Huawei angers walk-in shoppers seeking $2.8K phone: Should have made it clear we cant buy

Huawei and Apple’s latest smartphones went on sale in China on Friday, with many fans of the Chinese company disappointed that its much-anticipated $2,800 model – 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 “super fans” were annoyed after being told only those whose pre-orders had been confirmed could buy the tri-foldable Mate XT.“I’ve been here since 10 p.m.last night because this tri-folding phone is a first and I’m excited to support our country,” said a university student surnamed Ye.“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 access to the much-hyped Mate XT – which folds three ways like an accordion screen door – was restricted to those whose pre-orders had been confirmed.Reuters saw around 30 people queuing outside the Huawei store in Beijing and a similar number in Shenzhen.Around 100 were seen queuing outside one of Apple’s main stores in Beijing.Rui, who got to try 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.”Analysts had warned that supply chain constraints could leave potential buyers of the Mate XT empty-handed and others questioned its high cost amid a sluggish economy.While Huawei executive director Richard Yu said at Mate XT’s unveiling this month the company had turned “science fiction into reality,” owning one still remains a fantasy for many.At Huawei’s flagship store in Shanghai, Yu said that sales were “better than expected,” without providing details.

The phone was sold out in “seconds” and Huawei was working to expand capacity, he added.Pre-orders for the Mate XT have surpassed 6.5 million, almost double the roughly 3.9 million foldable smartphones shipped worldw...