The battle for the best foldable phone crown just got a lot hotter. HUAWEI has launched its latest foldable – the HUAWEI Mate X2. And even though the company likely wouldn’t ever admit it, but it appears that the folks over at HUAWEI realized that an inward-folding design with a dual-display approach is the best way to go. Design inspiration apart, the HUAWEI Mate X2 comes with some notable upgrades and really takes the foldable feud to Samsung’s doorsteps. Here’s how the two phones compare against each other:
Design and build quality
Yes, the approach is similar, but there are more than a few differences. The HUAWEI Mate X2 is not symmetrical in its cross-section, but claims to offer a near zero-gap experience when folded. As for the Samsung offering, the gap between the two halves of the device when folded is easily noticeable, but it is uniformly thick. The metal and glass build is a shared trait between the two phones.
HUAWEI Mate X2 comes in a choice of four colors – Crystal Blue, Crystal Pink, White, and Black. The Galaxy Z Fold2 is up for grabs in two colors – Mystic Bronze and Mystic Black – but you can customize the color of the hinge for a two-tone approach. A major difference between the two phones is that the inner foldable display of the HUAWEI Mate X2 has no selfie camera, while its Samsung rival comes equipped with a 10MP selfie shooter.
| HUAWEI Mate X2 | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 | |
| Display | Cover Display 6.45-inch OLED 2480 x 2200 pixels 90Hz refresh rate 413 ppi pixel density Inner Display 8-inch OLED 2700 x 1160 Pixels 90Hz refresh rate 456 ppi pixel density | Cover Display 6.2-inch Super AMOLED 2260 x 816 pixels 60Hz refresh rate 386ppi pixel density Inner Display 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X 2208 x 1768 pixels 120Hz refresh rate 373ppi pixel density |
| Processor | HiSilicon Kirin 9000 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ |
| RAM | 8GB | 12GB |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB | 256GB / 512GB |
| Rear Cameras | 50 MP Ultra Vision Camera (Wide Angle, f/1.9 aperture, OIS) 16 MP Cine Camera (Ultra-Wide Angle, f/2.2 aperture) 12 MP Telephoto Camera (3x Optical Zoom, f/2.4 aperture, OIS) 8 MP SuperZoom Camera (10x Optical Zoom, f/4.4 aperture, OIS) | 12MP Ultra Wide (1.12μm, 123˚ FOV, F/2.2) 12MP Wide-angle (OIS, 1.8μm, 83˚ FOV, F/1.8) 12MP telephoto (PDAF, 1.0μm, 45˚ FOV, F/2.4) |
| Front Cameras | 16 MP Selfie Camera (Wide Angle, f/2.2) NO inner display camera | 10MP Selfie Camera (1.22μm, 80˚ FOV, f/2.2) Inner Display Camera 10MP selfie camera (1.22μm, 80˚ FOV, F/2.2) |
| Battery | 4500 mAh 55W fast charging | 4500mAh 25W fast charging Wireless Charging Reverse wireless charging |
| Weight | Approx. 295 grams | 282 grams |
| Colors | Crystal Blue, Crystal Pink, White, and Black | Mystic Bronze and Mystic Black |
Display: HUAWEI Mate X2 is the better equipped one!
The HUAWEI Mate X2 comes armed with an 8-inch flexible OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, while the outer cover display measures 6.45-inches diagonally. This one also offers 90Hz refresh rate and has a resolution of 2700 x 1160 pixels.
On the Samsung device, only the inner foldable display qualifies as a high refresh rate panel, while the cover display is a regular 60Hz panel. The cover display measures 6.2-inches with a much lower resolution of 2260 x 816 pixels compared to its HUAWEI sibling. The inner 7.6-inch foldable display is also slightly smaller than its HUAWEI rival, but offers a higher 120Hz refresh rate.
Internals
The HUAWEI Mate X2 draws power from the 5nm-based Kirin 9000 chip that comes with an integrated 5G modem. There is 8 gigs of RAM and 128GB / 512GB of non-expandable onboard storage. The lights are kept on by a 5,000mAh battery that can be topped at a peak 55W power. Interestingly, there is no support for wireless charging.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 comes equipped with the 7 nm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ SoC ticking alongside 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of onboard storage. You’ll find a 4,500mAh juicer inside that charges at a comparatively slower 25W, but it supports wireless as reverse wireless charging.
Software: A tricky situation for HUAWEI Mate X2
A key difference, that might well dictate the final decision whether you buy the Galaxy Z Fold 2 or the HUAWEI Mate X2 is the software. The HUAWEI Mate X2 still runs EMUI 11 based on Android 10, which is kinda disappointing. The Samsung device, on the other hand, has received the Android 11 upgrade already. However, the biggest difference is their approach to Android.
The HUAWEI Mate X2 relies on the HMS (HUAWEI Mobile Services) core instead of the GMS (Google Mobile Services) core, which means it misses out on some defining Google offerings such as Play Store, Gmail and Google Maps to name a few. And this might be a red flag to many potential buyers, especially those in markets outside China. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, on the other hand, offers the full-fledged Android experience with all essential Google services and some cool tweaks courtesy of Samsung’s One UI 3.1 skin.
Cameras: HUAWEI Mate X2 takes the glory here
The camera department is where the HUAWEI Mate X2 brings the biggest hardware upgrade. Over at the back, you’ll find an optically stabilized 50MP primary camera, sitting alongside a 16MP ultra-wide angle lens.
There are a couple of zoom cameras at the back – a primary 12MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom range and an 8MP Super Zoom periscope-style camera with an impressive 10x optical zoom output. Selfie and video calling duties are taken care of by a 16MP snapper on the cover display.
Coming to the Galaxy Z Fold 2, it has a trio of 12MP sensors at the back serving as the main shooter, an ultra-wide-angle lens, and a telephoto camera. Both the cover display and inner foldable panel are armed with a 10MP selfie shooter.
Pricing: Innovation comes at a high price
The HUAWEI Mate X2 will set you back by CNY 17,999 (~ $2,780) for the base 256GB storage variant, while the 512GB version will evaporate CNY 18,999 (~ $2,940) from your bank account. Pre-orders have gone live in China, but there is no word regarding its overseas availability at the moment.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is currently up for grabs at $1,999 from Samsung’s official online store, but you can bring the price down to $1,000 with an eligible trade-in in the US. Unlike the HUAWEI offering, the Samsung device is widely available in markets across the globe.
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