On February 18, HUAWEI held a global launch event for innovative products in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It's first commercial tri-fold phone - HUAWEI Mate XT | ULTIMATE DESIGN was unveiled overseas for the first time. To fully showcase HUAWEI's innovative strength in the folding screen field, HUAWEI announced that it will hold a folding innovation exhibition in Kuala Lumpur from February 19 to 25, so that more overseas consumers can enjoy the innovative technology products from China up close.
Analysts said this marks a symbolic victory for Chinese tech giant HUAWEI in dealing with heavy technical sanctions from the United States. However, various challenges such as phone pricing, lifespan, supply and app restrictions may become an obstacle to success.
The overseas release pace of HUAWEI's products is gradually recovering. In December 2024, HUAWEI launched its foldable phone, HUAWEI Mate X6, globally in Dubai, attracting significant attention from overseas media and consumers. Currently, HUAWEI Mate X6 has been available in over 30 countries and regions including Europe, the Middle East, and South America, and has set off an upsurge in Europe and other places.
Currently, HUAWEI and Samsung dominate the ultra-high-end market for foldable screens. In 2024, the shipment volume of foldable phones in China reached 9.17 million units, representing a year-on-year growth of 30.8%, with HUAWEI taking the lead with a 48.6% share. However, globally, Samsung's market share exceeds 50%, and HUAWEI still has considerable room for growth in overseas markets.
According to CINNO Research, in the Chinese market, the share of foldable phones in the high-end market above CNY 5,000 reached 13% in the first half of 2024. Goldman Sachs predicts that global shipments of foldable phones will reach 39 million units in 2025.