Chinese tech giants Huawei and Xiaomi launch new foldable smartphones ahead of Apple event

Chinese tech companies Huawei and Xiaomi launched new flagship foldable smartphones on Monday, stepping up competition in China’s premium handset market ahead of Apple’s product launch later this week.

Huawei’s new Mate XT2 series, which fold out twice into a tablet-sized screen, features its Kirin 9050 Pro chip, a redesigned hinge, improved water resistance and a privacy screen that prevents nearby people from viewing the display.

The devices are priced from 19,999 yuan ($2,980), with the top-end version costing 24,999 yuan ($3,725). Sales begin Saturday.

“Pricing right now is a real challenge, because memory costs have risen sharply. We adopted a lot of new technology, and the cost pressure has been enormous,” Huawei Executive Director Richard Yu told a news conference.

Huawei said the new chip design delivers greater computing power while using less electricity. The architecture, called LogicFolding, is part of the “Tau Scaling Law” principle unveiled in May as Huawei seeks to overcome U.S. restrictions on access to advanced technology.

At a separate launch event, Xiaomi unveiled its most premium phone to date, the Xiaomi 18 Fold. The device uses what Xiaomi calls a “medium-fold solution,” remaining passport-sized when closed while supporting three apps side by side when…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business