By David Kirton
SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) – The latest smartphones from Huawei and Apple went on sale in China on Friday, with many fans of the Chinese tech company disappointed that its long-awaited $2,800 triple-folding phone was not available to regular customers.
At Huawei's flagship store in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, some self-described Huawei “super fans” said they were upset after being told that only those whose pre-orders had been confirmed could buy the new Mate XT.
“I've been here since 10pm last night because this three-dimensional foldable phone is the first and I'm excited to support our country,” said a college student surnamed Ye.
“But this is very disappointing. They should have made it clear that we cannot buy.”
Another enthusiastic consumer surnamed Guo said he took a day off from his job at the factory to queue up from Thursday night.
“They didn't make it clear that there would be no phones. It's disappointing.”
A similar story occurred at Huawei's Wangfujing store in Beijing, where consumers were told that only those whose pre-orders had been confirmed could buy the long-awaited phone, which folds in three directions like an accordion door.
The disappointment comes after analysts warned that supply chain constraints could leave many potential buyers of Huawei Technologies' Mate XT empty-handed. Huawei did not say how many phones had been produced so far or how many customers would receive the Mate XT on launch day.
The Mate XT, which is offered at more than double the price of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, was unveiled at the same time as Apple's new smartphone earlier this month.
Apple needs an AI partner in China
The launch of Apple's new smartphone in China has been overshadowed by the fact that it has yet to announce an AI partner in the country to power the 16s, and Apple Intelligence, its AI software, will only be available in Chinese next year.
Some Apple fans said the AI challenge was not a problem.
“The lack of AI in iPhones is not currently a big concern for me as it is more of a publicity stunt at this stage,” said a customer surnamed Shi who upgrades his iPhone annually.
Speaking about Huawei's new offering, which seeks to expand its lead in the world's largest smartphone market, Shi said it was too expensive and “not for ordinary customers.”
The launch of the Mate XT, which analysts say has a locally made chipset, underscores Huawei's ability to circumvent US sanctions, although the company's ability to mass produce remains a concern.
According to consulting firm IDC, pre-orders for the Mate XT have surpassed 6.5 million, almost double the 3.9 million foldable smartphones shipped worldwide in the second quarter of this year. To pre-order, consumers do not have to put down a deposit.
According to recent checks, key components of the Huawei Mate XT, including the panel, cover glass and hinges, may have production performance issues, said Lori Chang, senior analyst at Isaiah Research.
While the Mate XT shows Huawei's innovation in the premium segment, sales may lag behind its foldable predecessor, the Mate X5, which still retails for 11,500 yuan ($1,630) and has sold 2.2 million units in total through the second quarter, said Amber Liu, an analyst at research firm Canalys.
While both are premium foldable flagships from Huawei, the Mate XT and Mate X5 differ in their value proposition, specs and price, Liu said.
“It's a challenge for the Mate XT to replicate the volume of the Mate X5, but the Mate XT marks a significant step forward and evolution in all of these aspects.”
(1 dollar = 7.0625 Chinese yuan renminbi)
(Reporting by David Kirton in Shenzhen, additional reporting by Liam Mo in Beijing; editing by Anne Marie Roantree and Sonali Paul)
