Huawei Mate Xs 2 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

Hello and welcome to my review of the Huawei Mate XS 2. This sleek and stylish foldable phone was released in May 2022 and has quickly gained attention for its cutting-edge technology and innovative design.

Design and Build Quality

The Huawei Mate Xs 2 showcases an impressive design and build that exudes premium aesthetics and a sleek form factor. With its foldable OLED display, the device effortlessly combines functionality and elegance. The physical appearance of the Mate Xs 2 is striking, featuring minimal bezels and a large 7.8-inch screen that offers an immersive viewing experience. The device is constructed using high-quality materials, ensuring durability and robustness. The foldable design allows for portability, as it can be easily folded to a compact size.

The dimensions of the Mate Xs 2 are 156.5 x 139.3 x 5.4 mm when unfolded and 156.5 x 75.5 x 11.1 mm when folded, making it a slim and lightweight device. The weight of 255g adds to its portability, enabling users to carry it effortlessly. The texture and finishing touches of the device enhance its premium look and feel, providing a comfortable grip for users.

In terms of ergonomics, the Mate Xs 2 offers a user-friendly experience with well-placed buttons and controls for easy navigation. The frame and back panel are sturdy and well-built, ensuring the device can withstand daily wear and tear. The device also features a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for convenient and secure unlocking.

Overall, the Huawei Mate Xs 2 boasts an impressive design and build quality, combining aesthetics, durability, and functionality. Its sleek design, premium materials, and robust construction make it a standout device in the foldable smartphone market. With its portability and user-friendly features, the Mate Xs 2 offers a seamless user experience.

Display

The Huawei Mate Xs 2 features a foldable OLED display that stands out with its impressive screen size and high resolution. The unfolded display measures 7.8 inches, providing an immersive viewing experience. With a resolution of 2200 x 2480 pixels and a pixel density of approximately 424 ppi, the display delivers sharp and detailed visuals. The OLED technology ensures vivid colors and deep blacks, enhancing the overall visual quality. The Mate Xs 2 also boasts a 120Hz refresh rate, allowing for smoother scrolling and seamless animations.

In terms of brightness levels, the display offers adequate brightness for indoor use, but some reviews suggest that it may struggle a bit in direct sunlight. However, the outdoor visibility is still considered decent. The touch responsiveness of the screen is highly responsive and accurate, providing a smooth and seamless user experience.

To protect the display, the Mate Xs 2 is equipped with a durable folding mechanism and a sturdy body design. While there is no specific mention of Gorilla Glass protection, Huawei likely incorporates some form of screen protection to ensure durability. The display also offers a wide color gamut, allowing for vibrant and lifelike colors.

The Mate Xs 2's display provides excellent viewing angles, ensuring that content remains visible and clear even when viewed from different angles. It is worth noting that there is no mention of an anti-reflective coating, so reflections may be present in certain lighting conditions.

The device also supports features like an always-on display and a blue light filter for added convenience and eye comfort. The adaptive brightness feature automatically adjusts the screen brightness based on ambient lighting conditions. Additionally, the display can be calibrated to suit individual preferences, further enhancing the overall visual experience.

Overall, the Huawei Mate Xs 2 offers a large and high-resolution OLED display with vibrant colors, smooth touch responsiveness, and a range of features that enhance user experience.

Performance

The performance of the Huawei Mate Xs 2 is backed by its powerful chipset and efficient GPU, delivering impressive results in various performance benchmarks and gaming capabilities. Equipped with the Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 4G (5 nm) chipset and Adreno 660 GPU, this foldable smartphone ensures smooth multitasking and a lag-free gaming experience.

In CPU benchmarks, the Huawei Mate Xs 2 showcases its processing prowess. With an octa-core configuration consisting of a 2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 core, three 2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 cores, and four 1.80 GHz Cortex-A55 cores, it performs exceptionally well in synthetic benchmarks. The processor efficiency is evident in its ability to handle resource-intensive tasks with ease, such as app loading speeds and multitasking performance.

When it comes to gaming performance, the Huawei Mate Xs 2 excels. The Adreno 660 GPU delivers excellent graphics scores and smooth gameplay. Gaming benchmarks demonstrate the device's ability to handle demanding games with high frame rates and exceptional visual quality. Whether it's graphically intensive games or casual titles, users can expect a seamless gaming experience on this device.

Furthermore, the Huawei Mate Xs 2's performance is enhanced by its system optimization and thermal management. The EMUI 12 operating system, combined with the HarmonyOS 2.0 in the Chinese version, ensures a smooth user experience with efficient resource allocation and background task management. The device remains cool even during extended gaming sessions, thanks to its effective thermal management system.

Benchmark tests have shown impressive performance metrics for the Huawei Mate Xs 2, indicating its overall performance superiority. In tests like AnTuTu and GeekBench, it achieves high scores, reflecting its raw processing power. The device's GPU efficiency is also notable, as it excels in GFXBench tests, delivering excellent graphics performance.

In conclusion, the Huawei Mate Xs 2 offers exceptional performance across various aspects. Its powerful chipset, efficient GPU, and system optimization contribute to a smooth and lag-free user experience. Whether it's handling multitasking, loading apps swiftly, or delivering immersive gaming experiences, this foldable smartphone proves to be a reliable performer.

Software and User Interface

The Huawei Mate Xs 2 runs on the EMUI 12 operating system, which is based on HarmonyOS 2.0. This means that the device does not come with Google Play Services and instead relies on Huawei's own app ecosystem. The software offers a range of customization options, allowing users to personalize their device to suit their preferences. The interface is user-friendly, with a clean and intuitive design.

One aspect that some users may find disappointing is the lack of pre-installed apps. While this can be seen as a positive for those who prefer a clean slate, it may require users to manually install their preferred apps from Huawei's AppGallery or other third-party sources. On the other hand, this also means that the device is relatively free from bloatware, which can often clutter the user experience.

Despite the absence of Google Play Services, the software still offers a wide range of apps and services through Huawei's AppGallery. While the selection may not be as extensive as the Google Play Store, it is continuously growing and includes popular apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. Additionally, Huawei has been working diligently to improve the user experience by collaborating with developers to optimize their apps for HarmonyOS.

Overall, the software of the Huawei Mate Xs 2 provides a user-friendly interface and a customizable experience. While it may lack certain pre-installed apps, users have access to a growing number of options through the AppGallery. The absence of Google Play Services may be a drawback for some, but Huawei is actively working to bridge that gap and provide a seamless experience for its users.

Camera

The Huawei Mate Xs 2 boasts a powerful camera system that delivers impressive results across various photography scenarios. Equipped with a triple camera setup, including a 50-megapixel wide lens, an 8-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens, this smartphone offers versatile shooting options. The wide lens features a bright aperture of f/1.8, allowing for excellent low-light performance and depth-of-field effects in portrait mode. The telephoto lens enhances the camera's focal length capabilities, enabling users to capture distant subjects with clarity and detail. The ultrawide lens provides a wider field of view, perfect for capturing expansive landscapes or group shots.

The camera's image stabilization feature ensures steady shots, minimizing blurriness caused by hand movements or shaky conditions. This stabilization is particularly beneficial for video recording, where the Mate Xs 2 excels. It supports 4K video recording, delivering high-quality footage with sharpness and detail. The video stabilization feature further enhances the smoothness of recorded videos, while slow-motion and time-lapse options offer creative possibilities for capturing special moments.

In terms of image quality, the camera produces natural colors, sharpness, and good dynamic range, allowing for vibrant and well-balanced photos. The smartphone's AI scene recognition feature optimizes settings based on the detected scene, enhancing the overall shooting experience. Additionally, the camera offers various shooting modes such as HDR and panorama to cater to different photography needs.

Whether it's daylight photography, indoor photography, or outdoor photography, the Huawei Mate Xs 2's camera performs admirably in different lighting conditions. Its low-light sensitivity and noise reduction capabilities ensure decent performance in challenging lighting situations. The dedicated night mode further enhances low-light photography, capturing well-exposed and detailed images even in dimly lit environments.

Overall, the camera of the Huawei Mate Xs 2 offers a comprehensive range of features and capabilities, making it a reliable and versatile option for photography enthusiasts.

Battery Life

The Huawei Mate Xs 2 comes with a non-removable Li-Po 4600 mAh battery, which provides a decent amount of power to keep the device running throughout the day. In addition, the 512GB 12GB RAM version of the phone is equipped with a slightly larger Li-Po 4880 mAh battery. The phone supports fast charging with a 66W wired charger, allowing for quick recharging times. It also has a 5W reverse wired charging feature, which is useful for charging other devices on the go. The battery life of the Mate Xs 2 is commendable, with an endurance rating of 49 hours. This means that the phone can withstand heavy usage and still have some battery life remaining at the end of the day. The device also offers battery optimization features to enhance power efficiency and extend battery longevity. Overall, the battery performance of the Huawei Mate Xs 2 is reliable and suitable for users who require a device with long-lasting battery backup.

Connectivity and Networking

The Huawei Mate Xs 2 offers a wide range of connectivity options to ensure seamless communication and data transfer. It supports various network compatibility options, including GSM, CDMA, HSPA, EVDO, and LTE. This means that users can enjoy reliable and fast data speeds, making it suitable for browsing, streaming, and downloading content. The device also supports 5G connectivity, enabling users to experience even faster internet speeds when connected to a 5G network.

In terms of wireless connectivity, the Mate Xs 2 supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, allowing users to connect to both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networks. This ensures a stable and fast internet connection, whether at home, office, or in public areas. Bluetooth 5.2 is also supported, providing seamless pairing with compatible devices for wireless audio streaming and file sharing. NFC technology is built-in, enabling convenient contactless payments and quick pairing with other NFC-enabled devices.

For physical connectivity, the Mate Xs 2 features a USB Type-C 3.1 port, offering fast data transfer speeds and the ability to connect to various USB peripherals. The device also supports USB OTG (On-The-Go) functionality, allowing users to connect USB drives and other compatible devices directly to the phone. Additionally, the Mate Xs 2 includes dual SIM support, allowing users to use two SIM cards simultaneously for better flexibility and convenience.

With built-in GPS and GLONASS, users can rely on accurate positioning and navigation services. The device also supports other satellite navigation systems like BDS, GALILEO, QZSS, and NavIC. Furthermore, the Mate Xs 2 can be used as a mobile hotspot, enabling users to share their internet connection with other devices. Overall, the Huawei Mate Xs 2 offers a comprehensive range of connectivity options to ensure users stay connected and productive.

Additional Features

- Standout features: The Huawei Mate Xs 2 offers an impressive foldable OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, providing a smooth and immersive viewing experience. It also boasts a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 4G chipset, ensuring efficient performance and seamless multitasking capabilities.

- Water resistance and dust resistance: Unfortunately, the Mate Xs 2 does not come with any official water resistance or dust resistance certification. Users should take precautions to protect the device from water and dust exposure.

- Wireless charging: The Mate Xs 2 supports wireless charging, allowing for convenient and cable-free charging. Users can utilize Qi wireless charging technology to power up their device effortlessly.

- Advanced sensors: In addition to the standard set of sensors like the accelerometer and gyroscope, the Mate Xs 2 comes with a comprehensive sensor suite. This includes additional sensors such as a proximity sensor, compass, barometer, and color spectrum sensor. These advanced sensors enhance the device's functionality and enable more accurate and precise measurements.

Please note that the information provided is based on the sources mentioned above and may be subject to change or updates.

Comparison with Other Related Phones

The Huawei Mate Xs 2 is a foldable smartphone that offers a unique and innovative design. When comparing it to related gadgets in the market, one of its main competitors is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. Both devices feature foldable displays and offer a similar form factor. However, there are some key differences between them.

In terms of specifications, the Huawei Mate Xs 2 boasts a larger unfolded display, measuring 7.8 inches compared to the 7.6-inch display of the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Additionally, the Mate Xs 2 offers a higher screen-to-body ratio, providing a more immersive viewing experience. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has an advantage in terms of display technology, as it features a Dynamic AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, while the Mate Xs 2 uses a foldable OLED display.

When it comes to performance, both devices are powered by flagship processors, with the Mate Xs 2 featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 4G and the Galaxy Z Fold 3 using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. Both devices offer excellent performance and can handle demanding tasks with ease.

In terms of camera capabilities, the Mate Xs 2 features a triple camera setup with a 50MP main camera, an 8MP telephoto lens, and a 13MP ultrawide lens. The Galaxy Z Fold 3, on the other hand, offers a triple camera setup with a 12MP main camera, a 12MP telephoto lens, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. While both devices are capable of capturing high-quality photos and videos, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has the advantage of Samsung's renowned camera technology.

When considering pricing, the Mate Xs 2 is positioned as a premium device and comes with a higher price tag compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 3. This pricing strategy reflects the premium features and unique design of the Mate Xs 2. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 offers a more affordable option for consumers who are interested in foldable smartphones.

Overall, the Huawei Mate Xs 2 offers a distinct design and impressive specifications, making it a strong competitor in the foldable smartphone market. While it may have a higher price point compared to some of its competitors, it provides a unique and innovative user experience that sets it apart from other devices in the market.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Huawei Mate Xs 2 is a remarkable foldable smartphone that offers an immersive viewing experience and powerful performance. Its foldable OLED display provides a seamless transition between a compact phone and a tablet-sized screen. Equipped with a Snapdragon 888 processor and ample RAM, it delivers smooth multitasking and gaming capabilities. The camera system captures impressive photos and videos, while the side-mounted fingerprint sensor ensures quick and secure access. The battery life is also commendable, offering long hours of usage. However, the absence of Google Play Services might be a drawback for some users. Overall, the Huawei Mate Xs 2 is a top-tier device for tech enthusiasts looking for innovation and versatility in their smartphone.