Huawei and Apples latest smartphones went on sale in China on Friday, with many fans of the Chinese company disappointed that its much-anticipated $2,800 (N4.6m) phone — more than twice the price of the iPhone 16 Pro Max — was not available for walk-in customers.
At Huawei’s flagship shop in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, some who described themselves as Huawei “super fans” were annoyed after being told only those whose pre-orders had been confirmed could buy the new, tri-foldable Mate XT.
“I’ve been here since 10pm last night because this tri-folding phone is a first and I’m excited to support our country,” said a university student surnamed Ye, adding, “But this is very disappointing. They should have made it clear we can’t buy.”
It was a similar story at the Huawei Wangfujing store in Beijing, where consumers were told only those whose pre-orders had been confirmed could buy the much-hyped phone, which folds three ways like an accordion screen door.
A shopper surnamed Rui who got to try out the Mate XT in Shenzhen said: “I wanted to see what the fuss is about, but it’s a bit big, not very practical really.”
The disappointment comes after some analysts had warned that supply chain constraints could leave many potential buyers of Huawei’s Mate XT empty-handed and others questioned the high cost of the phone amid a sluggish economy.
While Huawei executive director Richard Yu said at Mate XT’s unveiling this month that the company had turned “science fiction into reality”, owning the phone still remains a fantasy for many.
Pre-orders for the Mate XT have surpassed 6.5 million, almost double the roughly 3.9m foldable smartphones shipped worldwide in the second quarter of this year, according to consultancy IDC.
“Pre-ordering” does not require consumers to put down a deposit.
Huawei did not say how many phones had been produced so far or how many customers would receive the Mate XT on launch day.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment on how many new iPhones were available for sale in China on Friday.
In the Huaqiangbei electronics market in Shenzhen, a phone stall vendor said she was selling the most expensive version of the Mate XT — with the highest memory — for 150,000 yuan ($21,290), compared to the store price of 23,999 yuan, while she was offering the $2,800 model for more than $4,000.
Asked if she had sold any, she replied: “A few people have asked, but it’s far too expensive.”