HUAWEI recently launched the Mate Xs 2. HUAWEI’s new foldable has an outward-folding display, unlike other foldables. Mate Xs 2 is a worthy challenger to Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and OPPO Find N. The HUAWEI Mate Xs 2 has a beautiful screen, luxury material, and pro-grade cameras. Discover HUAWEI’s latest foldable.
Design and display
Currently, most foldables look alike. They have a folding screen inside a tiny cover screen. The HUAWEI Mate Xs 2’s form factor is unique in the foldable market. The Mate Xs 2 has an outward-folding display, which Roland feels is a bad idea.
The HUAWEI Mate Xs 2’s 6.5-inch OLED display can be unfolded to 7.8 inches. The display is 24802200 pixels and 120Hz. 424 PPI pixel density. HUAWEI’s Anti-reflection Nano Optical Layer maintains the view clear in direct sunlight. Mate Xs 2 is 5.4mm thick when unfolded. It’s also light, at 255g.
The exposed screen on foldables with an outward-folding display is an issue. This is concerning because the screen can scratch easily. HUAWEI has addressed this worry by including a protective case that protects the screen when folded. With the screen folded and the case on, the Mate Xs 2 is like any other Android phone. When you desire full-screen, remove the case and unfurl the screen.
HUAWEI says that the Xs 2 features an all-new Falcon Wing Hinge. This new mechanism allows the foldable to achieve perfect alignment between the display and hinge, all while improving the durability of the device. The company claims that the Mate Xs 2 is 2.5 times better in terms of drop resistance and 2.8 times better in terms of impact resistance than the last generation Xs. The company says it has been possible thanks to the new hinge mechanism and the advanced MIM steel used to build it.
Price and availability
Huawei announced the Mate Xs 2 for overseas markets in a separate English-language event on 18 May. It will available on sale in June.
The phone won’t launch in the US, but it will in the UK, although late. Pre-orders for the Huawei Mate Xs 2 start on 12 September.
The Mate Xs 2 is costly, but it’s cheaper than Huawei’s prior foldables. UK and Europe only have one version:
- £1,699/€1,999 (8+512GB)
China’s buyers have options:
- 8+256GB: 9,999 (£1,200/$1,500).
- 8+512GB: $1,750/£1,400/€1,690.
- 12+512GB: $1,950/£1,600 (12,999).
The first Mate Xs cost 16,999 two years ago, while the Mate X2 cost 17,999 last year (€2,499 in Europe).
Specs and other features
Like its predecessor, the Mate Xs 2 folds outward. Huawei’s Mate X2 has an inward fold, like Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo’s phones.
So, the Xs 2 is unique. The style is identical to the initial Mate Xs, albeit the camera placement has been tweaked. It comes in black, white, and purple.
It’s about the same size, with a 7.8in AMOLED display at 24802200 that folds to a 6.5in screen. The phone is 5.4mm thick when unfolded and 11mm when closed. It weighs 255g.
The push-button mechanism that unlocks the Falcon Wing hinge on the original Mate Xs exists on the Xs 2, but its flush positioning and lack of roughness make it difficult to identify and touch without turning the phone around.
The Huawei Mate Xs 2 is 4G-only. Apple’s trade limitations prevent it from obtaining 5G modems for phones, so Xs 2 owners will have to do without the latest technology. First tri-band Wi-Fi in a phone makes up for that.
Its chipset is Snapdragon 888 4G, not Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. This may help Huawei cut its price. Despite not having the latest processor, the 888 is powerful enough for all but the most demanding games.
Battery fluctuates. Most variants of the phone come with a 4600mAh battery, however the top-spec 12+512GB option utilises a greater 4880mAh capacity. Every model charges at 66W wired.
This time, Huawei integrated a 10Mp, f/2.2 punch-hole selfie camera on the primary display for video calls.
The back camera has a 50Mp, f/1.8 primary camera, 13Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide, and 8Mp, f/2.4 3x telephoto zoom lens with OIS.
It runs HarmonyOS in China and Emotion UI elsewhere. Huawei’s mobile operating system, based on Android yet independent from it and geared for compatibility.