Review of the $2,000 foldable Huawei Mate Xs 2 for daily use

 

The Mate Xs 2 from Huawei is a true luxury foldable! A foldable smartphone that must compete with Samsung without Google services will cost you a staggering $2,000 up front. For my evaluation, I drove the foldable every day for a few days to see if the purchase could be somehow justified in front of partners and financial advisors.

Summary of the Huawei Mate Xs 2

The Huawei Mate Xs 2 is a powerful smartphone in terms of technology. Despite the rather questionable casing construction quality, the folding mechanism works well in regular use. The stunning 7.8-inch AMOLED screen with a 120 Hertz refresh rate is a joy for multimedia use, and the Snapdragon 888 SoC also improves performance.

We do not recommend buying the $2,000 smartphone even though it is not offered in the United States for obvious reasons. This is due to the fact that, in 2022, using an Android-powered device without Google services is still an extremely difficult procedure. This isn't just because I have to get by without my usual set of apps; it's also because there was a lacklustre attempt at localization, a tonne of bloatware, and subpar Huawei apps. Additionally, the battery life is only passable, and in 2022, the hardware appears old.

Design & Display: Well implemented concept

The folding edge of the Mate Xs 2 bends outward when it is folded. Without a cover, the 7.8-inch flexible display is therefore exposed and highly vulnerable to scratches. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you use the provided sleeve when configuring the device.