Huawei’s latest tri-foldable smartphone has sparked a wave of nationalistic pride in China, with social media buzzing over what many see as the company’s ability to outpace Apple despite U.S. sanctions. This enthusiasm persists even though the phone’s steep $2,800 price tag has raised some eyebrows.
The Chinese tech giant unveiled its Mate XT, the industry’s first tri-foldable phone, just hours after Apple launched its AI-enhanced iPhone 16 lineup. Both the Mate XT and the iPhone 16 are set to hit the market on September 20, though the Mate XT is expected to be available exclusively in China.
“Apple hasn’t faltered, but Huawei has truly made a comeback,” one Weibo user commented, reflecting the sentiment that Huawei’s innovation is a significant achievement amid ongoing sanctions. Another user remarked, “Times are changing. U.S. sanctions have proven ineffective.”
A video claiming to show Apple store employees in China visiting a Huawei store to witness the Mate XT launch also went viral, becoming the second most-trending topic on Weibo for 13 hours, amassing 91 million views and over 6,600 comments. The launch of the Mate XT follows Huawei’s resurgence in the 5G premium smartphone market with last year’s Mate 60 series and this year’s high-end Pura series, which feature domestically produced semiconductors.
These developments are celebrated in China as victories over U.S. sanctions, which have since 2019 restricted Huawei’s access to advanced U.S. chips and technology. Washington views Huawei as a national security threat, a claim the company denies, and the sanctions have expanded to include export bans on advanced chips to all Chinese firms, aiming to hinder technological progress that could benefit China’s military.
Huawei fans have also pointed out that Apple has not yet announced an AI partner for the iPhone 16 in China, and Apple’s AI features will only be available in Chinese next year. Meanwhile, the Mate XT’s starting price of 19,999 yuan has been criticized as too high for most consumers.
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