Huawei Mate Xs: brand's second foldable phone is tougher and faster

Huawei Mate Xs: brand's second foldable phone is tougher and faster
(Image credit: Huawei)

Huawei has revealed the latest version of its folding phone, the Mate Xs – and it promises to be tougher, faster and take better photos than last year's Mate X.

In light of Mobile World Congress being cancelled due to coronavirus concerns, the Chinese brand has shed light its latest foldable, in addition to an iPad Pro-rivalling MatePad Pro 5G tablet and a Sound X smart speaker, via a virtual press conference this afternoon.

The Mate Xs is powered by a more powerful processor, Huawei's Kirin 990 5G, than the one running the Mate X. It also has a more advanced, quad-camera system that combines 40MP wide-angle, 16MP ultra-wide-angle, 8MP Telephoto and ToF 3D lenses, developed with camera specialist Leica.

The 8in OLED display is supposedly tougher, while the all-important Falcon Wing hinge mechanism is said to be 30 per cent stronger. And lastly, there's a 4500mAh battery onboard that can be replenished to 85 per cent in just 30 minutes thanks to Ultra Fast 55W SuperCharge.

(Image credit: Huawei)

Despite these impressive-at-face-value specs, the Mate Xs still has to contend with not having Google’s Android apps or the Play Store, as Huawei is still on the US trade blacklist. Instead it, like the Mate 30 Pro, runs Huawei’s EMUI 10 OS, based on the open-source Android platform.

The Huawei Mate Xs with 8GB RAM and 512GB of internal storage is priced €2499 – slightly more than the Samsung Galaxy Fold and considerably more than Samsung's latest Galaxy Z Flip foldable, then – and will be available globally next month.

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Becky Roberts

Becky is the managing editor of What Hi-Fi? and, since her recent move to Melbourne, also the editor of Australian Hi-Fi magazine. During her 10+ years in the hi-fi industry, she has reviewed all manner of audio gear, from budget amplifiers to high-end speakers, and particularly specialises in headphones and head-fi devices. In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.