Huawei Mate X3 review

Competition

The Huawei Mate X3 is not cheap by any means, its starting MSRP is EUR 2200 / GBP 2000. That, however, is par for the course with current foldables, so there are no major surprises there. Plus, you are getting a lot of phone for your money. That being said, there are plenty of alternatives out there to consider.

Samsung has the Z Fold4 to offer. It is a very similar device through and through. It has slightly smaller main and cover displays, and its hinge mechanism isn't quite as sophisticated as Huawei's and there is a gap between the two halves when folded. The Z Fold4 is also thicker and heavier without really offering more in the way of battery capacity. It does have slightly better battery endurance, though. Unlike the Mate X3, the Z Fold4 does offer 5G on its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset. The Z Fold4 also has an under-display selfie camera on the inside, which leaves its display uninterrupted, unlike Huawei's. Of course, there is also the elephant in the room - Google Play Services, which the Galaxy does have.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 • Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 • Oppo Find N2

Xiaomi has its own foldable alternative in the Mix Fold 2. Unlike the Mate X3 and Galaxy Z Fold4, it lacks IPX8 ingress protection, but that about exhausts its shortcomings. It is a very sophisticated device with larger displays still and LTPO2 tech on its main foldable panel. Like the Mate X3 and Z Fold4, the Mix Fold 2 is also based on the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. Like the Samsung, it offers 5G connectivity and a full Google Play Services install. However, it's only available in China.

The Oppo Find N2 is potentially worth considering as well. It offers a slightly different take on the inward foldable form factor with smaller and wider displays both on the inside and outside. Feature-wise, the Find N2 is not far off from the Mate X3. Some of its highlights include an LTPO-equipped and HDR10+-capable inside display and Dolby stereo speakers. For the record, the Find N2 also has 5G and Google Play Services. This one is also limited to China only.

Our verdict

The Mate X3 is an exquisite device through and through. The hardware up on offer here represents some of the most advanced foldable design there is. Huawei has crafted an incredibly thin device that folds perfectly closed with no air gap and unfolds to a very flat state with a minimal crease.

Despite its thin and light body, the Mate X3 still manages to fit in a lot of high-end hardware, including two big displays, a pretty large 4,800 mAh battery with wireless charging and a pair of excellent stereo speakers. There is even an IR blaster on board, so you know that Huawei is not holding back any punches in the hardware department.

This attention to detail extends to the excellent camera setup as well. The main 50MP camera on the Mate X3 is quite versatile and produces all-around great photos and videos. We found ourselves particularly impressed by the telephoto camera on the Mate X3. It captures very clean and sharp photos and equally impressive videos.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a perfect device, and the truly exquisite hardware of the Mate X3 gets overshadowed by Huawei's continued lack of Google Play Services. That's arguably the biggest drawback the Mate X3 has, though the list also includes things like imperfect high refresh rate handling and choppy sustained performance. Huawei also inexplicably didn't include the option to mirror the internal display on the cover one while shooting with the camera and use it as a secondary viewfinder, limiting the form factor's overall versatility. The lack of HDR support on the displays is also a bummer, as is the proprietary fast charging standard, though neither of the latter is a major drawback.

As usual, it all boils down to personal choice. Undoubtedly, the Mate X3 is an exquisite hardware package through and through, with very few drawbacks in that department. Software is the main pain point of the Mate X3 for prospective buyers. If that's something you can live with and you can stomach the high price point of the Mate X3 (EUR 2200 / GBP 2000), then it definitely deserves a recommendation. If not, we can all at least appreciate how the Mate X3 is pushing the foldable phone envelope forward in a major way.

Pros

• The phone is incredibly thin and folds perfectly without an air gap.
• Display is impressively flat when unfolded, and the crease is pretty small.
• Excellent build quality with a particularly impressive hinge and now IPX8 ingress protection.
• Both panels are big, refresh at 120Hz, impressively bright and decently color-accurate.
• Solid battery life. Fast 66W wired charging and 50W wireless charging support.
• Surprisingly good stereo speaker setup, given the limited space on the phone.
• Versatile and flagship-grade triple-camera setup with autofocus and OIS on both the main and telephoto cameras. The telephoto camera is particularly impressive all around.
• Quality 4K video recording with every camera and at every zoom level.
• Burst performance from the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is good.

Cons

• Fingerprint reader is inconvenient to use while the phone is folded.
• No official HDR certification on either display, despite the fact that the inside display is 10-bit.
• Automatic refresh rate handling is kind of inconsistent, especially on the internal display.
• Huawei insists on using its proprietary NM storage expansion card format.
• The powerful bundled charger is not PowerDelivery compliant and uses a proprietary cable.
• EMUI 13.1 still lacks Google Services.
• Sustained performance from the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is very stuttery and unstable.
• There is no way to have both displays active simultaneously and use the cover display as a mirrored viewfinder.