The Huawei Mate X2 is the second entry in one of Huaweis now three lines of foldable phones.
The Mate X2 was released in February 2021.
It made significant design changes from the original Mate X.
It is powered by the Kirin 9000 CPU and a 4500mAh battery.
This design technically allows there to be no gap between the two halves when folded.
But makes the phone lopsided in terms of weight balance and means it doesnt sit well on flat surfaces.
The Mate X series has a large central screen.
Battery
The Huawei Mate X2 has a reasonably sized battery with a capacity of 450mAh.
While it does support standard USB PowerDelivery charging, it only does so at significantly slower, non-fast-charge speeds.
There is no support for wireless or reverse charging.
Many foldable phones have high-end hardware but only average battery capacities.
The large screen, however, has a big impact on battery life.
It has a 90Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 542 nits.
Again, its refresh rate is limited to just 90Hz.
Cameras
The Huawei Mate X2 has a quad rear camera setup.
A primary wide-angle camera has a 50MP 1/1.28-inch sensor with an f/1.9 lens.
The telephoto camera has a 12MP sensor, an f/2.4 lens, and 3x optical zoom.
The final camera is an ultrawide with a 16MP sensor and an f/2.2 lens.
The cover screen has a hole-punch selfie camera with a 16MP sensor and an f/2.2 lens.
The rear cameras are a strong point of the Mate X2.
The pair of telephoto cameras work well together to provide excellent optical zoom capabilities.
The 10x optical zoom can even be combined with digital zoom for up to 100x zoom.
The ultrawide also features autofocus and so can pull double duty as a macro camera.
The selfie camera is perfectly normal and acceptable, but likely rarely used.
It does have an unusually large, elongated hole punch.
The main screen does not have any form of selfie camera.
Video-wise, the rear cameras can record in 4K or 1080p both 30 and 60fps.
The selfie camera can only record at 1080p30.
Software/OS
The Huawei Mate X2 was released with Android 10 and the EMUI 11 skin.
An update to HarmonyOS is available.
Being a China regional exclusive and more importantly a Huawei rig.
The crease is present and noticeable, but less so than on Samsungs foldable devices.
It cant easily be partially folded and just left to rest there as the hinge isnt stiff.
Instead, its a classic side power button/fingerprint reader combo.
The phone can also be unlocked with facial recognition.
Dual SIM cards are supported, though the second slot also doubles as the NanoMemory expandable storage slot.
Wi-Fi 6 is supported for high-speed home networking, and 5G is supported for the fastest mobile data speeds.
Price
The 256GB model has a retail price of 17999, which is roughly $2650.
The 512GB model with 12GB of RAM, sells for 18999, approximately $2798.
The phone has an extremely short supply, mainly a tech demo with a sky-high price.
Being a China-exclusive and with limited numbers, youll struggle to find it outside the region.
However, some international resellers may occasionally have models.
The CPU, obviously, has been upgraded from the previous generation.
The screens now run at 90Hz, rather than 60.
The cameras are better in all regards, though a ToF sensor is missing.
The Mate X2 also has stereo audio.
Summary
The Huawei Mate X2 is a solid foldable phone.
Unlike many foldable phones, it features an excellent camera set.
Performance is generally reasonable across the board, though its not quite top tier.
Concerns about the lifespan of the fold in the screen are likely to be difficult to assuage.
The price, however, is likely to be the main issue.
Flagship phones with significantly better performance and features are available for more than $1000 less.
The real question is do you really want, or need, a phone that folds?
