From Mate X to Mate Xs, and then to the current Mate X2, it took Huawei three years to hand over three different answers to consumers. As the first product, Mate X plays the role of opening up the territory. Although there are some regrets, it allows Huawei to realize the transformation of folding screen products from nothing; to Mate Xs, it is more like the mid-term of Mate X. The upgraded model has undergone many upgrades at the hardware and software levels, further attracting and opening up new user groups; now, as the third folding screen product, Mate X2 adopts a new inward folding solution, which is Huawei’s more foldable The exploration of morphology also makes the crowd who are still waiting and watching shine brightly.
From outside folding to inside folding, in fact, it is not only an evolution of technology, but also a change in usage habits. As a former Mate Xs user, after getting started with Mate X2, when unfolding the screen, I always want to press the button on Mate Xs to make the screen pop up by itself, but Mate X2 does not; and after unfolding and using it, I want to fold it At times, I can’t help but fold outwards, and it’s actually folded inwards; and because of the outward fold design, Mate Xs is not equipped with a selfie lens, but directly uses the rear lens to take a selfie. The Mate X2’s Selfie method will be more many. It has to be said that these are the habits that users can develop with folding screen mobile phones. From the outside to the inside, it does take some time to adapt.
Although the folding form of Mate X2 is very different from the previous two generations of products, the interaction is the same. Smart split screen, parallel vision and other gameplay make the folding screen have a higher interaction efficiency, from 0 to 3, sometimes possible You don’t need to go through 2, it can be done in one simple step. From this perspective, Mate X2 is another product with a familiar taste.
So what changes can Huawei Mate X2 bring to our daily experience? Can it withstand the scrutiny of users? Let us look at it together.
Related reading: Huawei Mate X2 real machine HD real shots
What is the difference from folding outside to folding inside?
In fact, the main thing is the change of some habits. As mentioned above, some of the habits cultivated by the Mate Xs hardware are not applicable to the Mate X2, such as the direction of turning, and the way to open the screen each time. However, I seem to have seen some similarities on the screen. The same screen ratio and the “external screen” of the same size have allowed the old users to continue their screen use habits.
Huawei Mate X2 has a 6.45-inch external screen and an 8-inch internal screen, from the external screen to the internal screen, not only from small to large, but also a seamless flow of work and life. The 6.45-inch external screen of the Mate X2 is comparable to that of mainstream smartphones, and even the same as the 6.6-inch folded Mate Xs. It can be used independently, and the ratio is 21:9, which is in line with mainstream viewing habits and grip. It won’t be tasteless because it is an external screen.
As far as the internal screen is concerned, its size and ratio are the same as Mate Xs. They are both 8 inches in size and 8:7.1 ratio. Whether it is in landscape or portrait mode, it has a wide field of vision. When folded or When splitting the screen, the screen ratio becomes 20.5:9. When we use it in a split screen, the two apps on the left and right are the same size and have the same proportions as the mainstream, making them look more comfortable.
Different from the previous two products, Huawei Mate X2 has upgraded the screen to a 90Hz refresh rate, and the internal and external screens are matched at one time. The touch sampling rate of the inner screen is 180Hz, and the touch sampling rate of the outer screen is 240Hz, which is no different from our sliding on the Mate40 series. Even the 180Hz touch adoption rate of the internal screen is the highest level among all current 7-inch or more screens.
Don’t look at the Mate X2 has two screens, but its screen refresh rate is set uniformly, either all “smart”, or all “high”, or “standard”, ensuring the experience when using the external screen and the internal screen Unite.
From the outside folding to the inside folding, the membrane has changed. Huawei Mate X2 has attached a magnetron nano-optical film, which has an ultra-low screen reflectivity of less than 1.5%, while ordinary mobile phones are only less than 5%, which is not available in previous generations of products. Usually when we use mobile phones outdoors or under lights, there will be very obvious reflections. After getting the Mate X2, we can indeed perceive the reduction of the reflection rate. In complex environments, the screen will be clearer. So after you get your hands, don’t tear the film habitually. If you tear the film, you will lose money.
From the outer folding to the inner folding, the hinge design is actually very different. Huawei Mate X2 uses a double-rotating drop hinge. Compared with the hinges of the previous two products, it has undergone a comprehensive upgrade and has a higher technical content. Through the multi-dimensional phase control linkage mechanism, a drop-shaped screen space is formed at the bend, thereby avoiding creases.
To put it simply, when we are folding, the screen at the fold becomes an arc and is hidden in the hinge. You can compare it with a piece of paper, simply bend it back, there will be a perfect arc, this time there is no crease.
After talking about the difference, let’s talk about the same place after the outer fold becomes the inner fold. Thanks to sophisticated craftsmanship, Huawei’s first two folding screen products have achieved seamless folding, but because they are folded outward, not between the screen and the screen, but between the two backplanes.
In the Mate X2, through the double wedge design, seamless folding between the screen and the screen is achieved, and it is still seamless, which is passed down in the same vein. It is precisely this design. After the Mate X2 is unfolded, the fuselage presents a smooth bevel, which gradually becomes thinner from the camera module direction. The thinnest point is only 4.4 mm. In thick places, Huawei Mate X2 is placed for comparison. The large camera module not only solves the space problem, but also achieves excellent weight trim, so there will be no center of gravity shift in the hand. When we fold the Mate X2, it will become a rectangle of equal height.
Innovative interaction, Huawei’s change and unchanged
As a folding screen flagship, Huawei Mate X2 will naturally have more ways to play in software interaction, especially for users who have used the previous two products. For me who transitioned from Mate Xs to Mate X2, some of the functions on the previous folding screen have been well continued to ensure the originality, while also achieving logical and functional innovations, making it a Mate The taste of X2.
The smart multi-window function can support multiple application split screens and floating windows at the same time. The size of the windows can also be adjusted at will, making daily use more convenient. For example, for friends who like to shop, you can open Taobao and Jingdong at the same time using the smart split screen, and then use the floating window to open the calculator to calculate the difference at any time, without having to exit the application at all, and shopping can save a lot of time.
Single application, multi-tasking function is a new gameplay of Mate X2, which is not available in previous products. For example, when opening a memo, we can open two memos and take notes at the same time, and write different content into different memos, which will be more efficient when organizing in the future. This is a single application and multitasking. In addition to the memo, WPS, Xunfei Yuji, and Evernote have also been supported.
The previously very popular parallel vision function has also been upgraded. It can realize that in the expanded state, one application, dual-screen display, drag the “vertical bar” in the middle of the screen, and you can freely adjust the size of the split screen, and the user operability is more high. For example, I usually use today’s headlines to read news. Normally, the left side is the information flow, and the right side is the news details. When we drag the “vertical bar” in the middle to the far left or right, the entire large screen will be displayed as one screen, which will make you more enjoyable when browsing. Currently Toutiao, Baidu APP, QQ mailbox, Dingding, etc. have already supported this function.
The floating window and floating ball can be switched freely to bring an efficient application switching experience. The floating window can be minimized to a floating ball, which is permanent on both sides of the screen and can be dragged at will. Open the floating ball to quickly open the application. This mode of operation is quite similar to the “minimize” on the computer, which facilitates the switching between different applications.
In terms of interaction, I personally like the new dynamic theme this time, which fits well with the characteristics of the folding screen. When we open or close the screen, the flowers on the screen will bloom or shrink, which is very vivid. With this feature, I can fold the phone all night.
For Huawei, making a folding screen is more like giving users a practical and efficient experience. After building an efficient skeleton, they start to add some details that can be icing on the cake. The new dynamic theme this time is a very Good case.
How important is ecology for folding screens?
For folding screen mobile phones, the reason why they have not been promoted on a large scale is that in addition to high research and development costs and high prices, there are also practical problems of application ecological distress.
For example, when we use a commonly used application, ordinary mobile phones are very harmonious, but if the folding screen is not adapted, there may be nothing wrong with the external screen, but when it flows to the large screen, there may be a flashback, etc. Problem adaptation problem, at this time, isn’t it a waste of money to buy a folding screen? For example, I just bought a folding screen and want to show it off to relatives and friends. Let them see what it is like to play games on the folding screen. The game will flash back as soon as the screen is unfolded, and the scene will be very embarrassing.
In response to the application ecology of folding screens, in 2019, Huawei joined hands with the Software Green Alliance to establish the first folding screen application ecology alliance and launched a complete folding development framework and design specifications. It is also in 2019 that Huawei’s first folding screen Mate X was born. Up. After that, Huawei’s folding screen application ecology gradually began to improve. By last year’s Mate Xs, there was already a high usability. This also trained me to switch between various social software, navigation software, and audio-visual entertainment software with the folding screen, because the experience of the application is completely different from folding to unfolding.
For example, Huawei Mate X2 cooperates with Huawei Video and Migu Video. Through the split screen, you can watch sports games from multiple perspectives on the one hand, and on the other hand, you can also watch multi-channel high-definition videos. Some time ago, Huawei Video released the latest version and already supports multi-screen playback, but the effect on ordinary mobile phones is not as good as on the folding screen, and the screen appears to be crowded. In addition, in terms of video sources, the current optional needs are Huawei’s film and television zone. If it can be extended to the cooperative Mango, Youku, and Tencent zones, the operability will be higher.
When we use navigation, large-screen navigation will naturally be more enjoyable, such as the very popular central control screen on Tesla. Huawei Mate X2 cooperated with Baidu Maps and AutoNavi Maps to launch the industry’s first folding large-screen sub-meter lane navigation, which not only is accurate, but also brings a broader field of vision (currently only supports Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Suzhou, Hangzhou and other 5 cities), which cannot be achieved by ordinary smart phones.
It is not difficult to see that Mate X2 starts from user needs, from hardware to interaction and then to ecology to bring users a full range of satisfaction. Products are meant to serve people, and folding screens are no exception, especially in the current era of software and hardware collaboration, applications also have a non-negligible impact on hardware. Huawei Mate X2 has made a large-scale adaptation for the head application. The TOP200 application has achieved 100% adaptation, and the TOP1000 application adaptation rate has reached 95%, which basically covers the applications that everyone uses daily. In this way, it has been achieved. The unity and completeness of the experience. The birth of Mate X2 not only allows us to experience Huawei’s new folding form, but also allows us to enjoy the application ecosystem it creates.
The top hardware configuration builds the cornerstone of the folding screen
Huawei Mate X2 is equipped with a 50-megapixel main camera, a 3x optical zoom lens, a 10x optical zoom lens, and a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, forming the strongest imaging system for Huawei’s folding screen. The 50-megapixel main camera brings strong light sensitivity, allowing us to easily shoot large movies; 3x optical zoom + 10x optical zoom dual zoom design allows you to shoot farther and clearer, up to 100 times Digital zoom has few rivals, and the 3x optical zoom lens also uses the RYYB filter array, and the amount of light has also been significantly improved; but this time the ultra-wide-angle lens is 16 million pixels, and it is a pity that the free-form lens of Mate40 Pro+ is not used.
Since the rear lens module of Huawei Mate X2 is not very different from the previous Mate40 Pro+, we will not do too much evaluation. This time we will focus on telling you that it brings the ability to take selfies. I believe this is also an aspect that many friends want to understand.
For Mate X2, there are actually two sets of Selfie solutions. The first one is to use the front 16 million pixel Selfie lens for Selfie in the conventional folded state. The operation is very simple. In daily use, you can pick it up. Take a nice selfie.
The second option is to use the rear lens module to take a selfie in the unfolded state. Is it not good for a 50-megapixel main camera to take a selfie? It can also switch between super wide-angle, telephoto and other gameplay. For girls who love selfies, they may really be able to play for a day. When using the rear camera to take a selfie, the internal screen does not work. At this time, you need to turn to the external screen and take pictures by watching the real-time image of the external screen. Personally, I think that the Mate X2 can also work on the internal screen and preview the image on the external screen. For example, when a boyfriend takes a picture of his girlfriend, it will be more practical.
For each generation of Huawei’s folding screen, the upgrade is not only the folding solution, but also the performance. For example, Huawei Mate X uses the Kirin 980+Balong5000 solution. When it comes to Mate Xs, it is upgraded to Kirin 990 5G. To this year’s Huawei Mate X2, it is equipped with the Kirin 9000 processor, which has a higher performance, and this is the first encounter between the Kirin 9000 and the folding screen.
We will not introduce too much about the performance of Kirin 9000. On the Mate40 series, I believe everyone has seen its results, let us continue to look down.
In order to better demonstrate the performance of Huawei Mate X2, we also tested the game frame rate using two games, “Honor of Kings” and “Peace Elite”. For the game “Honor of Kings”, the installation package is increasing after each update. It is difficult for mobile phones with insufficient memory performance to run smoothly. Let’s take a look at the performance of Huawei Mate X2 (Huawei Mate X2 has a 90-frame mode switch, but it cannot reach 90 frames yet, and an update package may be missing).
In this test, we set the picture quality to the highest level. From the perspective of a game, the average frame rate of Huawei Mate X2 remained at 60.3fps, and there was no obvious frame rate fluctuation throughout the game, even in the team battle of crazy release of skills. Thanks to the strong performance of the Kirin 9000, it still performs well. If you are a heavy “Glory of the King” game player, just start with peace of mind.
Judging from the feedback from netizens and our testing experience, “Peace Elite” is better than “Glory of the King”. For Huawei Mate X2, you can turn on the settings of “HDR HD” and “Ultra High” frame number. From the point of view of a game, the average frame rate of Huawei Mate X2 can reach 39.8fps. During the game, there is no obvious frame rate fluctuation in the skydiving part of the game and whether it is fierce shooting or driving scenes in the game. Excellent performance throughout.
For games, Huawei Mate X2 also has a black technology, that is, when you are using the external screen to play, you can also directly open the screen to stream the game to the larger internal screen. The whole process is very cool. , I seem to be playing a game with a small tablet in an instant, and the opponent may never know that you are actually playing a game with a folding screen.
For gaming scenarios, Huawei Mate X2 is also equipped with ultra-thin large-amplitude dual speakers, which can bring more immersive sound effects. In other respects, Huawei Mate X2 is also equipped with a 4500mAh battery that supports 55W wired fast charging, which is consistent with the previous generation of Mate Xs. However, it is a pity that the latest 66W super fast charging is not used. After I got the machine, I also used it for a period of time. In the typical scenarios of daily chatting on WeChat, Weibo, and watching videos, there is no problem with the battery life for one day. If it is a heavy game, the battery life will be shortened.
Thanks to the powerful 5G capabilities of Kirin 9000, Huawei Mate X2 performed well. We tested it in an outdoor environment with speed measurement software. Huawei Mate X2 can easily run a downlink rate of 499Mbps and an uplink rate of 48.1Mbps, with a Ping value of 9 milliseconds and a jitter of 5 milliseconds.
From the outer folding to the inner folding, Huawei Mate X2 has brought us too many surprises. As a flagship work dedicated to users by Huawei in 2021, Mate X2 has not only realized the transformation of the folding form, but also brought a more refined design; the use of aerospace materials and carbon fiber new materials is well balanced. In addition to the weight and thinness of the body, the folding screen can also find the singularity that impresses the user between opening and closing.
Of course, for a hardware product, without the support of a strong application ecology, it is like a castle in the sky. Huawei has created a very large ecology for the Mate X2. In this ecological ocean, folding becomes more meaningful. It is not difficult to see that Huawei Mate X2 redefines the industry standard of folding flagships with the comprehensive experience improvement of top hardware, innovative interaction, and application ecology.
Original: Mobile China Reviews