The Huawei Mate Xs foldable - so hot, it will burn a hole through your wallet

  • Foldable 5G phone prices at US$2,598 arrives in Malaysia on 20th March
  • Features Kirin 990 octa-core processor that supports 5G networks, alongside 8GB of RAM

The Huawei Mate Xs foldable - so hot, it will burn a hole through your wallet

Huawei’s 5G-ready foldable smartphone, the Mate Xs, will be available in physical and virtual stores across Malaysia from 20 March onwards. As for the price, you might want to hold on to something – it’ll cost a whopping US$2,598 (RM11,111).

The premium price is expected for foldable devices, though the Mate Xs might just be the most expensive yet. Users will have to decide if it’s worth splurging for, especially when compared to the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. The official Malaysia pricing for the latter device isn’t out yet, but it’ll go for US$1,380 internationally, which puts it roughly at RM5,900.

[RM1 = US$0.23]

There is, however, quite a lot going for the Huawei Mate Xs. It improves upon the original Mate X in a number of ways, chief of them being an improved Falcon Wing hinge design that is said to be stronger and makes it easier to unfold the device.

The core design, however, is how it sets itself apart. Other foldable phones are built in the way where its foldable screens are protected inside a clam shell, with an external screen for quick-and-easy functionality without requiring the user to fully unfold their devices.

For the Mate Xs, however, Huawei opted to stick the screen on the outside perimeter, so it basically functions like a normal-sized phone when folded and works like a tablet when unfolded. It sounds like it’ll be more susceptible to damage, but Huawei has bulked up the durability using a quad layer construction via polyamide film.

When folded, the Mate Xs has a 6.6-inch screen in 1,148 x 2,480 resolution, pretty much the size of most non-foldable flagship devices. Unfolding it turns the screen into an 8-inch display with 2,200 x 2,480 pixels. This is an OLED touchscreen, of course, boasting 16M colours.

For its innards, the Mate Xs features a Kirin 990 octa-core processor that supports 5G networks, alongside 8GB of RAM and 512GB of ROM with external memory support of up to 256GB. Powering it is a 4,500mAh battery with 55W fast charging.

The Mate Xs sports a quad-camera setup, starting with a 40MP main shooter and a 16MP ultra wide angle cam. This is further complemented by an 8MP telephoto shooter and a Time-of-Flight camera. The rear camera doubles as the selfie shooter when the phone is folded.

The Huawei Mate Xs is pretty steep, but Huawei’s partners are offering rewards over RM150,000 to those who purchase the device between 20 March 2020 and 19 May 2020.

For instance, if you purchase a Mate Xs unit using your CIMB Credit Card via the 3ex.com.my/cimb URL, you get one Huawei GT2 smartwatch worth RM799 and 10X CIMB Bonus points for all eligible card (this promotion is only limited to the first 20 units on a first come, first serve basis). 

Retailers Senheng and Harvey Norman will be giving away a free GT2 smartwatch with every purchase of the Mate Xs. Maxis is offering the device for RM430 a month with no upfront payment via the Maxis Zerolution RM188 monthly plan. Celcom’s MEGA Plan offers the device for RM7,888.

 

Related stories:

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Review: Galaxy Fold: let the foldable games begin

 
 
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