Foldables have existed for about six years, but this one is different. The Huawei Mate XT has not just one hinge connecting two case halves, but two that connect the three halves together. When unfolded, it reveals a 10.2-inch display. We had the opportunity to do a small test.
Advertisement
The Mate XT has been available in China since last weekend. The foldable combines the smartphone and tablet genres even more coherently than the previous Fold. The flexible display panel has an aspect ratio of about 4:3 when unfolded, making it more suitable for movies than the nearly square screen of devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6.
The general design and construction of the hinges is particularly reminiscent of the flat Honor Magic V3, only with one more element. Huawei’s Mate XT can be opened and closed with just one hand, with a lot of twisting, but its hinges make a strong impression. They ensure that the flat Flounder doesn’t feel fragile, but rather like a particularly thin, light tablet. The wide camera hump comes in handy if you want to hold the device with one hand. Fingers immediately find support there.
Huawei Mate XT in hand
Apple ID has a different name now, but it’s the same as beforeHeise Online/Shut
,
Smartphones can hardly ever be thinner, as the USB-C port is already the thickest part and you can’t make it any thinner. Fully closed, the Mate XT is about two millimeters thicker than Google’s current foldable, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. However, at around 300 grams in weight, the Mate is a pretty clunker for a smartphone – or light as a feather for a tablet, depending on the viewing angle.
Big display, old processor
Unlike current foldables, the Mate XT has not two, but just one display, which is used one-third, two-thirds or completely – depending on how wide you open the smartphone. The total resolution is 2232 x 3184 pixels, when fully closed only 1008 x 2232 pixels are used, once opened it’s 2048 x 2232 pixels. When I first tried it, the screen seemed pleasantly bright and clear; colours were more vivid than subtle.
The Kirin 9010 that powers the Huawei Mate XT is no longer exactly up to date. The eight-core processor with a maximum of 2.3 GHz is manufactured with a structure width of 7 nanometers and is fast enough for everyday smartphone use. However, you should not expect outstanding performance, for example in complex games such as “Genshin Impact”. The XT zips through Android menus and home screens quite quickly and without any noticeable delays.
Huawei’s SoC does not support 5G networks, LTE is gone. Together with the lack of Google services, this point makes it difficult to sell the Mate XT in Germany despite the exciting form factor, especially considering the price. In China, the price of the smallest storage version of the Mate XT with 256 GB is equivalent to 2,500 euros; with local taxes and duties for imports, it should be closer to 3,000 euros. Huawei currently has no plans to launch the Mate XT in Europe – it must first satisfy demand in China. More than six million pre-orders have already been received there, a company spokesman said.
(shhh)
5G and WLAN: Apple’s own chips from next year – with restrictions
