Buyer's guide. Comparison of smartphones with a flexible screen, Huawei Mate Xs 2 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4

Hello.

It's no secret that I am a fan of smartphones with flexible screens, because in a relatively compact body

hiding a large screen that allowed meabandon the tablet as a second device. It is nice to have a large screen with you always and everywhere in order to read, write or watch something. It's also a pleasure to play on such a screen, despite the different display geometry.

The first company with such smartphones wasSamsung. Actually, today it is the market leader, last year the company sold more than 10 million smartphones with flexible screens, it occupies more than 90% of this market. And, as a result, sets the standards, the same Huawei copied the Galaxy Fold2, as well as other companies. But they could not make them mass-produced and sell outside of China (hello, patents!). Look at Huawei Mate X2, the resemblance to the Fold is complete.

There are many clones of the same Fold on the market, thisthe form factor has become the main one (as well as the repetition of the Z Flip, that is, a compact clamshell). It is curious to see how applicable in life is another form factor, which was used in Huawei Mate Xs 2, when the screen is turned outward and it is alone.

Specifications
Design, dimensions, controls
More Flexible Screen Scenarios - Void Mate
Flexible screen setup and single screen
Main screen quality, SPen support
Battery and operating time
Cameras - image quality
Additional options and aspects
Bottom line - who wins?

Let's take a close look at the different capabilities of smartphones, assess how they are adapted to life, and start with a comparison of technical characteristics.

Specifications

	Z Fold4 (2022)	Huawei Mate Xs 2 (2022)
Dimensions and weight	155.1 x 130.1 x 6.3 mm - open 155.1 x 67.1 x 14.2 mm - closed 263 grams	156.5 x 139.3 x 5.4 mm - open 156.5 x 75.5 x 11.1 mm - closed 255 grams
Body materials	Stainless steel, reinforced aluminium, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+	Chassis part made of titanium, plastic
Display	External screen 6.2 inches, HD+ 2316 × 904 pixels (23.1: 9), Super AMOLED, automatic brightness control, protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass Victus +, AlwaysOn Display</ p> Internal screen 7.6 inches, 2176x1812 pixels (21.6:18), 373 ppi, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, auto brightness control, AlwaysOn Display, HDR10+, refresh rate 120Hz (1-120Hz), adaptive mode, glass, up to 1200 nits S Pen support	One screen, in the folded and unfolded state, the diagonal and resolution differ. OLED, 120 Hz, adaptive mode, automatic brightness control, AlwaysOn Display, maximum brightness up to 800 nits</ p> External screen 6.5 inches, 2480×1176 pixels Internal screen 7.8 inches, 2480x2200 pixels (8:7.1)
operating system	Google Android 12L, OneUI 4.1.1	Google Android 11, EMUI 12 No Google services
Platform	Snapdragon 8+ Gen.1 for all markets	Snapdragon 888 for all markets
Memory	12/256 GB (224 GB user available), 12/512 GB options, 12/1 TB, UFS 3.1 No memory cards RAM LPDDR5	8/512 GB UFS 3.1 NM memory card up to 256 GB LPDDR5 RAM
Wireless interfaces	Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac/ax, dual band (Wi-Fi 6e), Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, ANT+ 5G: NSA, </ p> 5G sub-6 LTE: Enhanced 4×4 MIMO, Up to 7CA, LAA, LTE Cat.20, download speed up to 2.0 Gb/s, upload speed up to 150 Mb/s LTE bands:B1(2100), B2(1900), B3(1800), B4(AWS), B5(850), B7(2600), B8(900), B12(700), B13(700), B17(700), B18(800), B19(800), B20(800), B25(1900), B26(850), B28(700), B32(1500), B66(AWS-3) B38(2600), B39(1900) , B40(2300), B41(2500) 5G Bands: N1(2100), N3(1800), N5(850), N7(2600), N8(900), N28(700) N40(2300),N77(3700),N78(3500)	Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac/ax, dual-band (Wi-Fi 6), Bluetooth 5.2, NFC</ p> 5G no 4G FDD LTE: Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/18/19/20/26/28
Network	nanoSIM (two physical cards) eSIM	nanoSIM (two physical cards)
Navigation	GPS/Beidou/Galileo - dual-band GPS	GPS/Beidou/Galileo - dual-band GPS
Sensors and connectors	USB Type C (USB 3.2), USB OTG Accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, hall sensor Fingerprint sensor built into the side face unlock	USB Type C (USB 3.1), USB OTG Accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, barometer, gyroscope, compass, geomagnetic sensor, hall sensor Fingerprint sensor built into the side face unlock
Main camera	Main: camera with three modules: - Main: 50 MP, 1.0 μm, F1.8, PDAF, OIS, Super Speed Dual Pixel AF - Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, 1.12 μm, F2.2, OIS - Telephoto: 10 MP, 1.0 μm, F2.4, OIS, PDAF, x3 optical zoom, x30 hybrid	Main: camera with three modules: - Main: 50 MP True-Chroma (f / 1.8), PDAF, laser autofocus - Ultra wide angle: 13 MP (f / 2.2), PDAF, OIS 8 MP - Telephoto: 3.5x (f / 2.4) with optical stabilization 4K video recording (30 fps)
Front-camera	10 MP (f/2.2), 2PD, 1/3.4", 1.22 μm Bokeh effect, various additional effects, autofocus On the inner screen 4 MP, hidden (second generation)	10.7 MP (f/2.2), 2PD, 1/3.4", 1.22 μm Bokeh effect, various additional effects, autofocus
Battery	Li-Ion 4400 mAh Fast charge 25 W, 100% in 62 minutes; Fast wireless charging (15W), reverse wireless charging (up to 9W) PD 3.0 No charger included	Li-Ion 4600 mAh Fast charge 66W, 100% in 55 minutes; No wireless charging
Degree of protection	IPX8 - Complete water protection	There is no protection
Colors	Black, graphite, beige (plus dark red on Samsung website)	Black, purple and beige
Sound	Dolby Atmos, two speakers	Two speakers
Payment system	Google Pay, Samsung Pay	Huawei Pay
Flex Mode	Yes	Not
DeX mode	Yes (including WiFi)	No (analogue relative)
Price in Russia	169,990 rubles at the time of release (parallel import) 120 thousand rubles on the gray market	139,990 rubles at the time of release

Miscellaneous

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Design, dimensions, controls

The main difference is how the flexiblescreens, Samsung hid it inside and placed an external display outside. The Mate Xs 2 has one screen turned outward, that is, you see the display from all sides of the case.

An additional film covers the flexible screen, butin the case of Huawei, it is outside, which increases the chances of damaging it by an order of magnitude. The kit includes a case that allows you to hide one half of the screen, reduce your risks.

The problem with the case is that it is very convoluted,to open the device, you need to make extra efforts to move the cover. There is no simple movement here, you are applying mental effort every time. And this is violence against a person on the part of designers.

Huawei warns that the film on the screencan be damaged, they offer to replace it in service centers. And this should be done only there, you definitely won’t be able to do it on your own, especially since the film “rides” here, enters the case by a couple of millimeters when opened. In a word, there is something to think about. Unlike the Fold, the film picks up hand marks quickly.

When closed, the dimensions of the Mate Xs 2 are very similar to the S22 Ultra, these devices are as close as possible in terms of sensations.

The design option chosen for the Mate is notassumes the presence of wireless charging, so the device does not have it, it is impossible to place it here. Of the features, I also note that the device does not have water protection (IPX8 in Fold4).

The Fold4 fits better in the hand, as it is noticeably narrower.

But Mate is difficult to fit in my hand, even taking into account the fact that I'm used to large devices. Edges are cut. And even the large thickness of Fold4 does not play a role here.

The ergonomics of Huawei's solution is noticeably worse, since to open the smartphone you need to press a button, pull the halves, and straighten them. With a case, there are other additional steps.

If in Fold4 the main screen has a crease, then in Mate there is a break in the middle, that is, the crease is protruding. The screen is still not smooth, the finger feels its elevation in the middle.

Which one you prefer is a matter of taste. As far as I'm concerned, there isn't much of a difference. When you look at the screen in a normal way, both devices look the same.

Drop resistance is higher on the Fold, internalthe screen is hidden, and it is almost impossible to damage it (the external screen is often beaten). In Mate, a careless fall on any object, and you can say goodbye to the only screen, it is not protected by anything. At the same time, the external screen of the Fold is covered with the latest generation of glass - Corning Gorilla Glass Victus +.

Carry Mate in your pocket with other itemscontraindicated, too fragile external screen, it can be damaged. As well as in a bag, it is better to hide it from all other things. It was painful for me, I used to put two smartphones in one pocket, not an option for Mate. The protruding camera block on the Fold will easily damage this device in your pocket and erase the film.

The Mate has an aluminum frame, the sashes are made oftitanium alloy for lighter construction. But the back of the device is made of plastic that is rough to the touch. In Fold4 we are dealing with matte glass, it is very pleasant to the touch.

Most of the time I use Mate, I don'tI open the screen, because by default the “outer” screen is quite large. But using it with one hand is not very convenient, unlike Fold, where on the external screen you can reply to a message on the go or do something else. In Fold, the design is thought out for real use cases, they are taken from life. Mate was just trying to make a bigger screen without thinking about how to use it.

And you need to be extremely careful with Mate, as the screen is at risk. It can be damaged, it is not hidden in any way, and this is frustrating.

More Flexible Screen Scenarios - Void Mate

I expected Huawei to come up with somescreen scenarios that are flexible. But the fact is that with such a design they are simply impossible. Fold4 has a Flex mode that allows you to open the device halfway, the application menu immediately changes. So you can divide the screen into two parts, work in two applications at the same time.

Or you can do it differently - open the device so that the picture is displayed on an external screen, then you use the front camera associated with it.

The most important achievement of Fold is that no stand is needed, the device itself acts as such. And you can literally work with it anywhere.

Does it exist in Mate? Not! The reason is the wrong form factor. The manufacturer also warns about the fragility of the body in the area of the cameras.

Flexible screen setup and single screen

Fold4 has two independent screens, you cancustomize each individually to your preference. For example, make the external screen brighter for outdoor use, the main screen - not so blinding for indoors. And that's your personal preference.

There is only one screen in Mate, and even the software did not provide settings for different usage scenarios, that is, you have the same thing both outdoors and indoors. It's sad.

Main screen quality, SPen support

Both screens have a square geometry, whichleaves black bars when watching a video, everything is similar here. But the screen in Mate is noticeably larger, it is chic due to its size. The difference is not so great, but here the Mate's gain is obvious - the larger the screen, the better. In the sun, the behavior of the displays is the same, the picture remains readable, they do not glare.

The Mate doesn't have stylus support, of course, while the Fold4 works with the S Pen (you'll need to buy it separately).

Above, I talked about the oleophobic coating in Mate, it is bad, handprints constantly remain on the screen. And this is an annoying moment in this model.

You may not need an S Pen, you don't know forwhat to use it. But in the end, I can say that the Mate wins only with the screen size plus the fact that there are many settings to reduce flicker (Samsung has historically not seen this as a problem, and I think they are right). But if you are worried about PWM, then Mate is for you, there are a lot of settings related to the fight against flicker.

Battery and operating time

Comparable battery capacity, but the Mate has one largescreen and its power consumption is higher. Therefore, it all depends on your work scenarios, how exactly you use the device. In general, it turns out approximately comparable time - 4-5 hours of screen operation (if in Fold4 this is the main screen). But if you actively use an external screen, then the operating time in the Fold will increase a little, the gain is not so significant as to speak of it as an advantage. The operating time of both models is comparable.

The Mate comes with fast charging, the Fold does not have it - a plus in karma for Huawei. And I'm still baffled by the idea of selling a device of this class without charging.

For the Mate, the downside is that there is no wireless charging, nor is there reverse charging – a flagship without those options looks amazing.

Cameras - image quality

Fold4
Mate

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The front cameras provide similar image quality.

Fold4
Mate

At the same time, the main camera unit is more interesting, onMy opinion is Samsung. The new 50-megapixel module has very interesting characteristics. However, you can compare the photos yourself and draw your own conclusions.

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Mate

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Mate

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Formally, the telephoto module in the Mate has a magnification of x3.5, but the image quality is worse than in the module on the Fold.

Fold4
Mate
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Original photos (zip, 136 MB)
Original zoom photos (zip, 36 MB)

In general, the set of cameras in the Fold is more interesting, they are balanced and often produce a beautiful picture. Although the taste and color of all felt-tip pens are different. The main thing is that the main module is plus or minus the same level.

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Additional options and aspects

Huawei does not have access to the latest versionsAndroid, so the device does not support Google services, but only Android 11 inside. At the same time, the Fold4 has Android 12L, and in the next four years it will receive four more versions of Android. In Huawei, they will not be able to support their device for so long, the circulation is too small, it is expensive.

For Russia, the lack of 5G in Huawei does not look critical, but buyers of such devices travel even today, alas, there is a loss.

Solution performance can be calledthe same, in Fold4 a new version of the chipset from Qualcomm, it is better. But the average user is unlikely to notice any difference, both solutions are worthy, both work well.

The presence of an eSIM in the Fold is perceived as the norm, the absence in the Mate as an absurdity for 2022.

On the Fold4 side, there is a Knox mode (protectedfolder), Huawei has something similar, but the solution has a number of flaws. Huawei has nothing like DeX mode, which can turn a TV with a Wi-Fi connected smartphone into a full-fledged computer. This is how a fair amount of differences are accumulated in small things, in addition to those listed above.

Bottom line - who wins?

I'll give you a seditious thought:it all depends on exactly what you need. Externally, Mate Xs 2 does not have a fashion component, it looks like a familiar device - nothing betrays the presence of a flexible screen in it.

Not recognizing a model with a flexible screen in Fold is extremelydifficult, it is noticeable. Accordingly, the image component here is at the level. From a practical point of view, two screens win me over, as does the variety of use cases (Flex mode is not needed every day, but when it is needed, without it it's like without hands). Ergonomics is on the side of the Fold, it is noticeably more comfortable, you can carry it anywhere in your pockets and not be afraid to damage any screen.

The cost of models plus or minus is comparable, but Mate,except for the large screen, which is turned outward, it cannot boast of anything. Here, virtually everything that is possible for the flagship has been cut. More internal storage in the base variant is an attempt to mask the absence of many useful things (eSIM, wireless charging, 5G and the list goes on).

Huawei fans (yes, there are those on our planet)they cannot admit that in this model something can be worse than in Fold. Above are the facts that show the differences between these models. Finally, I want to note that, it turns out, a lot of people adhere to my point of view, judging by the number of Fold4 sold in Russia (grey market and parallel deliveries). On the networks of Russian operators, there is one Mate Xs 2 per 21 Fold4. The latter is a very rare model in our area, despite the fact that it is officially supplied.

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