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Huawei Mate X2 Review Highlights
According to xda developers, Huawei has nailed basically every aspect of the hardware. Huawei calls the new hinge design “Teardrop” which describes how the screen curves to avoid showing a crease. It’s made of a zirconium-based liquid metal that Huawei says is twice as strong as on the Mate Xs. The hinge motion feels sturdy but doesn’t allow fixing the phone at any angle. Instead, it snaps to either the fully unfolded or fully folded state whenever the hinge angle is nearly 0° or 90°. The snap really helps with fully folding and unfolding the device and relieves some of the pressure that the user may place on the device in trying to get it to fully fold or unfold.
Figure 1: Huawei Mate X2 Hinge
According to xda developers, Huawei has nailed basically every aspect of the hardware. Huawei calls the new hinge design “Teardrop” which describes how the screen curves to avoid showing a crease. It’s made of a zirconium-based liquid metal that Huawei says is twice as strong as on the Mate Xs. The hinge motion feels sturdy but doesn’t allow fixing the phone at any angle. Instead, it snaps to either the fully unfolded or fully folded state whenever the hinge angle is nearly 0° or 90°. The snap really helps with fully folding and unfolding the device and relieves some of the pressure that the user may place on the device in trying to get it to fully fold or unfold.
Figure 1: Huawei Mate X2 Hinge
Source: XDA -Developer
When the two parts are closed, they’re held together magnetically. There’s some noticeable tension that needs to be overcome to pull the two halves apart. Two hand are generally needed to fold and unfold the phone. There is virtually no gap between the two displays. Contrast that to Samsung’s foldable which has a gap of air between the two screens since they don’t perfectly stack on top of one another. Huawei’s solution is an asymmetrical wedge design. The Huawei Mate X2 is shaped like a wedge, where one half is slightly thicker than the other half, allowing the two halves to stack on top of each other with no gap between them.
Figure 2: Huawei Mate X2 Balance
Figure 2: Huawei Mate X2 Balance
Source: XDA -Developer
Figure 3: Huawei Mate X2 Fold
Source: XDA -Developer
The thicker half houses the main internal components, including the Huawei Mate X2’s single, large 4,500mAh battery, quad-camera setup, SoC, buttons, and USB-C port. (Side-note: there’s also an IR blaster, which is a rarity these days, and a fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button that is super responsive.) The thinner half features the outer display, both speakers, and the hybrid nano-SIM card + NM card tray.
Summary of the Positives
· Improved durability of the foldable display with shift to inward folding design
· Sturdy hinge motion that snaps in place
· Virtually no gap between the two displays when folded thanks to asymmetrical wedge design
· Comfortable to hold with its center of gravity shifting design
· Included case features grippy leather-like texture and kickstand
· Plastic OLED display feels very smooth and fluid
· Overall build construction feels very premium
· Clear, decently loud stereo speakers placed sensibly with minimal distortion
· Expandable storage via NM Card
· Beautiful, expansive 8-inch foldable OLED display with no visual interruptions
· Large, 6.45-inch outer OLED display that isn’t too narrow
· Apps transition seamlessly between displays
· Added screen real estate lets you fit a lot more content on screen
· Kirin 9000 plows through any high-end game or emulation needs
· Fast 55W Super Charge support with included 66W adapter
· EMUI 11 offers loads of customization, smooth animations, multitasking, multi-screen features, and first-party Google alternatives
Summary of the Negatives
· Difficult to fold and unfold one-handed
· Difficult for left-handed users to hold with one-hand
· Difficult to use when half-open
· Very thick when folded
· Very heavy overall
· Glossy glass back is a smudgy fingerprint magnet
· No 3.5mm headphone jack
· No wireless charging
· EMUI 11 is based on an outdated Android 10 release and doesn’t support GMS
· Very expensive and hard to buy (China only)
Summary of the Positives
· Improved durability of the foldable display with shift to inward folding design
· Sturdy hinge motion that snaps in place
· Virtually no gap between the two displays when folded thanks to asymmetrical wedge design
· Comfortable to hold with its center of gravity shifting design
· Included case features grippy leather-like texture and kickstand
· Plastic OLED display feels very smooth and fluid
· Overall build construction feels very premium
· Clear, decently loud stereo speakers placed sensibly with minimal distortion
· Expandable storage via NM Card
· Beautiful, expansive 8-inch foldable OLED display with no visual interruptions
· Large, 6.45-inch outer OLED display that isn’t too narrow
· Apps transition seamlessly between displays
· Added screen real estate lets you fit a lot more content on screen
· Kirin 9000 plows through any high-end game or emulation needs
· Fast 55W Super Charge support with included 66W adapter
· EMUI 11 offers loads of customization, smooth animations, multitasking, multi-screen features, and first-party Google alternatives
Summary of the Negatives
· Difficult to fold and unfold one-handed
· Difficult for left-handed users to hold with one-hand
· Difficult to use when half-open
· Very thick when folded
· Very heavy overall
· Glossy glass back is a smudgy fingerprint magnet
· No 3.5mm headphone jack
· No wireless charging
· EMUI 11 is based on an outdated Android 10 release and doesn’t support GMS
· Very expensive and hard to buy (China only)
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Barry Young
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