In 2019, Huawei phones can still run Google apps natively. Once again, back in 2019, the two largest Android phone makers (at the time) started a revolution with Samsung that will be talked about for years to come.
The Huawei Mate X and Galaxy Fold were released and finally hit store shelves in February, bringing with them a sea of ambition and plenty of flaws. They’re not finished products that probably shouldn’t be released, but what I want to focus on is their potential. The Mate X and Galaxy Fold marked the beginning of the foldable phone race, and this one isn’t slowing down!
As you know, Samsung’s 2020 and 2021 Galaxy Fold successors decided to follow a linear upgrade pattern, with some obvious changes that should have been there from the start (Galaxy Z Fold 2), or some admirable but incremental improvements ( Galaxy Z Fold 3). Despite being a massive upgrade from the original Galaxy Fold (by a low standard), Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 still faces the challenges that have plagued the company’s foldable phone since day one…
- The Fold 3 is still awkwardly shaped when closed
- It still has the most prominent creases and gaps we’ve seen on a foldable
- It’s still heavier, bulkier and less capable in some key areas than a phablet
Meanwhile, while China’s foldable contender is clearly affected by the (ongoing) U.S. trade embargo that cuts off the company’s Google app flow and access to key hardware components, Huawei… down. In fact, in the midst of the trade ban, the Shenzhen-based company created a tech miracle, becoming the first phone maker to overtake Samsung and/or Apple and become the world’s largest phone maker – with Huawei remaining only a few in 2020 month lead.
Despite all the odds, Huawei’s corporate culture of excellence, ambition and innovation-driven remains intact, and the Huawei Mate Xs 2 is proof. All that’s left is to see if progressive thinking and impressive engineering are enough to convince Western audiences that a flip-out phone without Google apps is the way to go.
Easy task! Ok?
Mate Xs 2: Huawei returns to folding roots; overshadows Samsung’s thick Fold 3 and Apple’s conservative iPhone 13
I sat down for a 20-minute Mate Xs 2 presentation, courtesy of your real, Richard Yu (fluent in Mandarin), so you don’t have to. You’re welcome! I’m going to shoot a statue on the east coast.
Anyway…what I want to try to understand is how Huawei plans to compete with the likes of the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Oppo Find N, Vivo X Fold and Honor Magic V, or in other words, inside foldable phones. Thanks to my Google Pixel 6 Pro, which is a bit fluent in Chinese because of its ability to translate dialogue and text, I think I’ve got the gist of it!
Huawei really believes in outward-folding designs, and if we look at what the company has accomplished here, it’s hard to argue with the end result. In true Huawei spirit, there are a bunch of Galaxy and iPhone comparisons throughout the presentation, which, of course, aim to portray Huawei in a positive light.
But let’s see if Richard Yu & Co has anything to brag about…
Huawei Mate Xs 2: As light as an iPhone, with a bigger battery than the Galaxy – is this the most ‘normal’ foldable phone yet?
Huawei’s Mate Xs 2 set some foldable phone records, proving that the fold-out form factor shouldn’t be overlooked by competitors. As someone who has spent a lot of time actively using the Galaxy Z Fold 3, the first thing that stands out from the Mate’s spec sheet is how much lighter the Mate Xs 2 is compared to Samsung’s foldable phone or any other phone within the market:
- Huawei Mate Xs (255g or 257g for 12/512GB version)
- Galaxy Z Fold 3 (271g)
- OPPO Find N (275g)
- Honor Magic V (293g)
- Huawei Mate X2 (295g)
- Vivo X Folding (311g)
I’ve done it many times, but I don’t get tired of repeating that phone weight matters, and it affects the user experience a lot more than you might think.
Let’s not lose sight of the fact that, as of now, foldable phones are in the same position as phablets were about a decade ago — they have to get thinner and lighter at all costs.
Unlike laptops or large tablets, differences of 10g, 20g, or even 50g can be overlooked, and with a device held in one hand, even as little as 5g can make a difference. But the Honor Mate Xs 2 is here to truly surprise everyone… The Mate Xs 2 is:
- 16 grams or 6.2% lighter than the Galaxy Z Fold 3
- 20g or 7.8% lighter than the really small Oppo Find N
- 38 grams or 14.9% lighter than the larger Honor Magic V
- 40g or 15.6% lighter than the Mate X2 – Huawei’s own in-fold
- Vivo X Fold, which is heavier than iPad mini 6, is 56 grams or 21.9% lighter
But here comes another kicker…
The Huawei Mate Xs 2 is way ahead of the competition in terms of weight, and we need to compare it to a “normal” flagship phone to see exactly how much it weighs.
When we do, we find that the Mate Xs 2 is only about 15 grams heavier than the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and actually lighter than Apple’s biggest flagship! What? !
- Huawei Mate Xs 2 = 255g/257g
- iPhone 13 Pro Max Standard Case≈ 265g
Frankly speaking, foldables aside, this obviously means Apple desperately needs to reduce the weight of its flagship phones, but at the same time it tells us how far Huawei has come, and that is…very far. The original Huawei Mate X weighed 300 grams. yes.
Mate Xs 2 battery size: Is Huawei’s 2022 foldable an engineering marvel?
But for sure, if Huawei’s 2022 foldable phone is the lightest on the market and lighter than the iPhone 13 Pro Max, it must have a tiny battery? Well, actually…just the opposite!
- Huawei Mate Xs 2 – 4880 mAh battery (12/512GB version) or standard version 4600 mAh
- Honor Magic V-4750mAh battery
- Vivo X Fold – 4600mAh battery
- Huawei Mate X2 – 4500mAh battery
- Oppo Find N – 4500mAh battery
- Galaxy Z Fold 3 – 4400mAh battery
For starters, differentiating the highest-end Mate Xs 2 model from the entry-level model by equipping it with a larger battery may be the first time ever for two devices of the same size, however. …..you did it, Huawei. In any case, packing a nearly 5,000mAh battery into a foldable device that’s just 11mm thick when closed and 5.4mm when unfolded is incredible. Don’t forget that the Mate Xs 2 is also significantly lighter than all of the aforementioned phones.
Of course, we’ll have to wait for our review unit and further testing to see if the bigger battery is as game-changing as it seems.
Huawei Mate Xs may be the most “ordinary” foldable phone we’ve ever seen
Of course, the weight and battery magic that Huawei has managed to achieve is indeed the most impressive feature of the new Mate Xs 2.
However, the company also promises that this time around, the device’s hinge mechanism is stronger thanks to the titanium layer beneath the display. Also, the hinge is said to be improved and tighter than before, which would be a very welcome upgrade. Early practice reviews in the Chinese media seem to agree.
But finally, I would like to point out…
If we forget all the technical details (impressive), I believe Huawei’s goal is to make the most “ordinary” foldable phone that doesn’t feel like a remote when closed, and doesn’t feel like a bad thing when open tablet. And… as if they did!
Yes, I believe Huawei’s outer foldable design is the way to go (for the record, I’ve always believed), and so far it’s the only design that makes a foldable phone feel as close to a standard phone as possible, critical to the user experience important.
Beyond that (if we do want to get back to the technical details), the Mate Xs 2’s outer-folding design brings another improvement to the inner-folding phone:
- No camera bump, which means the phone won’t wobble when placed on a table
- You can use the main camera on your phone without putting it in tablet form
- The Kindle-like grip on the right side of the Mate Xs 2 makes the phone easy to hold with one hand when unfolded, especially considering how light it is
- When the phone is closed, you can use the back of the screen as a viewfinder for the person you’re taking a photo of, which is not possible with an in-folding phone
- You have the same screen whether the phone is folded or unfolded, which means you don’t have to choose between two different displays (in terms of feel, and sometimes even technical ability)
Plus, Huawei has all but eliminated the crease and promises that the Mate Xs 2 is the foldable phone with the flattest display in the industry — a claim I might have to agree with, judging from the early comparisons I’ve seen online.
The Mate Xs 2 also features two excellent flagship cameras from the Huawei P50 Pro – a 50MP primary sensor (no OIS) and the same 13MP ultra-wide lens. The third lens onboard is a 3x optical zoom lens that matches phones like the iPhone 13 Pro and Galaxy S22. Knowing Huawei’s heritage of incredible smartphone cameras, it’s safe to assume that this camera will deliver exceptional performance.
Huawei Mate Xs 2 won’t be as expensive as expected…not even close
Best of all, the Mate Xs 2 is only $1,500! Of course, if you go to China to buy one… we expect the Mate Xs 2 to be available in other markets, but as of now, we don’t know when that will happen. However, according to some of my sources, the global version of the device will most likely cost around $1,800, which is not affordable, but also not entirely beyond my expectations, since the display on the Mate Xs 2 alone costs around $1,800 $500.
In fact, that’s a huge price difference compared to Huawei’s previous foldable phones that approached the $3,000 mark, showing that Huawei really believes in this form factor and wants more people to get started soon.
Finally: If the Huawei Mate Xs 2 ran Google apps, would you buy it?
Despite looking like the best foldable device, the Mate Xs 2 faces two challenges. Thankfully, Huawei has been working to fix both of these issues, or at least make them less of an issue. Of course I mean:
- Durability
- Missing Google Apps
For one, the company promises that the Mate Xs 2 will be more durable than the Mate Xs, thanks to the use of a titanium alloy layer under the display. The company also includes an interesting case in the box, designed to stay on the Mate Xs 2 when the phone is folded but also unfolded. Needless to say, this greatly reduces the chance of damage to your phone’s display…