HUAWEI Mate X3 Announced: The Foldable Phone Has Everything You Would Like - Waterproof, Lightweight & More

HUAWEI contributed to the first generation of foldable phones by releasing the Mate X in 2019. The company's first inward-folding Galaxy Z Fold-inspired handset, the Mate X2, would be made available in 2021. The Mate X3 has now been made public by the firm. The new foldable has the same book-style design as the Mate X2 and Galaxy Z Fold series, with a 6.4-inch FHD+ curved smartphone display and a 7.85-inch internal folding screen (2,496 2,224, LTPO 120Hz) (LTPO 120Hz). HUAWEI claims that the folding screen has an impact-resistant design, although it doesn't appear like it uses ultra-thin glass protection. The Mate X3 is 5.3mm thin when unfurled and weighs just 239 grams thanks to the Chinese company's efforts to reduce the size of the gadget. Although this measurement probably excludes any camera bumps or hinges, the design is still theoretically slim. In fact, it is only little heavier than the Galaxy S23 Ultra and less than Samsung's Z Fold 4 (263 grams) (234 grams). You also have a back that is allegedly made of "feather sand glass," which is meant to be grease-resistant. An important design-related improvement is the addition of an IPX8 rating, though. Only Samsung's phones have this rating, making them remain uncommon in the foldable market. Moreover, Huawei has a wet hand mode that enables the device to recognize touch input from, you guessed it, wet hands. In any case, it's a very impressive accomplishment that the brand has been able to provide this IP classification while still keeping things minimal. Luckily goodness, the Mate X3 hinge is also a free-stop kind, allowing it to stop anywhere between fully open and entirely closed. The ability to partially open the device and use it as a stand for the camera app, media player, video calling client, and other applications is definitely made possible by this. The phone may also be half opened and set down to display the clock, weather, and other information more akin to a smart display.

What else does the Mate X3 Introduce?

Core specifications include a 4,800mAh battery, what appears to be a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 4G CPU, 256GB to 1TB of storage (expandable via Huawei's proprietary NM card format), 66W wired charging via a proprietary HUAWEI standard, and 50W wireless charging. In terms of photography, the foldable is also making waves. A large rear camera bump houses a 50MP main camera with OIS (RYYB colour filter), a 13MP ultrawide camera with support for macro photography, and a 12MP 5X periscope camera. We are happy to see a periscope camera here because these are hard to find on foldable phones. Nevertheless, you can also use the back cameras for selfies. Both panels have punch-hole perforations for an 8MP selfie camera. The HUAWEI Mate X3 also has dual SIM support, Bluetooth 5.2, an IR blaster, a side fingerprint scanner, and Beidou satellite two-way messaging. The Mate X3 starts at 12,999 yuan ($1,904) in China, however there is yet no information on its global availability. Without a doubt, if this smartphone ever reaches the domestic market, it will cost more than the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Of course, the major drawback is that, even if it expands to additional areas, you won't get Google integration.