What’s the Use of Being the World’s First... 4 Million Won High-End Twice-Folding Phone Shows Black Lines Just 2 Weeks After Release

Development of 'Tripledeuphone' Foldable Twice
Video Reveals Black Line on Hinge Part

China's leading electronics manufacturer, Huawei, is facing controversy over durability issues with its world’s first twice-folding smartphone, known as the 'Triple Fold Phone.' A video showing the hinge part of the screen breaking just two weeks after its release has been made public.

On the 2nd (local time), a video titled 'First Screen Damage Triple Fold Phone Mate XT' was posted on the Chinese video platform Bilibili. The video is reported to have been filmed on the 26th of last month.

The video shows the Mate XT with its display fully unfolded, but one side of the folding part is damaged, displaying a thick black line across the screen. The person filming even flipped the device to verify that the smartphone is indeed the Huawei Mate XT.

The world's first 'Triple Phone' Huawei Mate XT, with thick black lines casting shadows on the screen
[Image source=Captured from Bilibili]

The exact cause of the Mate XT’s damage was not clearly explained. However, Chinese netizens speculated that since the rest of the phone appears intact aside from the black line on the display, the damage was unlikely caused by external impacts such as drops. In other words, it is highly likely a durability issue with the 'hinge,' the part of the phone that folds and unfolds.

Huawei has been steadily targeting the foldable phone market since introducing its first foldable phone, the Mate X, in 2019. The Mate XT attracted attention even before its release by being the industry’s first form factor capable of folding twice. The retail price was set at a premium level, with the 256GB version priced at 19,999 yuan (approximately 3.77 million KRW), the 512GB version at 21,999 yuan (approximately 4.15 million KRW), and the 1TB version at 23,999 yuan (approximately 4.53 million KRW). Despite this high price, the pre-sale held over two weeks in September attracted 6.5 million orders, marking a successful launch.

Meanwhile, other Chinese smartphone manufacturers such as Xiaomi and Tecno are also expected to enter the triple fold phone market next year. Samsung Electronics, the leader in the domestic foldable phone market, demonstrated triple fold phone technology in 2022 with the 'Flex S,' which can fold the screen twice inward and outward, and the 'Flex G,' which can fold the left and right screens inward separately.