There are no more doubts about the fact that 5G and foldable phones are the most important innovations of 2019 regarding the mobile sector. On February 20, Samsung officially unveiled its first foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold, and just 4 days after, at MWC 2019, Huawei unveiled its Huawei Mate X, another revolutionary device with a foldable screen. They will be the first 5G foldable devices to hit the global market, and they will not be for everyone because of their very high prices. But which company created the best foldable phone out there and which one should you eventually choose? This comparison will help you find out.
Samsung Galaxy Fold vs Huawei Mate X
| Samsung Galaxy Fold | Huawei Mate X | |
|---|---|---|
| THICKNESS | Max 17 mm | 11 mm when folded, 5.4 mm thinnest part when unfolded |
| DISPLAY | Main display: 7.3 inches, 1536 x 2152p (Full HD+), 414 ppi, 16:10 ratio, Dynamic AMOLED External display: 4.6 inches HD+, 21:9 ratio, Super AMOLED |
8 inches, 2480 x 2200p (Quad HD+), AMOLED When folded two displays: 6.6 inches, 19:5 ratio + 6.38 inches, 25:9 ratio |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.8 GHz | Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 980, octa-core 2.6 GHz |
| MEMORY | 12 GB RAM, 512 GB | 8 GB RAM, 512 GB |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie | Android 9 Pie |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS |
| CAMERA | Triple 12 + 12 MP + 16 MP f/1.5-2.4 and f/2.4 and f/2.2 Dual 10 + 8 MP f/2.2 + f/1.9 front camera |
Leica triple camera with main sensor + telephoto + ultrawide lens, also usable as a front camera |
| BATTERY | 4380 mAh Fast charging 18W |
4500 mAh, Fast Charging 55W with Huawei SuperCharge |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Foldable display, secondary external display, 5G | Foldable display, 5G support |
Design
Despite being both foldable phones, these devices opt for very different solutions for their foldable displays, and that affects their build quality and resistance. While Samsung Galaxy Fold has its foldable display internally and it sports a smaller secondary display on the external side, Huawei Mate X comes with just one panel placed externally, which divides into two different displays (one on the front and one on the back, similarly to Vivo NEX Dual Display) when folded. This second approach makes Huawei Mate X potentially more fragile, especially on the hinge, while the foldable display of the Galaxy Fold is always protected when folded. On the other hand, Huawei Mate X seems to come with a thinner body, even though less compact due to the bigger screen. Which form factor do you prefer?
Display
Judging from the specs on the paper, Samsung Galaxy Fold should offer a foldable display with a higher viewing quality. It has the Dynamic AMOLED technology that should deliver a more accurate color reproduction. Further, it has a useful external display that is small (just 4.6 inches) and has the HD+ resolution: it should allow saving a lot of energy. On the other hand, Huawei Mate X comes with bigger displays both when folded and unfolded, and it may be better for productivity and advanced users.
Specs & Software
If we look at performances, then Samsung Galaxy Fold offers something more. Indeed, it boasts a more powerful Snapdragon 855 chipset paired with 12 GB of RAM, while Huawei Mate X has the Kirin 980 SoC with just 8 GB of RAM. Samsung Galaxy Fold should be faster and much better at multi-tasking. On the other hand, Huawei Mate X has a better 5G connectivity. Indeed, its Balong 5000 modem reaches speeds up to 4.6 Gbps, while the Snapdragon X50 found on phones equipped with Snapdragon 855 reaches up to 2.3 Gbps.
Camera
Unfortunately, we still do not know the complete camera specifications of the Huawei Mate X, neither we had the chance to test how good it clicks photos. So, at the moment, we cannot make a camera comparison between these devices. We can only tell you that Samsung Galaxy Fold has the same triple camera setup as the Galaxy S10+, that is amazing, and Huawei Mate X has a Leica triple camera. If the triple camera found on the Mate X will be the same as the Mate 20 Pro, it will be a very hard fight and it will not be easy to pick a winner.
Battery
Huawei Mate X has a slightly bigger battery (4500 mAh vs 4380 mAh), but this does not necessarily mean that it will last more than Samsung Galaxy Fold on a single charge. Note that usually, Samsung optimizes its batteries very well, so nothing can be said until we test both the phones. However, we can tell you that if you only use the external display of the Galaxy Fold, you should be able to achieve a longer battery life due to its low consumptions, thanks to its smaller size and low resolution. Huawei Mate X can charge a lot faster thanks to its 55W fast charging technology.
Price
Samsung Galaxy Fold will hit the shelves on April 26 with a price tag of $1980 that will translate into €2000 in the European market. Huawei Mate X will be available starting from mid-2019 and it will cost around $2600, €2299 in the European market. We still do not have all the info about the specifications of these phones and we had no chance to try them, so we can not establish a winner of this comparison right now. If you prefer a bigger and more comfortable display, as well as the fastest connectivity, then you should go for the Huawei Mate X, while if you prefer a potentially more resistant device with higher performances, then Samsung Galaxy Fold may be a slightly better choice.
Samsung Galaxy Fold vs Huawei Mate X: PRO and CONS
Huawei Mate X
PRO
- Bigger displays
- Faster 5G connectivity
- Bigger battery
- Faster charging technology
CONS
- Potentially more fragile
Samsung Galaxy Fold
PRO
- Two different panels
- More affordable price
- Potentially better display
- Better performance
CONS
- Smaller display
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