A display piece of the Mate XT Ultimate Design at a Huawei store in downtown Shenzhen. Sareena Dayaram/CNET

Huawei's Mate XT Ultimate Design, the world's first trifoldable phone, is now available for purchase outside of China. And yes, it really does fold three ways.

The Mate XT Ultimate Design, which was announced for the Chinese market hours after Apple unveiled the iPhone 16 in September, is expanding to more countries. 

It's headed first to Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Mexico, with more markets "expected," according to The Verge. The phone won't be coming to the US anytime soon, however, due to sanctions blocking Huawei's access to advanced American technology needed for certain parts.

Although other manufacturers previously created concept devices with screens that fold in multiple places, Huawei remains the only company actually selling such a device. The company says it's the thinnest phone ever made when unfolded, measuring just 3.6 mm thick and expanding to 10.2 inches wide, according to a press release.

The triple-folding phone can be tricky to handle at first, CNET's Sareena Dayaram reports. Sareena Dayaram/CNET

The screen uniquely folds twice, creating three distinct sections, resembling an accordion. It then collapses into the size of a typical pocket-sized phone -- albeit a bit chunkier.

But the eye-catching hardware is far from cheap, costing between 19,999 yuan (roughly $2,800; £2,200; AU$4,245) and 23,999 yuan ($3,420) for the highest storage variant.

CNET's Sareena Dayaram, who is based in Hong Kong, tested the phone last fall and found it as impressive as it sounds. She was surprised it wasn't much heavier than a regular foldable phone and praised its sturdy hinges. But at the list price, she expected an official IP rating for water and dust resistance, the exposed side screen raised durability concerns and she thought that a 5,600-mAh battery might struggle to sustain the large inner display.

"I'm not entirely convinced that it'll be a hit due to its eye-watering price tag," she wrote."Instead of aiming for huge sales numbers, the Mate XT Ultimate Design seems to be a bold statement from the Chinese company, demonstrating that it can still produce cutting-edge devices despite US sanctions."

At a press event Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Huawei also unveiled a handful of new products, including the MatePad Pro 13.2-inch tablet, FreeArc open-ear earbuds and the Band 10 smartwatch. The watch's smart band has an enhanced Emotional Wellbeing Assistant, which tracks mood shifts in real time with interactive Panda-themed watch faces.