Huawei Mate Xs 2 Review: It's A Foldable Phone, But Different

Huawei Mate Xs 2 is one of the company's latest foldable smartphones. It is very different from everything on the market, not much at all. I haven't had a chance to use the Mate X or Xs yet, so this is my first experience with a Huawei foldable phone. Having said that, this phone managed to surprise me. I'm very happy with the Huawei Mate Xs 2 review, that's for sure, and while it's not a perfect phone, it's very good and contrasts sharply with the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

The last sentence of the previous paragraph may confuse you. What a contrast to the Galaxy Z Fold 4, both tablet-sized foldable devices that fold into one big smartphone. Yes, that's true, but they fold in opposite directions and feel completely different in the hand. The Mate Xs 2 has managed to surprise me in many ways, and it can do the same for you. Of course, there are pros and cons, so let's see what they are. Read on if you want to know more about Huawei Mate Xs 2.

The Huawei Mate Xs 2 is different, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and most other large foldable devices, this one folds out. This means that approximately half of the screen when folded is at the back. Many will say that this is not an ideal situation as you can easily scratch it and leave everything open. This is true, but there are benefits. The Huawei Mate Xs 2 is MUCH thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 4. The phone measures just 5.4mm when unfolded and 11.1mm when folded.

Why is it important? Well, when open, it is very thin, but when folded, it feels like you are using a regular smartphone. It is so thick that it can be a great phone case. Also, given that the phone folds out when you hold it in your hand, it doesn't feel like you're holding a flip phone. The sides are slightly curved, and the phone part connects to the panel at the back, so it almost doesn't feel like the two sides of the phone are next to each other.

Very thin, looks like a regular phone.

This, frankly, surprised me the most. I really did not expect that it would be used as a normal mobile phone when folded. This is how it should be when it comes to complex devices. To unlock the device, you need to press a special physical button on the back. At this point, the phone slides out from the back and you can turn it around. The opening and folding movements are not as smooth as those of the side folds. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't feel cheap or anything, but it requires more power and doesn't provide the moments of satisfaction you get with the Galaxy Z Fold 4, OPPO Find N, etc. . You also have a few different angles that you can use to deploy the device, but you don't have the full range of motion in that regard.

Feels premium in the hand.

In general, the assembly is excellent, the phone feels great in the hand. There is a raised strip on the back right side of the phone. It houses the camera and other hardware components. Not only does this give you a great place to store your phone, but it also gives you a place to dock your phone when it's folded. To be honest, I like this solution. Therefore, the design has its advantages, but there are also disadvantages. Most of the shortcomings can be fixed with a case, which brings me to my next topic.

The box is beautiful and very functional.

Huawei Mate Xs 2 comes with a case. It's a soft silicone case and it's really good for just about everything. Making a case for such a device is difficult because it opens from the back. Well, this case holds well on the phone on the right side, while the left side can be opened if necessary. It easily detaches from the device, allowing you to unlock it.

However, with regular use, it protects the device from all sides. The top and bottom are open, but the sides are raised. However, all left and right sides are protected, which is the most important thing. You can take the risk of using your phone without a case, but that's not the best idea. This screen has a coating that should provide extra protection from scratches, but you'll still be laying the screen on a table all the time and who knows what that surface will be like.

Nothing to complain about in the display department.

The Huawei Mate Xs 2 has a very large screen that can be folded down to a smaller size. This sophisticated device comes with one screen instead of two. Here you get a sophisticated 7.8-inch OLED panel with dimensions of 2480 x 2200. This is a 120Hz display and can display up to a billion colors. When folded, it becomes a 6.5-inch screen with a resolution of 2480 x 1176. The question is, is this a good screen?

Of course, in terms of image quality, very good. Colors are vibrant and viewing angles are good. Feedback is also excellent, and scrolling is very smooth thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate. I noticed that the screen is not as bright as some of the best smartphones. Don't get me wrong, it's very bright, but not as crazy as some regular phones.

The screensaver sometimes annoys me a little

When the phone is folded, you will also feel the screen protector on the side when you slide it to the right. It really isn't when you open it. It annoys me a little, but that's the way it should be. Don't try to remove the layer from the device. This is by no means a normal screen protector and cannot be removed. However, once I got used to it, it didn't bother me at all. Also, if you end up using the on-screen buttons, this won't be a problem.

In this aspect, there is nothing to complain about. You will have to scratch a little, but most likely you will not have any complaints.

Huawei Mate Xs 2 delivers a truly smooth experience

Huawei Mate Xs 2 doesn't come with the latest and greatest products from Qualcomm. This includes the Snapdragon 888 SoC, which was Qualcomm's flagship last year. It also doesn't come with 5G due to the US ban. Does it affect performance? Well, no, not really. Basically, the phone can fly through anything you throw at it, including some games I found on the AppGallery.

Routine, daily tasks are also not a problem. I have seen some stuttering in day to day work but that is to be expected. It is part of almost every phone and is not very common. For all intents and purposes, this phone performs brilliantly. When I play it gets warm, feels warm, but that's not a problem during normal use, it stays cool for the most part.

Google services not preinstalled

The device comes pre-installed with Android 11, not Android 12. It comes with EMUI 12. Please note that the phone does not have Google services due to the US ban. It comes with Huawei services without Google Play Store.

Battery life could be better

The global variant of this device comes with a 4600 mAh battery. However, the top model in China is equipped with a 4880 mAh device. Battery life was frankly short during our use. The phone has a very large screen that remains large even when folded. At high resolutions and refresh rates, the results are not as good.

On my busiest days, I have to charge my phone before bed. In the days of easy use, I can avoid it. In terms of screen time, I get about 4-5 hours, which is not good for my book. Usually around four. To be honest, I use my unlocked phone whenever I can because it's so thin and so much fun to use. So you can improve your battery life by focusing on your complex form. However, keep in mind that the wait times are quite good.

The phone charges very quickly with the included charger.

However, the good news is that this phone comes with fast, ultra-fast charging. With the included 66W charger, you can charge it up to 85 percent in just 30 minutes. A full charge takes over 40 minutes, 40 to 45 minutes. Needless to say, it's very fast. So, even if you drain your battery too much, you just need to charge it quickly. However, please note that wireless charging is not enabled.

The camera is good, but not great.

Huawei Mate Xs 2 has three cameras on the back and one on the screen. The 50-megapixel main camera is complemented by an 8-megapixel telephoto lens and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera. On the front is a 10.7-megapixel camera. So is the camera good? Well, they are good, but they are not the best we have seen from Huawei, at least in terms of finish, not even close.

Most of the resulting images look very nice and balanced. I've noticed that the white balance is sometimes off in daytime photos, and that the phone sometimes tends to overexpose in low light when the light is part of the scene. Colors end up looking great, and interestingly, the ultra-wide camera can sometimes produce richer images than the main camera. Usually the opposite.

Images look realistic most of the time

The images look real, the phone is not cluttered. It offers 3x optical zoom which works well. The front camera is not bad, but there is not much to talk about. To be honest, I expected this. The Leica is no longer part of the picture, though I don't know what impact it has. I also noticed some curl on the sides of the image from time to time. Foldable smartphones tend to be no match for the company's flagship phones, and the same can be said here. I prefer the Huawei P50 Pro camera results over it.

Good speaker...and empathetic

The Huawei Mate Xs 2 comes with stereo speakers and the phone really balances out the sound depending on whether the phone is built or not. It will change channel when you change orientation, which is a nice touch from Huawei. In terms of overall sound quality, these speakers are very good. They are more than strong and clear enough. The low frequencies are great, the vocals are pretty clean too. The highs are also very good, and the mids are decent. In general, the sound is good.

no audio jack

For those of you hoping for an audio jack, unfortunately it's not included. You'll have to rely on the Type-C port at the bottom if you want to use wired headphones. In addition, you have the option to use Bluetooth 5.2 (A2DP, LE). For this review, I used a Bluetooth connection and it worked flawlessly. I use it to connect smart watches and headphones.

Android 11 comes preloaded with EMUI 12.

Huawei Mate Xs 2 comes with Android 11 and EMUI 12 on top. This applies to global models. In China, HarmonyOS is included in the Chinese model. So, this phone comes without Google services. Due to the US ban, Huawei cannot use Google services/programs. The phone comes with HMS, Huawei services and an app store (AppGallery).

AppGallery has come a long way over the years.

AppGallery has grown significantly since its inception. Thousands of apps are included and constantly evolving. However, don't expect to find everything you find in the Play Store. Luckily, Huawei also offers apps from the app store, making it easy to install. Of course, it's not as easy as having it in the AppGallery. Keep in mind that almost any app you download will work just fine, at least the ones we tested, with the exception of Google.

EMUI 12 is pretty slick

The software is slick and really feels like a hybrid between Android and iOS. You don't have an app drawer in the EMUI 12 launcher. I tried to find an option to switch to it, but I can't. Either I'm blind or I'm not. If you find it let me know. Also, swiping from the top right will give you quick toggles, while swiping down from the top left will show your notifications. There is no double-tap lock, there are some settings, but not much, and so on. EMUI 12 is pretty lively too. It won't be to everyone's taste, but it works very well.

Huawei Mate Xs 2 is different in a good way, but not for everyone

So what's the point? Is this phone worth the asking price? The answer is… it depends on your budget and what you are looking for in a phone. If you really want a foldable device that looks like you're using your smartphone folded and unfolded at the same time, this is the phone for you. No other device available in the world can emulate this. On the other hand, Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 competes with this device in sophistication and sophistication, but it is currently limited to China.

On the other hand, if you can't live without Google apps and services and value great battery life, you should probably look elsewhere. The Huawei Mate Xs 2 is definitely a great device, but it's not for everyone. However, this applies to almost all complex devices. It depends on you. Of course, the phone has its advantages, but there are also disadvantages.

Huawei Mate Xs 2 vs Vivo X Fold | Flip phone comparison (2022)