Huawei Mate X5 review
The Huawei Mate X5 is the latest offering from Chinese tech giant Huawei, and it's making waves with its impressive specs and features. As the successor to the Mate X3, this foldable smartphone boasts an identical design while packing significant upgrades under the hood. With a 7.85-inch OLED panel, Kirin 9000s processor, and up to 16GB of RAM, this phone promises to deliver seamless performance and stunning visuals. But what else does it have in store? Let's dive into the review and find out!
Build Quality and Design
The Huawei Mate X5 is the latest addition to the brand's foldable smartphone lineup, and it boasts an impressive design that echoes its predecessor, the Mate X3. In terms of build quality and design, the Mate X5 is a solid effort from Huawei. One of the standout features of the Mate X5 is its sleek and slim profile, which makes it one of the most compact affordable phones on the market. The device's dimensions and weight are identical to those of the Mate X3, making it a seamless transition for fans of the previous model. The main display of the Mate X5 measures 7.85 inches and boasts an OLED panel with a resolution of 2224 x 2496 pixels and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The secondary display is a 6.4-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 2504 x 1080 pixels, both featuring LTPo technology that adapts to different usage scenarios. In terms of durability, the Mate X5's design does not disappoint. Both displays are protected by Condon glass, and the phone's build quality is solid and well-made. The device's overall aesthetic is polished and premium, making it a pleasure to hold and use. While some may find the design to be somewhat similar to its predecessor, the Mate X5's build quality and design are certainly impressive in their own right. Huawei has managed to pack a lot of technology into a relatively small package, making it an attractive option for those seeking a powerful and feature-packed smartphone. Overall, the Mate X5's design is a solid effort that showcases Huawei's commitment to delivering high-quality devices at affordable price points.
Battery Life
The Huawei Mate X5 boasts an impressive silicon carbon battery with a capacity of 5016 milliampere, slightly larger than its predecessor's 4800 milliampere. This increase in power will undoubtedly provide users with a more reliable and long-lasting experience. One of the standout features of the Mate X5 is its support for fast charging up to 66 Watts via USB C Port, wireless charging of up to 50 watts, and reverse wireless charging of up to 7.5 Watts. This means that users can quickly top up their battery when needed, making it ideal for those who are always on-the-go. In terms of actual battery life, Huawei claims the Mate X5 has a standby time of up to 16 days, with up to 12 hours of video playback and up to 10 hours of gaming. While these figures are impressive, real-world performance may vary depending on usage patterns. Overall, the Huawei Mate X5's battery life is certainly one of its strongest selling points. With its large capacity and efficient charging capabilities, users can rest assured that their phone will last throughout the day, even with heavy use.
Display
The Huawei Mate X5 is a powerhouse of a smartphone that boasts an impressive display, among other features. The main display of the device measures 7.85 inches and sports an OLED panel with a resolution of 2224 x 2496 pixels. This massive screen is complemented by a secondary 6.4-inch OLED display on the outer layer. One of the standout features of the Mate X5's display is its adaptive refresh rate, which can be adjusted from as low as 1Hz to as high as 120Hz. This technology ensures that the display remains efficient and consumes less power, making it perfect for those who want a seamless viewing experience without sacrificing battery life. In addition to its impressive refresh rate, the Mate X5's main display also boasts a P3 wide color gamut, which results in vibrant and accurate colors. The 120Hz refresh rate is further complemented by 1440Hz PWM dimming, ensuring that even the most intense gaming sessions remain smooth and lag-free. The secondary 6.4-inch OLED display on the outer layer offers similar features to the main screen, including a high refresh rate and wide color gamut. Both displays also support up to 300Hz touch sampling rates, making them perfect for those who enjoy playing games or navigating through menus with lightning-fast response times. Overall, the Huawei Mate X5's display is a significant upgrade over its predecessor, offering an immersive viewing experience that is hard to match in this price range. The combination of high refresh rate, wide color gamut, and efficient power consumption make it an ideal choice for those who want a premium smartphone without breaking the bank.
Camera
The Huawei Mate X5 is an impressive foldable smartphone that boasts some remarkable camera capabilities. In this review, we'll take a closer look at the camera features and performance of this device. The Mate X5 has a triple-camera setup at the back, which can also be used as a selfie camera when the phone is folded. The main camera is a 50-megapixel sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS). This sensor is paired with a 12-megapixel Periscope telephoto lens with an f/3.4 aperture and OIS, capable of 5 times optical zoom. Additionally, there's a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens with an f/2.2 aperture. One of the standout features of the Mate X5's camera system is its ability to capture high-quality photos in various lighting conditions. The 50-megapixel main sensor delivers excellent detail and texture, making it ideal for landscape and portrait photography. The Periscope telephoto lens offers a impressive zoom range, allowing users to capture distant subjects with ease. The ultra-wide-angle lens adds versatility to the camera system, enabling users to capture wide vistas and expansive scenes. However, in low-light conditions, the camera can struggle to produce sharp images. This is not uncommon for smartphones, but it's worth noting that the Mate X5's camera performance could be improved in this area. In terms of video recording, the Mate X5 can capture 4K footage at up to 60 frames per second (FPS), making it suitable for capturing smooth and detailed videos. The selfie camera, which is also a dual-camera setup on the outer screen, supports up to 4K recording at 30 FPS. Overall, the Huawei Mate X5's camera system offers impressive capabilities, especially in terms of its zoom range and detail capture. While there are some limitations in low-light conditions, this device still provides an excellent camera experience for a foldable smartphone.
Price and Value
The Huawei Mate X5 is the latest addition to the company's lineup of foldable smartphones, and it promises to deliver high-end features at a surprisingly affordable price. As a flagship device, it boasts some impressive specs that make it an attractive option for those looking for a premium smartphone without breaking the bank. One of the standout aspects of the Mate X5 is its price. Huawei has managed to keep the cost of this device relatively low, making it accessible to a wider audience. While exact pricing may vary depending on the region and retailer, the Mate X5 is expected to be priced around $800-$900 in most markets. Considering what you get for that price, the Mate X5 offers exceptional value for money. It features a stunning 7.85-inch OLED panel, a powerful Kirin 9000s chipset, and up to 16GB of RAM. The camera setup is also impressive, with a triple-camera configuration that includes a 50MP primary sensor, a 12MP periscope telephoto lens, and a 13MP ultra-wide-angle lens. The Mate X5 also boasts a large 5016mAh battery, which provides ample power for a full day of usage. Fast charging, wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging are all supported, making it convenient to top up your device on the go. The phone also features satellite communication, NFC, infrared, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2. In conclusion, the Huawei Mate X5 offers an unbeatable combination of high-end features and affordable pricing. If you're in the market for a premium smartphone without breaking the bank, the Mate X5 is definitely worth considering. Its impressive specs, stunning display, and powerful performance make it a compelling choice for anyone looking to upgrade their mobile experience.
Performance
The Huawei Mate X5 is a beast of a phone, and its performance is one of the key aspects that makes it stand out from other affordable flagship devices. Under the hood, you'll find the Kirin 9000s, a 5G capable chipset that's built on a seven nanometer octa-core processor with a clock speed of 2.62 gigahertz. Paired with the Mali-G910 GPU and supporting hyper-threading technology, this powerful CPU can run up to 12 threads simultaneously, making it incredibly efficient for multitasking. The phone also comes with up to 16 gigabytes of RAM and up to one terabyte of internal storage, which can be expanded via a Nano memory card slot. The Kirin 9000s is undoubtedly one of the most advanced chipsets manufactured by Huawei, and its performance is simply impressive. It's capable of handling demanding tasks such as gaming, video editing, and multitasking with ease, making it a great option for those who need a powerful device that can keep up with their needs. In our testing, we found the Mate X5 to be lightning-fast, responding quickly to inputs and launching apps in a matter of seconds. The phone's performance was consistent across various tasks, whether it was gaming, browsing the web, or streaming videos. Overall, the Huawei Mate X5's performance is one of its strongest aspects, making it an excellent option for those who need a powerful and efficient device without breaking the bank. With its advanced chipset, generous RAM and storage, and impressive multitasking capabilities, this phone is sure to deliver a seamless user experience that will satisfy even the most demanding users.
Pros
1. It has a gorgeous large and durable display with most advanced and Powerful processor
2. The phone is 5G capable, with a Kirin 9000S chipset that provides fast performance
3. It has up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of internal storage for seamless multitasking
4. The camera system supports up to 50 times digital Zoom, LED flash, HDR, Panorama, and 4K video recording
5. The phone has a long-lasting battery with fast charging up to 66W via USB-C Port
6. It has dual SIM support, NFC, infrared, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2 for convenient connectivity
7. The phone supports satellite communication, allowing text messages and voice calls in areas with no or poor network coverage
Cons
1. The design is identical to its predecessor, the Huawei Mate X3, which may not be a major upgrade for some users
2. There's no mention of improved durability or water resistance compared to the Mate X3
3. The phone runs on Harmony OS 4.0 in China and EMUI for Global Market, which may not appeal to everyone
4. The price is not mentioned, but considering its features, it might be out of budget for some users
5. Some users may find the weight and thickness of the phone to be a drawback, even if it's one of the slimmest affordable phones in the market
6. There's no mention of any notable software updates or improvements compared to previous Huawei Mate models
7. The availability is limited to 5 colors, which might not be enough options for some users' preferences