Huawei Mate Xs vs Mate X: What’s Different?

Huawei has just unveiled its latest foldable device, The Huawei Mate Xs. We compared it to its older iteration, the Mate X, to see what’s changed. Check it out!

Advantages of each phone:

Huawei Mate X

• Higher ultra-wide camera resolution

Huawei Mate Xs

• More powerful chipset
• Dual-Band 5G
• Android 10 (out of the box)

Starting with the display, both devices use the same size and resolution display for the front, back, and unfolded display. What’s new, however, is the hinge. The new Huawei Mate Xs now comes with a reinforced hinge made of Zirconium liquid metal.

Where the Mate Xs has gotten an upgrade, is its chipset. The new Mate Xs comes with Huawei’s latest flagship, the Kirin 990 SoC, which operates at a higher frequency and is capable of connecting to dual-band 5G. The original Mate X, on the other hand, came with Huawei’s last flagship, the Kirin 980. The RAM and storage options for both devices are the same, with 8GB and 512GB, respectively. When it comes to expandability, Huawei is yet to disclose if the Mate Xs is compatible with a Huawei NM card like the original Mate X, which can take up to 256GB.

Moving to the cameras, the Huawei Mate X and Mate Xs (appear) to have the same 40MP main, 8MP telephoto, and 3D depth cameras. Where they differ is the ultra-wide shooter – with the original Mate X having a resolution of 20MP, while the Mate Xs only has a resolution of 16MP. Notice that there are no front cameras for both devices. When taking selfies, the camera app will open on the back display instead, allowing users to take advantage of the 40MP main shooter.

Connectivity-wise, both phones can connect to dual-band WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz). Where they differ is in Bluetooth and GPS capabilities. The newer Mate Xs is capable of connecting to Bluetooth 5.1 (vs. the Mate X’s Bluetooth 5), Galileo, and QZSS. In terms of biometrics, both devices can be unlocked via the side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

As expected, the Huawei Mate Xs comes with EMUI 10.0.1 based on Android 10 out of the box, while the original Mate X comes with EMUI 9.1.1 based on Android 9. Both devices are powered by a 4,500mAh battery compatible with up to 55W of charging via Huawei’s Supercharge technology.

Overall, Huawei focused more on improving the folding mechanism of the Mate Xs with its new Zirconium liquid metal hinge and updating the chipset than everything else. If you’re thinking of getting into foldable devices, then the Huawei Mate Xs is a more refined version of the Mate X. That being said, if you’re already rocking the original Huawei Mate X, then the Huawei Mate Xs does not offer enough to warrant an upgrade.