Huawei Mate X2 Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

The Huawei Mate X2 is a cutting-edge foldable smartphone that pushes the boundaries of design and technology. With its inward-folding display and premium build quality, it's a true marvel to behold. The device boasts a large 8-inch OLED display for immersive viewing, while the powerful Kirin 9000 chipset ensures seamless performance. The camera system, co-engineered with Leica, captures stunning photos with its quad-camera setup. The Mate X2 also supports 5G connectivity, ensuring fast data speeds. However, it's worth noting that the lack of Google Mobile Services and its high price tag may limit its appeal. Nonetheless, the Huawei Mate X2 is a device that showcases the future of smartphones.

Design and Build Quality

The Huawei Mate X2 impresses with its sleek and premium design, offering a sophisticated and modern aesthetic. The phone features an inward-folding design, which not only provides a unique form factor but also offers better protection for the flexible display. The device has a glass front and back with an aluminum frame, giving it a premium look and feel. The build quality is robust and sturdy, with a solid hinge mechanism that ensures smooth operation and durability. The Mate X2 has a weight and dimensions that feel comfortable in hand, making it portable and easy to carry. The texture and finishing touches of the device add to its overall appeal, providing a luxurious and high-end experience. The buttons and controls are well-placed and offer a satisfying tactile feedback. The bezels are minimal, maximizing the screen-to-body ratio and enhancing the immersive viewing experience. The back panel is sleek and minimalistic, without any protruding camera modules. The grip of the device is secure, allowing for comfortable one-handed usability. Overall, the design and build of the Huawei Mate X2 showcase attention to detail, premium craftsmanship, and a commitment to delivering a top-notch product.

Display

The Huawei Mate X2 features a large 8-inch OLED display when unfolded, providing a stunning visual experience. The display offers a high resolution of 2200x2480 pixels, ensuring sharp and detailed images. With a 90Hz refresh rate, the screen delivers smooth scrolling and fluid animations. The OLED technology ensures deep blacks, vibrant colors, and excellent contrast levels. The color accuracy and vibrancy are impressive, making content come to life. The brightness levels are sufficient for indoor usage, but outdoor visibility may be slightly compromised in bright sunlight. The touch responsiveness is excellent, allowing for smooth and accurate navigation. The display is also protected by Gorilla Glass, which adds durability and scratch resistance. With a pixel density of approximately 413 pixels per inch (PPI), text and images appear crisp and clear. The Mate X2 supports HDR (High Dynamic Range), enabling a wider range of colors and increased contrast. The wide color gamut further enhances the color reproduction, providing a more immersive viewing experience. The viewing angles are wide, ensuring that the display looks great from various angles. The anti-reflective coating helps reduce glare and reflections, improving visibility in different lighting conditions. The Mate X2 does not have a notch design, resulting in a full-screen experience. The slim bezels contribute to a higher screen-to-body ratio, maximizing the display area. Additionally, the device offers an always-on display feature, allowing users to check the time and notifications without unlocking the phone. The blue light filter and adaptive brightness features are present, providing eye comfort and adjusting the screen brightness according to the ambient lighting. Users can also calibrate the display settings to their preferences. Overall, the Huawei Mate X2 boasts an exceptional display with its large size, high resolution, vibrant colors, and smooth performance.

Performance

The performance of the Huawei Mate X2 is outstanding, thanks to its powerful chipset and efficient system optimization. The smartphone is equipped with Huawei's flagship Kirin 9000 chipset, which delivers impressive CPU and GPU performance. In benchmark tests, the Mate X2 has showcased excellent scores in both synthetic benchmarks and gaming benchmarks.

The GPU benchmarks of the Mate X2 reveal its gaming capabilities and the overall graphics performance. With its powerful GPU, the smartphone provides a smooth gaming experience with high frame rates and stunning visuals. Gaming enthusiasts will appreciate the Mate X2's ability to handle graphics-intensive games with ease.

When it comes to CPU benchmarks, the Mate X2 shines with its top-notch processor performance. The device excels in multitasking, allowing users to seamlessly switch between apps and perform demanding tasks without experiencing any lag or slowdown. The processor efficiency of the Mate X2 ensures smooth app loading speeds and a responsive user interface.

The Mate X2's thermal management is also commendable, as it effectively dissipates heat during prolonged usage or demanding tasks. This ensures that the device maintains optimal performance levels without overheating or throttling. Users can enjoy a lag-free performance and a consistent user experience even during extended gaming or multitasking sessions.

Overall, the performance metrics of the Huawei Mate X2 are impressive. The combination of the powerful Kirin 9000 chipset, efficient system optimization, and thermal management results in a device that delivers exceptional performance across various tasks and activities. Whether it's gaming, multitasking, or app usage, the Mate X2 provides a smooth and seamless user experience.

Software and User Interface

The Huawei Mate X2 runs on the EMUI 11 operating system, which is based on Android 10. However, due to the ongoing trade restrictions, the device does not have access to Google Mobile Services (GMS). Instead, users have to rely on Huawei's own app store, AppGallery, for app downloads. While AppGallery has been steadily growing and now offers a wide range of popular apps, it still lacks the vast selection found in the Google Play Store. This can be a drawback for users who heavily rely on Google apps and services.

In terms of customization, the Mate X2 offers a range of options to personalize the user experience. Users can customize the home screen layout, choose from different themes, and adjust settings to suit their preferences. The interface is user-friendly and easy to navigate, making it intuitive for both new and experienced users.

As for pre-installed apps, the Mate X2 comes with a selection of essential apps, including Huawei's own suite of productivity and utility apps. While some users may find these apps useful, others may consider them bloatware if they prefer using third-party alternatives. However, it's worth noting that Huawei has made efforts to optimize its software and reduce unnecessary pre-installed apps.

Overall, the software experience on the Huawei Mate X2 is smooth and responsive, thanks to the powerful hardware and optimizations made by Huawei. However, the lack of Google Mobile Services can be a drawback for users who heavily rely on Google apps and services.

Camera

The Huawei Mate X2 boasts a high-quality camera system that is sure to impress photography enthusiasts. The device features a versatile quad-camera setup, co-engineered with Leica, offering a wide range of shooting options. The main camera has a resolution of 50 megapixels, ensuring sharp and detailed images. The aperture and focal length are optimized for capturing stunning photos in various lighting conditions, whether it's daylight photography, indoor photography, or outdoor photography. The sensor size and image stabilization technology contribute to improved image quality, with natural colors, excellent sharpness, and a wide dynamic range.

In low-light environments, the Mate X2's camera excels with its impressive low-light sensitivity and advanced noise reduction capabilities. The device also offers a dedicated night mode for capturing stunning night photography with enhanced clarity and reduced noise.

For those who enjoy experimenting with photography, the Mate X2 provides a range of camera features, including portrait mode, HDR, panorama mode, and pro mode. The device also benefits from AI scene recognition, which automatically adjusts camera settings to optimize image quality based on the scene being captured.

In terms of video recording, the Mate X2 supports 4K video with excellent detail and clarity. Video stabilization technology ensures smooth and steady footage, even when recording in motion. Users can also enjoy capturing slow-motion videos and creating captivating time-lapse videos. The device supports various video formats, providing flexibility in editing and sharing.

Battery Life

The Huawei Mate X2 comes equipped with a 4,500mAh battery, which offers a decent battery life for daily usage. The battery capacity ensures that the device can last throughout the day with moderate usage. Additionally, the Mate X2 supports fast charging technology, allowing users to quickly recharge their device when needed. This ensures that you can get back to using your phone in no time. The device also supports wireless charging options, providing convenience for those who prefer a cable-free charging experience. The battery performance of the Mate X2 is optimized to provide efficient power usage, maximizing the battery life. With its battery optimization features and power management, you can expect the battery to last for a considerable amount of time. The charging speed and efficiency are also commendable, ensuring that you spend less time waiting for your phone to charge. Overall, the battery of the Huawei Mate X2 offers a satisfactory performance and is well-optimized for long-lasting usage.

Connectivity and Networking

The Huawei Mate X2 offers a wide range of connectivity options to keep you connected on the go. It supports 5G connectivity, allowing for faster data speeds and a seamless browsing experience. With 5G, you can enjoy quick downloads, smooth streaming, and lag-free online gaming.

In addition to 5G, the Mate X2 also supports Wi-Fi, ensuring that you can connect to available wireless networks for internet access. It is compatible with the latest Wi-Fi standards, providing fast and stable connections.

Bluetooth is another essential connectivity feature of the Mate X2. It allows you to connect wirelessly to other Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as headphones, speakers, and smartwatches. The specific Bluetooth version supported by the Mate X2 may vary, so be sure to check the device's specifications for more details.

NFC (Near Field Communication) is supported on the Mate X2, enabling quick and easy pairing with other NFC-enabled devices or for contactless payments using services like Google Pay or Huawei Pay.

The Mate X2 features a USB-C port for charging and data transfer. USB-C offers fast charging capabilities and allows for high-speed data transfer between the device and a computer.

Dual SIM support is available on the Mate X2, allowing you to use two SIM cards simultaneously. This feature is convenient for individuals who need to manage personal and work contacts on a single device.

The device also includes GPS for accurate navigation and location services. You can rely on the Mate X2 to provide precise directions and location information when needed.

Overall, the Huawei Mate X2 offers a comprehensive range of connectivity options, including 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, USB-C, and dual SIM support. These features ensure that you stay connected, enjoy fast data speeds, and have a seamless experience with various wireless devices and services.

Additional Features

Comparison with Other Related Phones

When it comes to foldable smartphones, the Huawei Mate X2 stands out as a strong contender in the market. Let's take a side-by-side comparison of the Mate X2 with some related gadgets to understand its positioning and features.

In terms of design, the Huawei Mate X2 features an inward-folding design, similar to Samsung's Galaxy Fold series. It has a premium build quality and a solid hinge mechanism, ensuring durability. In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 offers a similar design with a slightly larger unfolded display. However, the Mate X2's hinge mechanism is considered more robust.

Moving on to the display, the Mate X2 boasts an 8-inch OLED display when unfolded, providing a stunning visual experience. In comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold2 also offers a large unfolded display, but with a slightly smaller size. Both devices offer vibrant colors and sharp details.

In terms of performance, the Mate X2 is powered by Huawei's Kirin 9000 chipset, delivering excellent performance and smooth multitasking capabilities. Comparatively, the Galaxy Z Fold2 is equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865+ chipset, which offers similar performance levels.

When it comes to the camera, the Mate X2 impresses with its versatile quad-camera setup co-engineered with Leica. It includes a 50MP main camera, a 16MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 12MP telephoto lens, and an 8MP periscope lens. The Galaxy Z Fold2 also offers a capable camera system, but the Mate X2's camera performance is considered slightly better.

In terms of pricing, the Mate X2 is positioned as a premium device, with a high price tag. In comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold2 is also priced in the premium range. Both devices offer cutting-edge technology and innovative features, but their high prices may limit their appeal to a broader audience.

Overall, the Huawei Mate X2 competes well with its related gadgets, offering a strong combination of design, display, performance, and camera capabilities. However, its high price and limited availability due to trade restrictions may impact its market positioning. Nonetheless, it remains a desirable choice for users who prioritize top-of-the-line features and are willing to invest in a premium foldable smartphone.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Huawei Mate X2 is undeniably a remarkable feat of engineering, with its innovative foldable design, stunning display, powerful performance, and impressive camera system. It delivers on the promises of a foldable phone, offering a unique and immersive user experience. However, the lack of Google Mobile Services remains a significant drawback, limiting access to popular apps and services. Additionally, its limited availability and steep price tag make it a luxury device that may not be accessible to the average consumer. Despite its undeniable strengths, the Mate X2 falls short of being a truly standout device due to these limitations.