One year after revealing their first folding device, the Mate X, Huawei is back with a updated version, the Huawei Mate Xs.
In the wake of the cancelled MWC, Huawei announced the device via means of a virtual presentation. The Mate Xs is an updated version of last years Mate X. The device was only available in limited quantities in China, however Huawei have promised that that Mate Xs will have a more widespread release.
Foldables are the next big thing, hot on the heels of the recently announced Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. However the Mate Xs can be compared more to the Samsung Galaxy Fold in terms of form factor.
The main display is a 6.6″ OLED, which then folds outwards to form a 8″ tablet. Unlike the Z Flip which Samsung claims uses a new type of ultra thin glass, the Mate Xs uses aerospace-grade polyamid (a special plastic). This means it may not be as durable and susceptible to scratches.
The Mate Xs features an updated hinge technology which Huawei calls “Falcon Wing”. This mechanism consists of over 100 interlocking parts.
In terms of software, the Mate Xs runs Android 10 with EMUI 10.0.1 on top. There are no Google services to be seen here due to last years trade ban. Huawei did show off their alternative to the Google Play Store, the App Gallery. It remains to be seen how Huawei will fare getting developers on board.
Other software tweaks include the ability to run multiple apps side by side to make the use of the 8 inch display in tablet mode.
Huawei have once again teamed up with Leica with the camera technology. There is quad lens which also doubles as the selfie camera due to the way the Mate Xs folds. There is a 40 MP wide-angle lens,, a 16 MP ultra wide-angle lens, a 8 MP 3x telephoto lens and a Time-of-Flight sensor.
Under the hood the Mate Xs is powered by Huawei’s new Kirin 990 processor. It supports 5G, however it is the slower sub-6 variety and not mmWAVE. On board there is also 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. This is expandable by up to 256GB using Huawei’s proprietary NM SD card.
Keeping the Mate Xs powered is a 4500mAh battery cell. It supports USB-C 40W Huawei SuperCharge technology which can charge the device to 85% in just 30 minutes.
Huawei didn’t mention a release date for the Mate Xs, however pricing comes in at a hefty €2500. Stay locked for updated availability when it is announced.