Huawei today announced its second foldable device, the Mate X2. In its second iteration, Huawei has given the device a major design overhaul from all aspects. The design of the foldable device is now similar to the Galaxy Z Fold series from Samsung with the display folding inwards rather than outwards.
When unfolded, the Huawei Mate X2 features an 8-inch display with an 8:7.1 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2480 x 2200. When folded, there’s a 6.45-inch 21:9 aspect ratio display on the outside with a resolution of 2700 x 1160. Both displays have a 90Hz refresh rate, though the 8-inch foldable display features a 180Hz touch sampling rate while the outer display has a 240Hz touch sampling rate. Huawei claims the display has a reflectivity rate of lower than 1.5% thanks to a new magnetically-controlled nano-optical layer. This is lower than even Apple’s Pro Display XDR and its special nano-coating.
There’s a “multi-dimensional hinge design” made of more durable steel. It allows the 8-inch display to fold inwards with a seamless fold and without a gap. The bigger curvate of the bend also ensures that the foldable display does not get creases easily.
Camera performance has always been a strength of Huawei devices and the Mate X2 is no different. It features a quad-camera setup which includes a primary 50MP RYYB primary shooter with f/1.9 aperture and OIS, a 16MP ultra-wide, a 12MP 3x optical zoom lens, and an 8MP 10x optical zoom sensor. At the front, the Huawei Mate X2 features a 16MP f/2.2 selfie shooter.
Under the hood, the Mate X2 is powered by Huawei’s own Kirin 9000 5G chip. Based on the 5nm TSMC node, it packs an 8-core CPU, a Mali G78 GPU, and a dual-core NPU for AI and machine learning tasks. The device is powered by a 4500mAh battery with 55W fast wired charging support. Other specs include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, 5G connectivity, fingerprint sensor, and NFC.
The Mate X2 will be available in 256GB and 512GB storage configurations with 8GB RAM as standard. The former is priced at ¥17,999 ($2,780) while the 512GB model will be available for ¥18999 ($2,940). The Mate X2 will go on sale from February 25, and it will be available in Crystal Blue, Crystal Pink, White, and Black.
Like all other Huawei smartphones launched over the last couple of years, the Mate X2 runs on Android but does not have access to Google’s Mobile Suite. In China, Google services are banned as well and the device comes with Huawei’s own app store instead. It is unlikely that the Mate X2 will launch outside of China.
