Huawei made history back in 2024 with the Mate XT Ultimate Design, the world’s first tri-fold smartphone. Now, the Chinese manufacturer is expected to follow up with a second-generation tri-fold device, tentatively referred to as the Huawei Mate XT 2, sometime later this year. While Huawei hasn’t officially confirmed the phone’s existence, a newly surfaced patent suggests the device could bring significant design changes compared to its predecessor, particularly around how the phone actually folds.
A Redesigned Folding Mechanism
Tipster Ice Universe shared patent documents on X believed to be associated with the Huawei Mate XT 2. The patent images reveal a redesigned, inward-folding structure, a notable shift from the outward-folding design used on the original Mate XT Ultimate Design.
According to the patent images, both side panels fold inward over the main flexible display, an approach that shares some visual similarities with Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold design. Interestingly, the patent suggests an asymmetric closing sequence, with the left panel folding inward first, followed by the right panel, hinting at a genuinely different internal folding mechanism compared to Huawei’s first-generation tri-fold device.
A Dedicated Cover Display and New Camera Design
Beyond the folding mechanism itself, the patented device also appears to include a separate cover display in addition to its large foldable inner screen, marking another departure from the current Mate XT Ultimate Design, which relies solely on its main folding display without a distinct external screen for quick glances.
On the camera front, the patent images show a circular rear camera module positioned centrally on the back panel. This represents a design shift from the current Mate XT Ultimate Design, which instead uses Huawei’s distinctive Star Diamond-shaped camera module, a design element that’s become closely associated with Huawei’s recent flagship devices.
Expected Launch Timeline and Hardware
Current rumors suggest the Huawei Mate XT 2 could officially launch in October this year, powered by Huawei’s own Kirin 9050 Pro chipset. Battery capacity is expected to land around 6,000mAh, though full specifications haven’t been confirmed at this stage.
A Look Back at the Original Huawei Mate XT
For context, the original Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design launched in China back in 2024, priced at CNY 19,999, roughly Rs. 2,35,900, for the 16GB RAM plus 256GB storage configuration. That device runs on Huawei’s Kirin 9010 chipset and features a large 10.2-inch display when fully unfolded into its tri-fold configuration.
On the camera side, the original model includes a 50-megapixel rear camera setup, along with a 5,600mAh battery supporting 66W wired charging and 50W wireless charging.
What a Redesigned Folding Mechanism Could Mean
If this patent accurately reflects Huawei’s plans for the Mate XT 2, the shift to an inward-folding design with a dedicated cover display would represent one of the more significant structural changes to the tri-fold form factor since Huawei first introduced it. Moving to an inward fold could also offer better screen protection when the device is closed, since the flexible display would be shielded on the inside rather than exposed on the outside, similar to the tradeoffs seen between inward and outward-folding designs in traditional book-style foldables.
As with all patent-based leaks, it’s worth noting that patented designs don’t always make it into final retail products unchanged, so these details should be treated as an early indication of Huawei’s direction rather than confirmed specifications. More concrete details are expected to emerge as the rumored October launch window approaches.
Don’t miss a thing! Join our Telegram community for instant updates
For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.
