China’s Huawei is set to launch its answer to Apple’s iPhone 16

Huawei’s newest tri-fold smartphone has already received more than three million pre-orders, generating significant buzz for the Chinese tech giant just hours before it is expected to officially unveil new products Tuesday in a bid to upstage Apple’s iPhone 16.

Huawei’s latest smartphone has already received more than three million pre-orders, generating significant buzz for the Chinese tech giant just hours before it is expected to officially unveil new products Tuesday in a bid to upstage Apple’s iPhone 16. The Shenzhen-based firm, which has been a flashpoint in an escalating tech rivalry between Washington and Beijing, is currently in the midst of a spectacular comeback having launched wildly popular models like the Mate 60 Pro and Mate X5. In August, Huawei reported double digit jumps in both revenue and profit, despite US sanctions. Successful sales of the Mate XT tri-fold smartphone, which began pre-orders on Saturday, would be another indication of the company’s sustained resurgence. Richard Yu, the chairman of the group’s consumer business, teased on Chinese social media on Monday that he would be introducing new products at 2:30 p.m. Beijing time the next day, while sharing a partial image of the tri-fold phone. “It’s an epoch-making product that others have only dreamed of but couldn’t achieve,” he said previously on Weibo. “After five years of dedication and investment, we’re making science fiction a reality. Stay tuned for Huawei’s masterpiece!” Tuesday’s product launch will come just hours after arch-rival Apple (AAPL) unveiled a slew of new products, including the iPhone 16, the first Apple smartphone purpose-built for generative artificial intelligence (AI). It’s a feature the company hopes will help convince customers to upgrade.