We will check out two really interesting foldable devices from Samsung and Huawei. These two devices are both quite large, but at the same time remarkably different. We will compare the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 with the Huawei Mate Xs 2. The former folds inward, the latter outward, although both fold. The former folds inward, while the latter folds outward, although both fold vertically. There is a lot to talk about and you might be surprised by some of the differences, especially in design.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 was announced earlier this month, while the Mate Xs 2 was launched earlier this year. The Mate Xs 2, however, has been slow to reach global markets. That said, we will list their specifications first and then move on to the other categories. We will compare design, display, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. Before proceeding, however, we remind you that the Huawei Mate Xs 2 does not have Google services and is not available in many markets like the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Design
Both devices are quite large in a general sense, but at the same time they are very different from each other. The Huawei Mate Xs 2 is considerably thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 4. It is thinner even when open, but its thinness stands out when the phone is folded. It is thinner even when open, but its thinness stands out when the phone is folded. It is thinner even when it is open, but its thinness stands out when the phone is folded. It is thinner even when it is open, but its thinness stands out when the phone is folded. It is thinner even when open, but its thinness fully stands out when the phone is folded. The thickness is only 11.1 mm when folded, compared to 14.2-15.8 mm for the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
The Huawei Mate Xs 2 also looks like a normal smartphone with pronounced curves when folded. This is not the case with the Galaxy Z Fold 4. However, this design has its downsides. When folded, almost half of the display is exposed at the back, so not using a case is a bad idea. Also, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is easier to fold, while the Huawei Mate Xs 2 fails to fit satisfactorily.
Both devices have thin bezels, although those on the Mate Xs 2 seem significantly thinner and its curves only enhance this. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 has two displays, while the Mate Xs 2 has only one. Half of it remains inactive when the phone is folded. The two phones are similar in terms of height, while the Mate Xs 2 is wider both when closed and open. It is actually much wider when folded.
Display
Both phones feature a flexible AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, although the panel on the Mate Xs 2 is slightly larger (7.8 inches) than the 7.6 inches on the Galaxy Z Fold4. While the Mate Xs 2 makes do with a hole for taking selfies, the Galaxy Z Fold4 continues to use an under-display camera to keep the large display seamless.
The foldable display of the Mate Xs 2 has a nearly square aspect ratio, and Samsung has taken this into account with the Galaxy Z Fold4, modifying the foldable phone to make it shorter and wider so that it too has a nearly square aspect ratio.
Cameras
Samsung has finally equipped the Galaxy Z Fold4’s main camera with a high-resolution sensor, making it able to compete with the Mate Xs 2’s 50-megapixel main camera. The Galaxy Z Fold4 adds OIS to its new main camera, making it better than the Mate Xs 2 on paper. Both phones are pretty much on par in terms of the ultra-wide-angle camera and the selfie camera (the Galaxy Z Fold4 has two selfie cameras, the other of which is 10 megapixels and is located in a hole on the outer display), and both have a telephoto lens.
The Mate Xs 2 has an 8-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom and OIS, while the Galaxy Z Fold4 uses a 10-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom. Both folding phones have a good set of camera features, including the ability to shoot 4K video at up to 60 FPS.
Performance
However, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has more powerful technical specifications. The Huawei Mate Xs 2 uses the Snapdragon 888, which is Qualcomm’s flagship from last year. This chip is also limited to 4G connectivity on the phone, and all because of U.S. sanctions. The Galaxy Z Fold 4, on the other hand, uses the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, the latest and greatest that Qualcomm has to offer.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 comes with 12 GB of LPPDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash memory. The Huawei Mate Xs 2 has 8 or 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash memory. Do these specifications translate into good performance? Yes, they do. Although the Mate Xs 2 has an older SoC, it keeps up with the Galaxy Z Fold 4 in terms of performance. The Snapdragon 888 is still extremely powerful, so this is not surprising.
Neither phone gets too hot during use, although they do get hot if you play games intensely. Occasional stuttering is noticeable on both phones, but we did not notice any noteworthy lag. Both work very well no matter what you are doing. As a reminder, the Huawei Mate Xs 2 does not have Google services.
Audio
If you were hoping that at least one of these two phones would have an audio jack, we are sorry to disappoint. You will have to rely on the Type-C port on the bottom of each phone or a wireless connection via Bluetooth. In this regard, both devices offer Bluetooth 5.2. Both are equipped with stereo speakers, which do a great job. Samsung’s are tuned by AKG and have a different sound profile. Both speakers achieve sufficient volume and are quite crisp.
Battery Life
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a 4,400 mAh battery, while the global variant of the Mate Xs 2 includes a 4,600 mAh battery. This is the only configuration for global markets, but a 4,880 mAh model is also available in China, in addition to the 4,600 mAh model. In any case, remember that we used the global variant of the phone, so we are talking about a model of the device with a 4,600 mAh battery. That said, let’s start with the Galaxy Z Fold 4. The battery life of the device does not seem to be exceptional. We managed to reach 6 hours of screen on, but not regularly.
Our usage was closer to 4-5 hours of screen on. By the way, we did not play a lot of games. However, we took photos, used Google Maps, surfed the web, sent emails, used TikTok and so on. So, the battery life was not outstanding. What about the Huawei Mate Xs 2? It too did not impress in terms of battery life. With similar usage as the Galaxy Z Fold 4, it performed even worse. So neither of these two folders offers exceptional battery life, at least in our experience.
Conclusion
Of course, it depends on personal preference and willingness to do without Google services, which the Huawei Mate Xs 2 does not offer. If possible, you should “hands-on” both models in a showcase and see if you are willing to live with the Samsung’s narrow and tall outer screen. If not, the Huawei Mate Xs 2 will certainly not be a step down. The latter offers a more natural user experience when folded, but the absence of Google services is a very difficult trade-off for many. However, we must admit that Huawei and its HarmonyOS are indeed a good alternative. Samsung definitely offers better and long-term software support and allows the purchase of an old device and subsequent return of up to 400 euros.
