1 week Ago By Peter Holmes
The groundbreaking Huawei Mate XT trifold smartphone is shipping in China, but what about the rest of the world? Will we get to have a phone that bends this way and that, or will we have to sit watching from the sidelines? Keeping up with demand in China at this point is all but impossible, as millions have registered their interest to buy the top tier phone, which comes with a starting price of 19,999 Chinese yuan ($A4,161). This is a serious chunk of change to the average Chinese consumer. In 2023 Forbes reported that the average Chinese worker in 2021 earned 105,000 yuan a year, the equivalent of US$16,153 (A$23,701).
The average American worker earned US$58,120 a year (A$85,278). ChannelNews reported last week that an online retailer was trying to cash in on the release of the new Mate XT by offering handsets for up to A$11,173, representing a markup of more than 160%. Meanwhile, one new eBay seller, with only 29 sales to their name, was offering the entry level 256G 16GB RAM phone to Australians for A$8,700.
The 512G 16GB RAM was selling for A$8,999, while the 1TB 16GB RAM Mate XT was on the market for A$9,999. Huawei Mate XT. But, as we warned, the phones may not have all the functions you expect.
The fine print states: “This is a Chinese edition, and only supports the English/Chinese menu. The system is Harmony OS NEXT, doesn’t support Google Mobile Service, no Google Play Store, doesn’t support Facebook, Twitter, and other social apps.” Rumours suggest the Mate XT will out globally in the first quarter of 2025, but what exactly does that mean? Will it go to North America? Across Europe? Down to Australia and surrounds? We contacted Huawei and were directed to a customer support chat.
We asked when the Huawei Mate XT would be available in Australia. “We haven’t received an official announcement regarding the release date of the Huawei Mate XT in Australia,” Athena said. Huawei Mate XT, chat re Australian release.
“We’re closely monitoring updates from our headquarters and will share information as soon as it becomes available.” Athena recommended we stay updated by “visiting our official Huawei Australia website and following our social media channels”..
