Huawei’s still got its eye on a new folding smartphone in its stable, with details finally emerging around its new Mate X2 handset. Rather than utilising the design from its original Mate Xs, the Mate X2 looks surprisingly like Samsung’s Galaxy Fold 2. The major difference? Huawei’s HMS instead of Google’s service.
But Huawei’s newest folding device isn’t quite identical to Samsung’s contender. It is slightly larger, for one, even if the folding design is more or less the same. The handset actually tapers from one side to the other, making it a very expensive doorstop, if you’re that way inclined, and allowing it to fold into parallel lines when you’ve got it closed.
Big screens, bigger ambitions
There are two screens — the outer display is a 6.45in 2,700 x 1,160 OLED running at 90Hz that wouldn’t disgrace a high-end smartphone. The interior display is an 8in 2,480 x 2,200 effort, also with a 90Hz refresh rate — they’re both larger than Samsung’s Fold 2 but they don’t have Samsung’s screen tech. However you slice it, the South Korean company has the lead when it comes to flexible displays.
Inside the admittedly-slim chassis (it measures just 14.7mm when folded) lives one of the company’s Kirin 9000 5G processors, backed by 8GB of RAM. There are 256GB and 512GB options available when it comes to storage, and there’s even space for a proprietary Nano Memory expansion of up to 256GB via the SIM card slot.
Leica this folding phone
The Mate X2 uses what looks to be a fearsomely complicated hinge mechanism. Up close, it puts us in mind of the trench run on the Death Star from the original Star Wars. The hinge is designed to separate a little as it closes, leaving the display a little curved instead of solidly creased.
On the camera front, Huawei will leverage its Leica partnership again. There are four sensors in the rear(?) camera — a 50MP main, a 12MP telephoto (which handles the 3x optical zoom), an 8MP periscope/telephoto (for 10x optical zoom), and a 16MP ultrawide to play with. Taken with the 16MP selfie camera, we reckon the Mate X2 will perform admirably on the camera front. But so will a Huawei that doesn’t require you sell a kidney.
If you’re looking to own one, you’re in for one heck of a price. The Fold 2 launched at $2,000 in the States and around R50,000 here. Huawei’s new folder will set you back $2,784 (about R41,000) but, launched here, it would probably turn up closer to the R65,000 mark.
Source: Ars Technica Images: Huawei
