Huawei Mate Xs 2 review

introduction

A pioneer of foldable phones, Huawei is still making two different types: those that fold in on themselves and those that have the display that wraps around the outside of the body when folded. Another version of the second type is the one we have for you here: the Mate Xs 2.

Introduced full two years after the previous outie, the Mate Xs 2 comes with several hardware changes. A small reduction in screen size from 8 “to 7.8” will have minimal impact on usability, but must have helped reduce weight to a much more manageable 255g. That display now also comes with a 120Hz refresh rate, boosting the internally foldable Mate X2’s 90Hz by one as well, and a selfie camera (or should we say video call camera) has appeared in the top right corner. – the Mate Xs does not have one.

Things have also changed in the rear camera setup. A 50MP primary module similar to the P50 Pro (minus the OIS) replaces the 40MP one on the older model, although the ultrawide has been reduced to 13MP from the Xs’ 16MP. At the opposite end of the zoom range, the 3x-ish tele has zoom power a notch more than what you can get on most leaflets at the time of this writing.

A chipset update is also underway, although it’s not the cutting-edge silicon you’ll find in the Mate Xs. Instead, we see last year’s Snapdragon 888 only in 4G form: the dispute between the US and China that hit Huawei the most is still paying for itself. This also manifests itself in the Google-free software package, which remains one of the strongest arguments against buying a Huawei phone, although we’ve heard some people list it as a professional as well.

The small increase in battery capacity (from 4,500mAh to 4,600mAh) is unlikely to be felt, although it’s still nice that it hasn’t suffered from the weight cuts. Meanwhile, the 66W charging stand promises fast charging.

The specifications of the Huawei Mate Xs 2 at a glance:

• Body: Unfolded: 156.5×139.3×5.4mm; folded: 156.5×75.5×11.1 mm; 255 g.
• Screen: Foldable 7.80 “OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 2200x2480px resolution, 10.15: 9 format, 424ppi; folded display: 6.50”, 1176x2480px, 19: 9 format.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 4G (5 nm): Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 and 3×2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 and 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A55); Adreno 660.
• Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM; UFS; NM (Nano Memory), up to 256GB (uses shared SIM slot).
• Operating system / software: Harmony OS 2.0.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f / 1.8, PDAF, laser AF; Ultra wide angle: 13 MP, f / 2.2, 120˚; Telephoto lens: 8 MP, f / 2.4, 81mm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom.
• Front camera: 10.7 MP, f / 2.2.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60/960 fps; Front camera: 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60/240 fps.
• Battery: 4600 mAh; Fast charging 66W, reverse charging.
• Various: Fingerprint reader (side mounted); NFC; Infrared port.

Huawei Mate Xs 2 unboxing

The Mate Xs 2 comes in a package that suits its price and exclusive status: it’s a box big enough by today’s standards, made from thick dark gray cardboard and with gold lettering. The phone sits open in a tray at the top and accessories are further divided into separate compartments below.

This year’s case solution offers a bit more protection than the Xs’ adhesive plastic frame protection, although it does have its own quirks, which we’ll talk about on the next page. However, having a case in the box means Huawei isn’t downloading everything the responsibility of keeping that folding screen exposed on you as an end user, which is cool.

A Huawei Super Charge adapter rated for 66W of output is also included, although it has a USB-A output and we tend to frown upon those in 2022. We cautiously assume that it has something to do with charging the two separate batteries in le two halves of the phone, which is easier quickly with proprietary charging technology. But then the previous model had a USB-C based adapter, so it’s not that, and this situation leaves us a little perplexed. Of course, you get an included USB-AC cable.

What has gone missing is the pair of wired USB-C earbuds that the 2020 Xs shipped with. There are already two downgrades, even if the earphones in particular will not be missing, in our opinion.