Tech
It will cost you over $1,100 to replace the screen on Huawei’s trifold phone
Huawei has revealed the cost of replacement parts for the world’s first dual-hinged, triple-screen folding phone, and it’s another round of sticker shock. The Mate XT Ultimate Design starts at around $2,809, but should you damage its folding screen enough to need repairs, you’ll be potentially paying an additional 7,999 yuan, or around $1,123, for a replacement OLED panel.
That’s assuming you agree to let Huawei recycle the damaged screen for free. Should you turn down that offer, a new screen for the Mate XT will instead cost you 9,799 yuan, or over $1,376. Ouch.
Huawei does offer some ways to save money on screen repairs for its new trifold phone. A refurbished replacement screen is slightly cheaper at 6,999 yuan (about $983). The company is also selling screen replacement insurance plans that start at 3,499 yuan (about $492) for a single screen replacement within the first year after the Mate XT is purchased. That’s certainly cheaper than paying the full price for a repair but still expensive for just a year’s worth of coverage.
Other replacement parts for the Mate XT Ultimate Design are a little cheaper, including a 499 yuan (about $70) battery and cameras that range in price from 269 to 759 yuan (about $38 to $107). However, users will want to keep their fingers crossed that nothing happens to the Mate X’s motherboard. A replacement is a steep 9,099 yuan (about $1,278).