Huawei's Tri-Fold Phone: A High-Flying Start, a Rapid Fall, and Scalpers' Dreams Shattered: Market Rationality Returns, Who Pays the Price?

Huawei's Tri-Fold Phone: A High-Flying Start, a Rapid Fall, and Scalpers' Dreams Shattered: Market Rationality Returns, Who Pays the Price?On the morning of September 20th, the world's first commercially available tri-fold screen phone, the Huawei MateXT Masterpiece, officially went on sale, instantly igniting the internet. Within just ten days of its launch, over 6

Huawei's Tri-Fold Phone: A High-Flying Start, a Rapid Fall, and Scalpers' Dreams Shattered: Market Rationality Returns, Who Pays the Price?

On the morning of September 20th, the world's first commercially available tri-fold screen phone, the Huawei MateXT Masterpiece, officially went on sale, instantly igniting the internet. Within just ten days of its launch, over 6.5 million people had pre-ordered, with many customers willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars more for the device. It seemed like an unprecedented frenzy. Scalpers, elated by the prospect of huge profits, began stockpiling the tri-fold phone, ready to sell it at inflated prices. However, their dreams of riches were quickly dashed as the phone's initial hype waned, and its price plunged. From a 100,000 yuan markup to a mere 4,000 yuan premium, why did the Huawei tri-fold phone experience this rapid decline? What happened to those scalpers who stockpiled the device?

01: Huawei's Tri-Fold Phone Emerges, What's the Market Response?

Huawei has consistently been at the forefront of foldable phone innovation, leaving its competitors in the dust. According to an iResearch report, Huawei maintained a 42% market share in the cutthroat foldable phone market during the first half of this year. The Huawei MateX5, with a 43% market share, emerged as the leading single product. In the ultra-high-end market, Huawei foldable phones captured 67% of the sales volume, with a remarkable 90% brand recognition. Many consumers, when considering a foldable phone, choose Huawei first. Huawei has successfully established a foothold in this market and built a solid brand foundation. Therefore, the Masterpiece Huawei MateXT, long-awaited by consumers, generated immense excitement upon its release, easily outperforming Apple in a direct confrontation.

As reported by the Observer.com, on September 20th at 8 am, both the iPhone 16 and the Huawei MateXT went on sale, triggering a fierce battle between the two brands. At the same shopping mall, both brands' stores were packed, with even scalpers struggling to gain entry. However, when comparing the buyback prices offered by both brands, scalpers declared, "There's a huge difference." The iPhone 16 launch left many disappointed, with even scalpers expressing their frustration: "We're only buying the iPhone 16 ProMax, with a 200 yuan markup, and we won't accept any after this afternoon." In contrast, scalpers regarding the Huawei MateXT commented, "The Huawei tri-fold phone is priced around 20,000 yuan, and we can't even get a markup of two to three thousand. The total selling price needs to reach 50,000 yuan, even 100,000 yuan."

This intense market response enticed many scalpers, eager to capitalize on the opportunity by stockpiling the phone and selling it at inflated prices. Objectively, the Huawei tri-fold phone, as the world's first commercially available tri-fold phone, generated such widespread excitement for a reason. The solid foundation laid by Huawei's previous foldable phone models, coupled with the novelty of the tri-fold concept, captivated many consumers. After its launch, Huawei's official website, JD.com, Tmall, and other official flagship stores were completely sold out. Only a small number of scalpers held large quantities of the phone, indicating that the tri-fold phone received significant consumer approval.

02: Price Plunge, What Happens to Scalpers?

However, the initial excitement did not translate into sustained demand. As it turns out, the Huawei tri-fold phone seems incapable of carrying the title of "Digital Moutai" (a popular and expensive Chinese liquor). Its price quickly plummeted. According to research by Beijing Yidu.com, a scalper named Xiao Yi from Northwest China stated that his stockpile of Huawei tri-fold phones initially fetched up to 52,000 yuan each. But within just six days, the price plummeted, leaving him with a mere 4,000 yuan markup. Another scalper reported that only a few of his devices sold at high prices while the rest couldn't be sold at profitable margins, and some even had to be sold at a loss. He admitted to losing tens of thousands of yuan. Sadly, some scalpers watched helplessly as the price dropped from a 100,000 yuan markup to a mere 4,000 yuan.

Second-hand sales platforms also reveal that numerous consumers are selling their Huawei tri-fold phones, mostly at a few thousand yuan discount. If even consumers are willing to sell at a reduced price, the scalpers are undoubtedly struggling. While they initially hoped to make a fortune by stockpiling the tri-fold phone, they have instead taken a significant hit, a consequence of misjudging the market.

03: Why Can't Scalpers Sell the Tri-Fold Phones?

Objectively, the Huawei tr-fold phone does have a niche market, but the current price plunge in the scalper market has several reasons, including:

• First, the inflated price was fabricated, but consumers aren't foolish.

The Huawei tri-fold phone was once rumored to be sold for 100,000 yuan, a claim that circulated widely among scalpers, tempting many to jump in. Some consumers even considered stockpiling the tri-fold phone to resell for a profit. However, this artificial prosperity, much like a bubble, is easily burst. Looking at Huawei's past releases of high-end smartphones, a 100,000 yuan price tag is undoubtedly inflated. While a few thousand yuan markup might be acceptable, a markup of tens of thousands of yuan would certainly make consumers think twice.

Especially in the current economic climate, many people are experiencing reduced purchasing power, and they exercise extreme caution when buying expensive items like smartphones. The era of reckless spending is over. Now, only the most rational consumers remain. Unless someone absolutely had to have the phone on launch day, it's likely that most people would wait for the hype to die down before buying. Many were just riding the wave of excitement, but after the frenzy fades, they might realize that spending tens of thousands of yuan on a phone is simply unnecessary.

• The second reason is that both Huawei's previous foldable phone models and the current tri-fold phone appeal to a very specific demographic.

This limited group might create unprecedented hype on launch day, but that's the peak. A subsequent rapid decline is inevitable. The phone's specialized features, coupled with its hefty price tag, severely restrict its adoption rate. At the same time, Huawei has increased production capacity and optimized its sales channels to prevent scalpers from inflating prices. This factor alone guarantees significant losses for scalpers who stocked up on the device.

This isn't the first time scalpers have attempted to manipulate the price of Huawei phones. Around the same time last year, when the Huawei Mate60 and Huawei MateX5 (foldable) were released, phones across various channels were snatched up by scalpers. A phone priced under 20,000 yuan was once sold for an outrageous 88,000 yuan. These instances recall the frenzy surrounding the early days of iPhones. It is said that a decade ago, when the iPhone 4 was released, some scalpers made hundreds of thousands of yuan solely from this model. Such tales likely persist, fueling high hopes within the scalper community. However, the market will prove that the era of people going wild for phones has passed.

04: The Mobile Market Returns to Rationality, Scalpers Should Reflect

Nowadays, consumers seem to gravitate towards more practical, economical, and value-for-money options. They have become more cautious in their mobile phone purchases. Additionally, various brands now release their products in a controlled manner, safeguarding the interests of offline retailers, making it more difficult for scalpers to exploit loopholes. In essence, it's a collaborative effort between vendors and consumers that has effectively eliminated the scalp

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