Huawei Mate Xs 2 review

Competition

The Mate Xs 2's retail price of €2,000 makes discussing topics such as value for money pointless. It's among the most expensive smartphones you can buy and if you're contemplating it, you can clearly afford the latest iPhone. But it's perhaps a foldable that you're fixated on.

The Galaxy Z Fold3 is an obvious alternative. It has an IPX8 rating, so Samsung says it should be waterproof which the Mate isn't, plus the Galaxy is perhaps the more durable form factor in the first place. It also has a way brighter (main) display and longer battery life, plus wireless charging, though it does charge at a glacial pace - the Mate easily wins there. The Mate is also the better cameraphone, we reckon. The Galaxy has a more refined software package, and that's in addition to all the Google apps the Mate doesn't get to enjoy.

The Z Fold3 is a year old, so it can be had for a lot less than list price - €1300, maybe even lower. The thing is, the Z Fold4 is coming any day now, and it could provide even more compelling reasons to look away from the Mate, albeit at new-foldable prices.

In a different state of software weirdness is the Oppo Find N - from a western user's perspective, that is. Officially only available in China, the Oppo doesn't have a 'global' software build, so it will have some peculiarities and limitations, but it can run the Google suite just fine. It's a more compact unit, albeit 20g heavier than the Mate, and has better battery life. The Mate remains our pick for photography though. At roughly €1100 equivalent in China, the Find will remain cheaper than the Mate even after importing it.

Moving on, perhaps your desire for a foldable can be satisfied by a member of the third kind - like Huawei's own P50 Pocket. Sure, it's a whole different experience, but perhaps your pocket will appreciate the lighter and even more compact body. The Pocket can't match the Mate for zoom power, but has a capable camera setup of its own, including a unique UV camera. The Pocket's longer battery life is also in its favor, as is the price which is roughly half the Mate's.

And if that sounds like a potential alley you could go down, perhaps wait for the Galaxy Z Flip4 - it should arrive alongside the Fold4 on store shelves by the end of this month.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G • Oppo Find N • Huawei P50 Pocket • Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4

Verdict

We may have said it a few times, but let's reiterate then - the Mate Xs 2 is the form factor you'd imagine a foldable to be and one that makes the most sense for the most people. There's just the matter of the exposed plastic screen that we have to work our way around and all will be well. But as it stands, we're not there yet, and the Mate's supplied case is hardly an ideal solution, some solution as it may be. Samsung's foldables are water-resistant and this one isn't, so there's that too. You can see that our main concern remains durability.

We'd almost be inclined to live with it, however, if there weren't other issues with it. Key among them is the lack of fully functional Google apps, and no AppGallery or shady workarounds can make up for that. Then there's the barely passable battery life, though perhaps the fast charging alleviates that to some extent. The other, smaller imperfections are easier to live with.

The Mate Xs 2 is not without its strong points. The outie design allows for a nearly creaseless display, which looks and feel much better than what the Samsung Folds have. In tablet form the Mate is a joy to use, and in smartphone mode it can make you forget it's a foldable - the size and weight are just right. And it's a properly capable cameraphone too.

Ultimately, if we were asked whether we'd go ahead and spend €2,000 of our own money on a Mate Xs 2 to use as a daily driver, the answer would still be no. But for what it's worth, that decision would be based on factors outside of it being the type of foldable that it is.

Pros

• The 7.8-inch display is awesome, with the crease barely noticeable.
• When folded, it quickly transforms into a 'regular' smartphone, the 255g weight makes it just barely heavier than a large-size premium one.
• Charging speed is excellent - 30 minutes get you to 85%.
• Top-quality speakers.
• Camera has great overall quality both in daylight and at night.
• Rear-camera selfies are hard to rival.

Cons

• The screen is very exposed, particularly so if you decide to avoid the case.
• No IP rating.
• Battery life is pretty bad.
• No wireless charging - though it may very well be impossible with the form factor.
• The chipset is showing signs of age, plus there's no 5G support.
• 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.
• The camera app could use a rear-screen interface in the folded state, not just a simple viewfinder.
• The actual selfie camera takes blurry pictures.