The $3,000 Huawei Mate XT might cost you another $1,000 if you're not careful enough

It goes without saying: you should be extra, mega, giga, ultra careful with the Huawei Mate XT, the $3,000 tri-foldable that captured headlines recently.

The exotic bending bijou that's going to burn a hole in your pockets can quickly turn into a financial nightmare, if you're out of luck.

That's because the repairs of the Huawei Mate XT are so expensive they could break your heart.

The sticker shock, according to official repair prices, goes on and on: a screen replacement will set you back approximately $1,123 (or €1,019). That's only natural given the three separate screen sections of the 10.2-inch monster, but $1,123 for just a screen is not an easy to swallow sum of money.

There are a few cost-saving options, though they are limited. Some screen replacements are available for around $983 (€892), but stock may be scarce. Users can also opt for screen replacement insurance, priced at approximately $491-$561 (€446-€509), which covers one replacement in the first year.

The high expenses don’t stop at the screen. Replacing the motherboard will set you back approximately $1,278 (€1,160), which is already way more than the cost of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 flagship these days. Ouch! On a positive note, battery replacements are more affordable at $70 (€63).

The tri-fold design also means replacing multiple back covers. The back panel with the camera module costs $193 (€175), while the two other sections are priced at $56 (€50) each.

Camera repairs come at a cost too: $81 (€73) for the telephoto lens, approximately $53 (€48) for the selfie camera, $106 for the main rear camera, and $37 for the ultrawide lens.

Besides having a tablet-like 10.2-inch display (the largest on any phone so far), the Mate XT is also the thinnest foldable phone, measuring just 3.6 mm when open.

The Mate XT is a flagship device with top-tier specs, including a quad camera with periscope zoom, a 5,600 mAh battery, ultrafast charging, and the powerful Kirin 9010 5G chipset. It also supports two-way satellite calling and comes with tablet accessories, such as a foldable keyboard, hinting at its potential as a tablet replacement.

Huawei timed the Mate XT's September 20 release to coincide with Apple's iPhone 16 launch, showcasing its innovation in the foldable market.