Huawei Mate Xs review

Wrap-up

The Huawei Mate Xs is an incredible product but it has many aspects and layers and coming up with a verdict has been a real challenge.

On the flip side, after getting to experience everything it has to offer, we feel like this lengthy review has barely scratched the surface. Beyond the nerdy beauty of the new form factor and the grim reality of some of the inevitable tradeoffs, the Mate Xs will undoubtedly fulfill its most important mission - to steal the spotlight, to flirt with the media, to stir-up discussions and eventually serve as a testament to the engineering prowess of the company that has created it. That's what a "halo" product is all about and Huawei did an amazing job with this one.

The Mate Xs goes beyond the mere tech showcase that the first edition was. The two differ in the same way that a concept car at a car show differs from something like a real "supercar". And just like a supercar, the Huawei Mate Xs is probably meant to be enjoyed on weekends. Just like how a supercar will undoubtedly give you thrills and plenty of amazing moments at the expense of dealing with all sorts of the tradeoffs in practicality, the Mate Xs will not be as easy to handle as a conventional smartphone and the user experience will be mixed with a pinch of compromises and early-adopter woes.

The only current contender on the market is the Samsung Galaxy Fold. Also, as currently available in its second, revised form.

Samsung Galaxy Fold

Even though we have a natural inclination to put these two phones in the same bandwagon as the largest ambassadors of foldable display tech, in reality, they are vastly different beasts. We are only beginning to understand what is possible with foldable panel tech, and every aspect of the comparison between these two will come down to personal preference. It's really hard to objectively say which one offers higher productivity and or better versatility.

It's even harder to claim which has better durability. It's easy to say that he Galaxy is the one who is keeping its fragile panel on the inside, but the company's particular choice of materials and foldable panel finish have come under a lot of fire recently.

We really enjoyed our time spent with the Huawei Mate Xs. As likely will anyone passionate about smartphones and tech in general. It is just an amazing device that pushes the envelope in more ways than one, offering a glimpse into one potential future for the industry. It's the definition of a "halo product" for both Huawei and folding display tech, not only showcasing what is possible but also pushing it forward and actually getting into the point of relative viability as an end-user product.

All that being said, would we buy one for ourselves? No. The practical and financial realities are still stacked firmly against it. But still, we think the Mate Xs is insanely cool and an important milestone for the future of the smartphone industry.

Pros

• Great level of usability, feels familiar in both its folded and unfolded states.
• The 8-inch FullView display is awesome with the crease barely noticeable.
• It quickly transforms into a regular smartphone when folded.
• Charging speed is excellent, with 0-80% in 30 minutes.
• The Kirin 990 5G provides flagship-grade performance.
• Camera has great overall quality and the selfies are one of the best in business.

Cons

• The screen is very exposed and is hard to clean.
• The top layer has cutouts around the edges that give off a prototype vibe.
• Battery life is serviceable, but not competitive.
• The ultrawide cam doesn't work in selfie mode.
• We miss any creative software features based on the unique form factor.
• The multi-screen aspects of the UI lacks polish and depth.
• Getting some of the popular apps and games can turn into a chore and some will refuse to work at all due to the absence of Google Mobile Services.