger and can therefore display more information than previous models. Farsighted people can also have information displayed in significantly larger font. I’ve heard from users who don’t want to go back to the old form for this very reason. But: Nothing in this world is free, especially not a flexible display.

Disadvantage foldable

In this case, you have to carry thicker and heavier devices with you. At 10.8 millimeters (mm) thick, Huawei’s device is even thinner than Samsung’s simple Galaxy Z Fold 6, just 3.6 mm per triptych third. However, it is still more than two mm thicker than an iPhone and weighs 298 grams, 100 grams more than the iPhone 16 Pro and 70 grams more than the iPhone Pro Max. And these values ​​also take their toll in the form of a comparatively small one Batteries.

Huawei’s top smartphone has a capacity of 5,600 milliamp hours (mAh). That’s more than a quarter more than the iPhone 16 Pro Max, but significantly less than the iPad Pro with an 11-inch display, which packs 8,160 mAh. A power user who wants to use the Huawei smartphone in his entire practice will probably also have to charge it.

Hello, scratch!

Then there is the folding mechanism, which allows the display to open on one edge over which it is folded. This is a tradition at Huawei, but it still invites scratches. That’s why there is already a case that protects the open display somewhat with a lip.

This is not ideal for a work tool, especially when you take the price into account. The entry-level version with 256 gigabytes of storage costs $2,800, more than twice as much as Apple’s cheapest iPhone Pro Max in China. And you also have to dig deep into your pocket for a screen repair, which costs around 1,000 euros.

I think there’s a reason why Samsung only uses one hinge and Apple has bucked this trend so far. The technology is simply not yet mature enough to be more than a niche product. In my opinion, the more than four million orders for the Mate XT don’t change anything.

Even if Huawei can meet demand, in my opinion it would remain a customer-financed feasibility study due to the price and compromises. As long as folding cell phones don’t become significantly thinner, more robust and cheaper, I’ll remain loyal to the classic smartphone.

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