[Review] Folding Phone Outward, Tried Huawei 'Mate Xs2'

Improved Hinge Thickness and Screen Crease with Outfolding Design
Durability Concerns... LTE Only Supported

Huawei 'Mate Xs2'

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] Recently, as the foldable smartphone market has emerged as a battleground for global smartphone manufacturers, I had the opportunity to experience Huawei's 'Mate Xs2,' which was released last April.

Huawei held the 'Huawei Connect 2022' event in Bangkok, Thailand, from the 19th to the 21st (local time). The event showcased Huawei's latest smartphones, including the foldable phone 'Mate Xs2,' attracting attention.

The first impression is a wide and large screen that feels refreshing. It features a 6.5-inch display when folded and a 7.8-inch OLED display when unfolded. The screen refresh rate is 120Hz.

Huawei 'Mate Xs2'

The most striking feature is its outward folding, or outfolding, design. Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z series, which we are familiar with, adopts an inward folding, or infolding, style like a book. This unfamiliar folding method piqued interest. When folding, it is similar to infolding, but to unfold the folded screen, you need to press a button on the back.

The Mate Xs2, which adopts the outfolding method, has a thinner hinge and almost no visible wrinkles on the display compared to infolding smartphones. Because the hinge is thin, it feels slim even when folded. However, since it folds outward, making the display exposed, it has lower durability and is vulnerable to external conditions such as temperature. According to the industry, infolding has a lower display curvature radius, making it technically more challenging than outfolding. Currently, in the foldable phone market, infolding smartphones, including the Galaxy Z series, are mainstream.

The weight is 255g, which is 45g lighter than its predecessor (300g). The screen thickness is 11mm when unfolded and 5.4mm when folded, making it not uncomfortable to operate with one hand despite its large size.

Huawei 'Mate Xs2'

The main camera is 50 million pixels. It is equipped with a 13 million pixel ultra-wide camera and an 8 million pixel telephoto camera. The front camera is 10 million pixels.

The overall user experience felt smooth. However, it is regrettable that due to U.S. sanctions, it uses Huawei's own OS, 'HarmonyOS 2,' instead of Google's Android operating system (OS). The Google Play Store is also unavailable. Although it is a premium smartphone priced at about 2.76 million KRW (1,999 euros), a downside is that it supports only LTE, not 5G.