What you need to know
- Huawei has launched its latest foldable, the Mate Xs 2.
- It features a 6.5-inch 120Hz outward folding OLED display that expands to 7.8-inches.
- It's powered by the Snapdragon 888, features 4G connectivity, and includes pen support.
Huawei may be down, but it's not out. The company just released its latest foldable phone, the Huawei Mate Xs 2, and it's an absolute beauty.
Unlike the best foldable phones from Samsung, Huawei opts for an outward folding design, so the screens are always exposed. However, it also means there are fewer displays overall, and the one on the Mate Xs 2 sounds pretty great. When closed, it's a 6.5-inch 120Hz OLED display that opens up to a 7.8-inch panel with a sharp 2480×2200 resolution.
Huawei also says its improved hinge mechanism offers improved durability and won't leave a visible crease, although that's something we've heard plenty of times before.
On the back is a 50MP triple camera setup which includes a 13MP wide-angle and 8MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. On the front is a single 10MP camera.
The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset with a 4G modem. Given Huawei's relationship with the U.S., the company is still unable to acquire 5G modems from Qualcomm, so it makes do with what it can. However, the Snapdragon 888 is only one generation behind the current batch of flagships, so performance should still hold up.
The phone runs HarmonyOS 2, and, of course, there's also no Google integration.
The phone is available with 8GB of RAM and 256/512GB of storage or a 12GB/512GB configuration. Depending on the RAM, battery capacity comes in at 4600mAh or 4880mAh, respectively. The device supports 66W fast charging, so it should theoretically last longer and charge faster than the Galaxy Z Fold 3. And just like the Z Fold 3, it supports pen input with Huawei's M-Pen 2s.
Overall, this sounds like a nice upgrade over the Huawei Mate Xs.
The Mate Xs 2 is available to purchase in China for now and starts at ¥9999 or roughly just over $1500. It's unclear if it will be offered outside of China.
