The era of dual-fold phones is finally here, and the competition is heating up. Samsung has just made the Galaxy Z TriFold official, and it goes head-to-head with Huawei’s Mate XTs Ultimate Design, the successor to the world’s first commercially available tri-fold phone.
Both devices push the envelope of what’s possible in foldable hardware, but they take drastically different approaches in form factor, display engineering, software, and overall user philosophy.
Folding Philosophy: Inward vs Outward
The most fundamental difference between the two lies in how they fold. The Galaxy Z TriFold folds inward, protecting its expansive 10.0-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display within a dual-hinge design. When shut, it presents a familiar 6.5-inch cover screen that mirrors modern smartphones. This approach offers greater protection for the main display, especially in high-dust or abrasive environments.
Huawei, on the other hand, embraces an outward-folding Z-shaped form in the Mate XTs. The display wraps around the body, allowing the device to switch between a 6.4-inch smartphone mode, a 7.9-inch intermediate mode, and a fully expanded 10.2-inch tablet. It’s more versatile on paper, but with one clear trade-off: the primary screen is always partially exposed, which could raise durability concerns in the long run.
Display Technologies and Stylus Input
Both foldables stretch out to around 10 inches when fully opened, but Samsung wins on refresh rate. Its 10-inch QXGA+ panel offers a 120Hz adaptive refresh and 1600 nits of brightness, backed by a 6.5-inch 2600-nit cover screen. Huawei counters with a slightly larger 10.2-inch OLED display featuring a 3K resolution and 90Hz LTPO refresh. The company also integrates M-Pen 3 stylus support, which is absent on Samsung’s TriFold, despite its tablet-like ambitions.
This gives Huawei an edge for creative users and productivity tasks, especially when paired with its advanced hinge design that allows multi-angle usage. Still, Samsung’s panel is brighter and smoother, offering a more premium viewing experience overall.
Build Quality and Materials
Both devices are engineering marvels, but their build philosophies differ as well. Samsung uses Armor Aluminum with a titanium hinge and Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 on the front, offering a relatively slim 12.9mm folded profile and IP48 water resistance. Huawei goes heavier on materials science, claiming aerospace-grade steel with 2400MPa strength, an eight-layer hinge buffer structure, and a hinge system that allows 0.1° precision.
Despite the Mate XTs sounding like a tank, it manages to stay lighter at 298g compared to Samsung’s 309g. Huawei also boasts a thinner unfolded profile at just 3.6mm at its slimmest point, besting the TriFold’s 3.9mm.
Performance, Battery, and Charging
Samsung relies on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3nm), paired with 16GB RAM and up to 1TB storage. Huawei opts for its own Kirin 9020 chip, which it claims improves performance by 36% over its predecessor. Both phones pack 5600mAh batteries, but Huawei wins decisively on charging: 66W wired, 50W wireless, and 7.5W reverse. Samsung lags with 45W wired and 15W wireless charging.
Camera Capabilities
Samsung arms its Z TriFold with a 200MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. It also includes two 10MP selfie cameras, one on the cover and one inside.
Huawei opts for flexibility over raw pixel count: a 50MP main camera with variable aperture, a 40MP ultra-wide with macro capabilities, a 12MP 5.5x periscope telephoto lens, and a 1.5MP multispectral sensor for color fidelity. There’s also an 8MP front camera.
Both devices boast powerful cameras, but Samsung’s advanced AI processing and reliable image tuning give it an edge. Huawei’s setup is versatile, yet Samsung may deliver better real-world results.
Software and Desktop Experience
Samsung ships the TriFold with Android 16 and One UI 8, ensuring full Google services and app compatibility. Huawei, still under U.S. sanctions, ships the Mate XTs with HarmonyOS 5.1, which lacks native Google app support outside China.
On the productivity side, Samsung’s DeX mode works natively on the device’s 10-inch display, letting it double as a mini-desktop without an external monitor. Huawei’s desktop mode requires projection onto an external display, making Samsung’s solution more seamless for multitasking.
Verdict: Samsung Has the Edge
The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold feels more complete and practical for global users. Its inward-folding design protects the display, while the bright 120Hz screen, Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, and full Android 16 with DeX support make it a powerful and polished foldable.
Huawei’s Mate XTs is bold with stylus support and faster charging, but its outward-fold design and HarmonyOS limitations hold it back. For most, the Galaxy Z TriFold is the smarter choice.
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