Folding smartphones continue to take over the market, and for proof of this we only have to look at Huawei’s latest launch, the Huawei Mate X2 , which boasts an improved folding design compared to the last generation and, if that were not enough, it incorporates a system periscope lens on your camera. 

Huawei Mate X2: renewed folding design : Huawei Mate X2, the first folding mobile with a periscope camera

Let’s start with the main course: the screen, which exhibits an 8-inch diagonal with a square aspect ratio of 8: 7.1 . when unfolded, this is coupled with a resolution of 2,480 x 2,200 pixels. As you can see, there is also an external screen, but this has a size of 6.45 inches and a traditional 21: 9 aspect. 

It is important to note that both screens are OLED type and achieve a refresh rate of 90hz , as well as full coverage of the DCI-P3 color space. However, the external screen beats the internal one in touch sampling frequency, being in a ratio of 240Hz vs 180Hz. 

With that said, the innovation here lies in the internal display hinge mechanism. As the company explains, carbon fiber panels and zirconium-based liquid metal were used for the hinge, allowing the terminal to close smoothly, with the inner panel forming a tear shape to avoid wrinkles. 

As can be seen in the images, this has also affected the design of the body. As a result, the Huawei Mate X2 exhibits an asymmetrical profile , being thicker where the cameras are located, but thinner at the opposite end. However, when closed everything fits perfectly, even better than on the Mate XS. 

If we go to the dimensions of size, the Mate X2 measures 161.8 x 145.8 x 4.4 / 8.2 mm unfolded and weighs about 295 grams, so it is not exactly light, but it was to be expected. 

Finally, it is worth mentioning that there is a fingerprint reader mounted on the right side of the terminal. 

What’s inside : Huawei Mate X2, the first folding mobile with a periscope camera

We already know what the Huawei Mate X2 has in store for us on the outside, but what drives it? Well, nothing more nor less than Huawei’s flagship chip: the 5nm Kirin 9000 . This chip is accompanied by a MaliG78 MP24 GPU and by 8GB of RAM. Meanwhile, the internal storage options range from 256GB to 512GB. 

Obviously it is a 5G mobile, but not so obvious is the fact that Huawei optimized the antenna arrangement so that the signal reception is just as good no matter how the terminal is held. 

The Huawei Mate X2 is optimized for multitasking between apps, including multiple windows of the same app

Feeding the terminal we will find a 4,500mAh battery ; This is certainly a reduced capacity considering it has 2 gigantic screens to power, but it makes up for it with 55W fast charging via the USB Type-C port. 

Curiously, the Huawei Mate X2 clings to Android 10, although with the EMUI 11 interface of course, and we say curiously since the debut of HarmonyOS  on this device was speculated  . 

Operating system aside, connectivity options range from 5G SA / NSA to  WiFi  6, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC. The only thing that itself lacks this terminal is  Jack  3.5mm audio. 

Cameras : Huawei Mate X2, the first folding mobile with a periscope camera

The quad camera on the back (developed in conjunction with Leica) orbits the 50MP main module with 1 / 1.28-inch RYYB sensor . It has an aperture of f / 1.9 and is compatible with OIS and can record video in 4K. This is followed by a 16MP wide-angle lens with a 17mm focal length that acts as a macro camera (2.5cm) at the same time.  

However, it is the 8MP and 12MP telephoto sensors that get all the attention, as they bring 10x and 3x optical zoom to the whole. There is only one “front” camera and it is on the secondary screen, again being a 16MP sensor with f / 2.2 aperture. 

Availability and price of the Huawei Mate X2 

As expected, Huawei’s folding smartphone is only for sale in China at the moment, where it costs 18,000 yuan in its base version, which would be 2,300 euros in exchange. Meanwhile, the 512GB version will be sold for 19,000 yuan (2,422 euros) starting on February 25. 

There is no information yet that points to an international launch, but we will be attentive to any changes.