After years of concepts and speculations, the world’s first tri-fold phone arrived with Huawei’s Mate XT Ultimate. As noted by the helpful team at GSMArena, the device is no slouch, offering a 90Hz high-resolution display, and enough power to place it as one of the faster systems in the mobile market. With a cost that reflects its technological prowess, this device is making waves in China, while other developers across the world taking note.
There’s no question at this point that the Mate XT Ultimate will inspire a slew of imitators, just as the original Galaxy Z Fold accomplished back in 2019. There’s also little doubt that future systems will improve on the formula, offering new features, better app support, and more robust construction. As for whether these new takes on mobiles will prove superior to traditional folding phones or slate-style devices, that’s a more complicated question.
The Advantages of Folding Systems
Folding phones in general excel because they overcome the limitations of regular slate-style devices. The first smartphones tended to be small, with the screen sizes of the original iPhone reaching only 3.5 inches. The official specs from Apple note the iPhone 16 offers a 6.1-inch screen, which is around the maximum offered today.
The reason for slate-style size limits comes from simple pocket-size. Around 6 inches is the limit of what can reasonably fit in a pocket, so they can’t grow any larger. Folding phones bypass this limitation, allowing users to double, or now triple, standard slate display areas. This turns phones, especially new tri-folds, into what are essentially more transportable tablets.
How much a larger screen will offer a superior experience depends largely on how the user engages, and their individual needs. Take entertainment as an example, like if an owner is a fan of Megaways casino games. These titles like Mustang Gold and The Goonies will play much the same as they already do on smaller screen phones, desktops, and laptops. The difference will come from an increased viewable and usable area. Some players might prefer this, or even require it if they have dexterity or visual issues.
Less ambiguous are the advantages that tri-fold phones have for work applications. Smaller slate-style systems have always been thought of as too cramped to be viable as work tools. Folding phones and their addition of multitasking and larger virtual keyboards overcome this issue, though they still can’t yet measure up to laptops and desktops. Still, even this limitation might one day be overcome through better app support, improved operating systems, and Bluetooth peripherals.
A Fold Too Far?
The two elements likely to hold tri-folds back come from the cost and the potential for damage. Tri-fold technology isn’t cheap, and because it requires three times the display area of a traditional phone plus more complicated screen technology, they’ll always be considerably more expensive. Factor in more failure points, and they’ll never be as robust as their solid unfoldable counterparts.
“SAMSUNG Galaxy Fold Foldable Phone” (CC BY-ND 2.0) by TheBetterDay
For the right person with the right needs, tri-fold or double-fold phones will illustrate a major step up in functionality and engagement potential. For anyone without the budget or concerned about damage, tri-folds might never become a viable choice. Most of all, they illustrate a future in a more diverse and varied market, worth serious consideration for anyone looking to try something new. That is, once they reach a market outside of just China.
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