As a writer for Recenzije.com.hr, I aim to provide in-depth, hands-on reviews of new technology, and the Huawei Mate Xs is no exception. The title of this article echoes the excitement surrounding this device, a reimagined folding smartphone that promises a larger screen, innovative features, and daily use challenges. When I first got my hands on the Mate Xs, I immediately thought about what this title or introductory phrase means for a regular user looking for a reliable device, rather than just a technological marvel. In this introduction, I aim to provide context and set the stage for a more detailed discussion of the practical experiences, rather than just technical specs.
The Design and Display
A design that attempts a new form
Huawei Mate Xs continues the familiar Falcon Wing design, albeit with an emphasis on finer details and precision. The title of this section already highlights the importance of design in the user experience, as the word “title” refers not only to the heading but also to how the device presents its identity. The body remains compact, with a thickness ranging from 5.4 mm at its thinnest point to 11 mm at its thickest, making it one of the few devices that tries to maintain an elegant look despite its folding nature. The materials and finish feel sturdy and offer a certain degree of premium comfort, but they also reveal the limitations of the hardware that drives the system.
The Display: Overcoming Creases and Folding
The main display is an 8.0-inch OLED screen when the device is fully open, with a resolution of 2200 x 2480 pixels. When the device is closed, we get a compact 6.6-inch panel with a resolution of 1140 x 2480 pixels. This means the experience is versatile and adaptable to different scenarios—reading news, playing games, or watching multimedia content. However, there’s a known issue: a visible crease from the folding mechanism and a mini line where the screen meets the hinge. In practice, if you view the device from a perpendicular angle, the line becomes less noticeable, but it’s not completely eliminated. The manufacturer has implemented a double-layer polymide film with optically clear adhesive in the middle to make the screen more robust. Nonetheless, scratches remain a possibility, and protection with a basic mask minimally addresses the issue. In practice, the first era of such displays still carries a perception of risk, but with more experience, the Mate Xs seems easier to use daily than earlier iterations—but users must be cautious with surfaces and screen use in pockets.
Focus on Edges and Dust Control
The crucial part of the design is the new Falcon Wing actuation mechanism—although the name remains familiar, the construction has been revised to further limit dust and dirt that could reach the hinge. In practice, it’s observed that the back of the hinge sometimes leaves a visible visual mark when exposed to the screen; this is part of the designer’s compromise that allows an open, full display but also opens the possibility of future software updates. On the other hand, the design with flexible assumptions allows for a cool airflow protocol known as Flying Fish Fin cooling, which helps maintain temperature without needing multiple openings on the chassis. Overall, the Mate Xs leaves the impression of a premium, yet practical device—design is one of the reasons this model is still looked at as an important step in the evolution of folding phones.
Hardware, Camera, and Performance
Chipset, Memory, and Efficiency
Under the hood, the Mate Xs gets much stronger motor than the original model. The new Kirin 990 5G, a middle card of performance with an octa-core processor (2×2.86 GHz Cortex-A76, 2×2.36 GHz Cortex-A76, 4×1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) and Mali-G76 MP16 graphics. With 8GB of RAM and 512GB of internal memory, the device offers impressively powerful performance as well as ample space for many photos, videos, and other content that a foldable device today might carry. In practice, everyday tasks—scrolling, watching video content, multi-window mode—work smoothly and without hiccups, with the system adapting to different scenarios, whether watching content on the main display or switching between two formats. Performance is conditioned by software optimizations that Huawei implements through EMUI 10, where the folding nature of the device requires something different in terms of memory management and power control; with these implementations, the Mate Xs provides a reliable, palpable strength for most tasks.
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