The Huawei Mate XT is the world’s first tri-fold smartphone, a device that unfolds into a 10.2-inch display and folds back into something pocket-sized. It is not sold in India officially, which means getting one requires importing it from China, Hong Kong, or the Middle East. That alone raises two big questions: how much will it cost, and can you actually use it without Google?
What Is the Huawei Mate XT?
The Mate XT uses two hinges to fold into a Z-shape, opening into a near-tablet-sized LTPO OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. It runs on Huawei’s Kirin 9010 chip, carries a 5000mAh battery with fast charging, and features a triple-camera setup with a periscope telephoto lens. Build quality is premium, aluminum frame, proprietary hinge engineering, and a finish that signals this is not a mass-market device.
Importing It to India: What to Expect
Base pricing in China starts around CNY 19,999, which is roughly INR 2.3–2.5 lakh before you account for customs duties and shipping. By the time it lands in India, expect to pay INR 2.8–3.2 lakh or more through grey market sellers.
Indian customs can add anywhere from 18 to 42 percent in duties depending on how the device is classified. There is also no Huawei service center in India, so any repairs mean shipping it back abroad or using third-party shops. Network-wise, 5G band compatibility with Jio and Airtel should be verified before buying, as Chinese variants do not always align perfectly with Indian carrier bands.
Life Without Google Services
This is the real story of the Huawei Mate XT in India. The phone runs EMUI, based on Android, but with no Google Play Store, no Gmail, no Google Maps, no YouTube, and no Chrome pre-installed.
Huawei’s AppGallery is the default store, but its catalog for Indian apps is thin. Most UPI apps, regional OTT platforms, and banking apps are missing or outdated. Workarounds exist: the Aurora Store lets you install Play Store apps without a Google account, and APKMirror or APKPure cover many gaps. Huawei’s Petal Search also helps locate apps from various sources.
That said, core Google apps remain genuinely broken. Petal Maps replaces Google Maps but its India coverage is noticeably weaker. YouTube needs a third-party client like NewPipe or the browser. Gmail works through a browser or an app like Aqua Mail. Google Pay does not work at all.
Daily Use: The Honest Picture
WhatsApp can be sideloaded and works, though notifications can lag. Telegram is reliable. The bigger problem is banking. Most Indian UPI apps, BHIM, Google Pay, many bank apps, check for Google Play Protect on launch and refuse to run without it. PhonePe and Paytm have better compatibility, but it is inconsistent.
Push notifications are another issue. Without Firebase Cloud Messaging, any app that relies on Google’s notification system will not alert you in real time. You will need to open apps manually to check for updates. MicroG, an open-source substitute for Google services, can restore partial compatibility, but setting it up requires technical confidence.
Performance, Battery, and Camera
Day-to-day performance on the Kirin 9010 is smooth. Multitasking on the large unfolded screen works well. The device runs warm under heavy load but stays manageable for normal use. Battery endurance lasts a full day with moderate usage.
Camera quality is one of the Mate XT’s strongest points. The main sensor captures detailed images with good dynamic range, and the periscope telephoto is genuinely useful. Video goes up to 4K with solid stabilization. The only gap is the lack of Google Photos — Huawei’s cloud service fills the role but with fewer features.
Should You Import It?
The Huawei Mate XT makes sense for tech enthusiasts who want the most ambitious foldable on the market and are comfortable working around software limitations. If your phone use is mostly messaging, media, and photography, the workarounds are manageable.
If you rely on UPI banking apps, Google Maps, or expect a standard Android experience, this phone will frustrate you daily, at a cost of INR 3 lakh or more.
The hardware is extraordinary. The software trade-offs are real. Import it with eyes open.
