The Gods Must be Crazy: Huawei's Mate XT tri-fold now offered for $21,190

It's Friday, so it's kind of natural for things to go a bit crazy, but I wasn't prepared for what you're about to read… and you aren't, either.

See, the recently released Huawei Mate XT – the first tri-foldable out there – is expensive, very expensive. Like almost any other phone out there, this 10.2-inch screen monster has a few RAM/storage options to choose from. But in the case of the Mate XT, whichever one choose, you're going to feel it, as these are the prices (these are approximate USD estimates, converted from the original Chinese prices):

• $2,800 (16 GB/256 GB)
• $3,089 (16 GB/512 GB)
• $3,369 16 GB/1 TB)

So, in order to keep things simple, I just call it "the $3,000 harmonica you don't need right now". But I've got lots and lots of respect for the monster.

This incredible device, though unavailable in the US, is an impressive piece of technology more akin to a tablet than a phone. It features a massive 10.2-inch display, unfolds to an ultra-thin 3.6 mm thickness, and boasts a huge 5,600mAh battery (more than many flagship non-foldables). It also includes a quad-camera setup with a periscope lens, along with a stunning 66W fast wired charging and 50W wireless charging.

Then, the $3,000 price tripled just like that, as we told you:

• The $3,000 Huawei Mate XT tri-fold is now almost $10,000 because of shortages

Today, it's a completely different story, as this pop-tech culture phenomenon is reportedly retailing for a far higher price than the already shockingly higher one. This Reuters report reads that the Huawei Mate XT is apparently being offered by a reseller for the whooping $21,290. That's too much even for a Friday!

The report also claims that many Huawei fans were disappointed by the unavailability of its highly anticipated Mate XT for walk-in purchases. It was only available to customers with confirmed pre-orders. At Huawei's flagship store in Shenzhen, several self-proclaimed Huawei "super fans" expressed frustration. A university student, Ye, who had camped out since 10 p.m., was particularly upset, stating that he was excited to support Huawei but disappointed that it wasn’t made clear that walk-ins couldn't buy the phone.

The situation was similar in Beijing, where those without pre-orders could not purchase the tri-foldable. In both cities, Reuters reports that queues of about 30 people outside Huawei's stores were present, while around 100 people lined up at an Apple Store in Beijing. I'm interested to see how this one plays out, but I won't bet any money on the fruit company here.

At Huawei's Shanghai store, executive director, Richard Yu, stated that the phone sold out within seconds and that the company was working to boost production capacity. Pre-orders for the Mate XT are in the millions now, nearly double the global shipment of foldable smartphones in the second quarter of this year, but Huawei did not disclose how many phones were produced or how many would be available on launch day.

Meanwhile, in the Huaqiangbei electronics market in Shenzhen, a vendor was selling the Mate XT at inflated prices, with the most expensive model listed at over 150,000 yuan ($21,290), far above its official price of 23,999 yuan. Despite inquiries, the vendor noted that few were willing to pay such exorbitant prices. Huawei is considering launching the Mate XT in overseas markets early next year.

In contrast, Apple's new iPhone launch in China has garnered less enthusiasm. Once a dominant player, Apple’s ranking in China has fallen from third to sixth place in recent quarters. Additionally, the absence of an AI partner to power the iPhone 16s in China has dimmed the launch.

Despite challenges posed by US export controls, which severely impacted Huawei’s smartphone business, the company has received strong support in China.