Huawei's alleged Mate XT sequel might have some spicy upgrades up its sleeve

What you need to know

• Rumors allege Huawei is working on a tri-fold sequel to the Mate XT with a few notable upgrades.
• There's supposedly potential for an upgraded processor and camera imaging system.
• A tipster claims the device could launch in the "second half" of 2025, which might line up with the original's September launch last year.

A round of early rumors suggests Huawei is in the process of developing its next tri-fold phone.

These rumors surfaced from a well-known Chinese tipster, Digital Chat Station (DCS), on Weibo (via Android Headlines). The tipster alleges that Huawei is working on a sequel to its Mate XT tri-fold, which could be called the "Mate XT 2," if we're being incremental. There's supposedly more going on with this next phone by way of hardware upgrades.

DCS claims the tri-fold could sport a brand new, upgraded SoC (processor), possibly built off an "N-1" generation chip. In response to a comment, DCS said the chip could be Huawei's Kirin 9020. Additionally, the phone's imaging power could go up a level, though it's unclear just how far Huawei is willing to push its cameras.

Considering how early these rumors are, there's nothing concrete to go on (aside from the chip's apparent name drop). More than that, the tipster alleges Huawei's "Mate XT 2" could launch sooner than we think.

The phone could be eyeing a "second half of the year" timeframe, which kind of sounds like what the Chinese OEM did in 2024.

The Tri-Fold Surprise that is the Mate XT

Huawei came out of nowhere with its tri-fold, the Mate XT, in September last year. Without talking about its eye-watering price tag (¥19,999/~$2,808), the device features a 10.2-inch display when fully unfolded. The phone quickly turns from something handheld to a phone-tablet. The publication reiterates the device's use of the Kirin 9010 processor, so it would make sense that Huawei might upgrade that key specification.

Additionally, the Mate XT debuted with a triple camera array, consisting of a 50MP lens with f/1.4 aperture, a 12MP ultrawide-angle lens, and a 12MP periscope lens.

With rumors suggesting we could see an imaging upgrade, maybe Huawei's looking at the ultrawide and periscope lenses. Of course, it would be nice if that primary lens jumped to 100MP or more, but we'll just have to wait and see.

Aside from Huawei, we're also expecting Samsung to step into the tri-fold world for the first time. The phone could be called the "Galaxy G Fold" and feature a 9.9-inch display when fully unfolded.