Huawei Mate X6 review

Design, build quality, handling

The Huawei Mate X6 is an impressively-looking device design-wise - it is a super thin phone with an extra large camera island and immersive displays.

The Mate X6 is IPX8-rated for water resistance - it's rated to withstand a 2m depth in still water for up to 30 minutes. Dust and sand are still a big no-no for this type of phone.

The Mate X6 has an aluminum chassis and hinge. Huawei claims it's an aerospace-grade aluminum, which has 37%⁠ improved strength compared to common 6-series aluminum.

The glass panels on the front are 2nd-generation Kunlun glass with improved drop resistance.

The rear panel on our Nebula Gray review unit is made of something that Huawei calls vegan fiber. It is matte and has some texture to it. There are also versions with an eco-leather finish (Black and Nebula Red).

The Mate X6 looks and feels a lot like the Honor Magic V3 - as thin and with a similar weight. And it snaps closed, assisted by magnets.

Compared to other popular foldables - like the Galaxy Z Fold6 and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold - the Mate X6 has a clearly superior design, which arguably translates in a better handling experience.

The cover screen has nicely thin bezels and a small, centered punch hole for the selfie camera. The display has an extended 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. There is an almost invisible earpiece above this screen.

The inner display, the foldable one, is as immersive as those can get, with a close to 1:1 ratio. It has the usual plastic framing and thin film protection that you must not peel off. There is a small perforation around the top right corner for the 8MP inner camera.

There is a crease that is not huge or obtrusive, but it is there, and you can feel it.

There is a huge camera island on the back that contains three major cameras, laser sensors and a dual-LED flash. The thing is huge and thick, and it makes the phone wobble.

There are a lot of things along the super thin frame - two speakers, a power key with an integrated fingerprint scanner, an IR blaster, a microphone, and a SIM tray.

The Huawei Mate X6 is incredibly comfortable to use with a good overall grip. The one thing we did not like is the massive camera island, but if the image quality is as good as marketed, it will be worth it.