It's 2019, and foldable phones are finally a thing. These crazy, wacky devices sure are something to behold, and we're going hands-on with as many of them as possible to help you decide if any are worth your hard-earned money.
Huawei Mate X
A work of art
Pros
- Much larger outer display
- 8-inch tablet display
- 5G included by default
- 55W fast-charging
Cons
- It costs $2,600 💀
- Unlikely U.S. availability
Whether you're using it in phone or tablet mode, the Huawei Mate X is absolutely stunning to look at. Outfitted with a huge AMOLED display, powerful Kirin processor, 5G connectivity, and industry-leading charging speeds, this really is a phone from the future. We just wish Huawei would bring it to the U.S.
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Coming to the U.S.
Pros
- Has 6 cameras
- Wireless charging
- Over $600 cheaper
- Galaxy Buds included
Cons
- HUGE bezels around the outer display
- Smaller tablet display
- Still pretty expensive
Samsung's Galaxy Fold was the first major foldable phone to be announced and likely will be the first of its kind to launch in the U.S. It uses separate displays (one on the outside, one on the inside), a 7nm processor, and has a total of six cameras. You also get free Galaxy Buds headphones included with your purchase.
The Huawei Mate X and Samsung Galaxy Fold — two of the world's first foldable smartphones — take two very different approaches to the foldable niche that'll likely draw their own groups of fans and critics. If you're really considering buying one of these two phones, however, your decision may ultimately come down to where you live.
Which foldable phone is for you may depend on geography more than taste
We've been dreaming of foldable phones for years now, and thanks to devices like the Huawei Mate X and Samsung Galaxy Fold, it looks like 2019 is the year in which these unicorn gadgets finally become a reality. There's still a lot we don't know about both of these phones. But even so, there are already a few early pieces of advice we can give.
For starters, and perhaps the most important, the foldable phone you start saving your money for will ultimately come down to where in the world you live.
Samsung has confirmed that it's bringing the Galaxy Fold to the United States on April 26, whereas the Huawei Mate X will likely never be sold in America. If you live in the U.S., that probably just helped you decide right there.
Innie or Outie?
Looking at the devices themselves, the biggest difference between the two is how the folding mechanism works. On the Galaxy Fold, Samsung's using what we're calling an "innie" design. That's to say you open up the phone to access its large 7.3-inch tablet display. And when it's closed, it's hidden inside the chassis, and you interact with a separate 4.6-inch phone screen.
Looking at the Huawei Mate X and its "outie" form factor, there's one single display panel that wraps around the entire phone's body. When it's closed together, you're using a large 6.6-inch screen with the other half hidden behind it. Open it up, and the entire panel is revealed and gives you access to a huge 8-inch canvas.
| Huawei Mate X | Samsung Galaxy Fold | |
|---|---|---|
| Phone Display | 6.6-inch OLED 2480 x 1148 18.5:9 | 4.6-inch Super AMOLED 21:9 |
| Tablet Display | 8-inch 2480 x 2200 OLED 8:7.1 | 7.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 4.2:3 |
| Processor | 7nm Kirin 980 | 7nm 64-bit octa-core |
| RAM | 8GB | 12GB |
| Storage | 512GB | 512GB |
| Cameras | 40MP Wide Angle Camera 16MP Ultra Wide Angle Camera 8MP Telephoto Camera | 10MP Selfie Camera 10MP Selfie Camera 8MP RGB Depth Camera 12MP Telephoto Camera 12MP Wide Angle Camera 16MP Ultra Wide Camera |
| Battery | 4,500 mAh | 4,380 mAh |
| Charging | 55W Huawei SuperCharge | Fast wired and wireless charging |
| Operating System | Android 9 Pie | Android 9 Pie |
As for the smaller differences, there are a lot of them.
The Galaxy Fold has a total of six cameras, and the Huawei Mate X has only three. The Mate X has an impressive 8GB of RAM, but the Galaxy Fold has even more at 12GB. Samsung's going to offer the Galaxy Fold in 4G LTE and 5G variants, but the Mate X is only a 5G device. You get wireless charging on the Galaxy Fold, but only the Mate X comes with Huawei SuperCharge that can deliver up to an 85% charge in just 30 minutes.
Each of those specs will mean something different to everyone reading this, but for a device of such a new form factor, they're pretty trivial in the grand scheme of things. What really matters here is which phone is available where you live and what type of folding you prefer.
Then there's the software to consider
Both phones ship with Android 9 Pie, with the Galaxy Fold running Samsung's One UI while the Mate X boasts the Huawei EMUI interface. We'll need to sit down with each phone for a while to really get a feel for how the software works with the whole folding thing, but if we were to make a bet right now, we're inclined to say that Samsung's Galaxy Fold will be better in these regards.
EMUI has always been kind of quirky even with regular Android phones, so we're a bit concerned for how that'll translate to a foldable device. Samsung will likely have its own issues to work out, but based on what we've seen so far, it looks like a fairly smooth and polished experience.
How much are you willing to spend?
We were pretty shocked to see the Galaxy Fold announced with its steep $1,980 price tag, but after learning that the Mate X will cost a staggering $2,600, Samsung's phone seems like a bargain.
We aren't sure what Huawei will do (if anything) to add to the value of the Mate X, but Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy Fold will come with premium packaging, a free case, and its Galaxy Buds wireless earbuds that typically sell for $130.
Huawei Mate X
A work of art
Huawei's foldable debut is damn impressive.
The Huawei Mate X is ridiculously expensive and a device a lot of people probably won't ever buy, but man oh man does it have us excited. Its design is one of the best we've ever seen in the foldable form factor and is filled with impressive specs. Unfortunately, it probably won't ever come to the U.S.
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Coming to the U.S.
The most mainstream foldable phone yet.
Samsung's Galaxy Fold may not look as impressive as the Huawei Mate X, but its gorgeous 7.3-inch AMOLED tablet display, 12GB of RAM, and total of 6 cameras have us giddy to get our hands on it. It's still really expensive, but it's actually coming to the States and is bundled with free Galaxy Buds to try and offset the exorbitant cost.
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