(Pocket-lint) – Huawei’s second generation of its foldable smartphone comes in the form of the Mate X2.

The Chinese company changed the format of the folding device from its predecessor – the Mate X and Xs- moving from a foldable display on the outside, to an inward folding display, like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series. 

If you’re in the market for a vertically folding smartphone, here is how the Huawei Mate X2 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 compare.

Design

• Mate X2: 161.8 x 145.8 x 4.4-8.2mm unfolded / 161.8 x 74.6 x 13.6-14.7mm / 295g
• Z Fold 2: 159.2 x 128.2 x 6.9mm unfolded / 159.2 x 68 x 16.8mm folded / 282g

The Huawei Mate X2 features a vertical folding display, in a book-style design. It has a glass rear with a prominent rectangular camera housing in the top left corner, a metal frame and a full display with dual cut-out cameras on the front when folded. 

When unfolded, the premium device has a large 8-inch screen. The hinge is multi-dimensional according to Huawei, creating a water dropped-shaped cavity for the display when the phone is folded, allowing for no gap at all when shut. There’s also a wedge-like design that is just 4.4mm at the slimmest point. It comes in White, Black, Crystal Blue and Crystal Pink colours.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a similar form to the Mate X2 in that it offers a vertical fold in a book-style design. It too has a glass rear, with a rectangular camera housing in the top left corner, as well as a metal frame and a single, centralised punch hole camera on the front when folded.

When unfolded, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a slightly smaller 7.6-inch display. It’s hinge allows for multiple viewing angles but there is a slight gap at the fold of the device when folded. It comes in Mystic Bronze and Mystic Black colours.

Display

• Mate X2: 8-inch unfolded, 6.45-inch folded, 8-inch unfolded, OLED, 90Hz refresh rate
• Z Fold 2: 6.23-inch folded, 7.6-inch unfolded, OLED, 120Hz refresh rate

The Huawei Mate X2 has a 6.45-inch OLED display with resolution of 2700 x 1160 and a pixel density of 456ppi on the front when folded. It features a 21:9 aspect ratio and a 90Hz refresh rate.

As mentioned above, it has dual punch-hole front cameras in the top left of the display and there are very minimal bezels. When unfolded, the Mate X2 has an 8-inch OLED display with a 2480 x 2200 resolution, which results in a pixel density of 413ppi. The unfolded display has a ratio of 8:7.1. It too has a 90Hz refresh rate.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a 6.23-inch external display, making it only slightly smaller than the Mate X2. It too is an AMOLED panel and it offers a resolution of 2260 x 816 pixels and an aspect ratio of 25:9. 

When unfolded, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has an internal display of 7.6-inches. It’s Dynamic AMOLED and it has a 2208 x 1768 pixel resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 372ppi. It also has a 120Hz refresh rate and supports HDR10+.

Cameras

• Mate X2: Quad rear camera (50MP+16MP+12MP+8MP), 16MP front
• Z Fold 2: Triple rear (12MP+12MP+12MP), 10MP front

The Huawei Mate X2 has a quad camera on the rear, which features Leica technology, like Huawei’s other flagship smartphones. The camera setup includes a 50-megapixel main sensor, 16-megapixel ultra-wide angle sensor, 12-megapixel telephoto sensor, and an 8-megapixel SuperZoom sensor.

The main sensor has a f/1.9 aperture and OIS, the Ultra-wide sensor has a f/2.2 aperture, the telephoto sensor has a f/2.4 aperture and OIS with 3x optical zoom, while the SuperZoom sensor has a f/4.4 aperture, OIS and 10x optical zoom. The front camera is 16-megapixels wide angle with a f/2.2 aperture.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a triple rear camera, comprised of a 12-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel telephoto sensor and 12-megapixel Ultra-wide sensor.

The main camera has an f/1.6 aperture, dual pixel phase-detection autofocus and OIS, the telephoto lens has an aperture of f/2.4 and OIS and the ultra-wide sensor has an aperture of f/2.2. There is also a 10-megapixel front camera.

Hardware and specs

• Mate X2: Kirin 9000, 5G, 8GB RAM, 256/512GB storage, 4500mAh
• Z Fold 2: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+, 5G, 12GB RAM, 256/512GB storage, 4500mAh

The Huawei Mate X2 runs on Huawei’s own 5nm Kirin 9000 platform, making it a 5G device. It is supported by 8GB of RAM and it comes in 256GB and 512GB storage variants.

It has a 4500mAh battery under the hood that supports Huawei’s 25W SuperCharge. Huawei’s own Harmony OS can be installed over the company’s usual EMUI interface running on top of Android.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset, supported by 12GB of RAM and it comes in 256GB and 512GB storage options.

There’s a 4500mAh battery running the Fold 2, which supports 25W wired charging, 11W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. It runs Android with Samsung’s One UI over the top and there are some great multi-tasking features that make great use of the screen when unfolded. 

Price

• Mate X2: Equivalent of £1985/$2785, China
• Z Fold 2: £1799, $1999

The Huawei Mate X2 costs RMB 17,999 or 18,999, starting at the equivalent of $2785 or £1985. It is available in China only for now from 25 February. 

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 costs £1799 in the UK and $1999 in the US. 

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Conclusion

The Huawei Mate X2 is only available in the Chinese market at the moment, and it is a little more expensive than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2. On a spec-by-spec comparison though, these two devices are very similar with both tipping the scales in certain areas.

The Mate X2 has slightly larger displays both interior and exterior, arguably a more streamlined design, an extra camera on the rear and a wide-angle front camera.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 has more RAM, a higher refresh rate on the internal display and it supports Google services. It has less cameras than Huawei but the triple rear camera does offer great results.

Both devices offer the same storage options and the same battery capacities. The Samsung is more widely available though so while the Mate X2 might win on some specification areas, you’ll need to live in China to get your hands on one for now. It’s also worth remembering the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is tipped for a July 2021 launch.

Writing by Britta O’Boyle.