Huawei Mate X vs Samsung Galaxy Fold: Comparison between the first folding smartphones

Like every year, a priori the Mobile World Congress of 2019 presented something decaffeinated, but on the first day of presentations that idea has evaporated at a stroke with the presentation of Huawei Mate X ), a new folding smartphone that has much to say against the alternative shown next to the Galaxy S10, the Samsung Galaxy Fold .

In the absence of being able to test them in depth, the Huawei Mate X and the Samsung Galaxy Fold share the quality that their screens can be folded to adopt different forms, but with very different philosophies. While the Fold consists of two screens, one outside and one inside, the Mate X has a single panel that opens to look like a tablet , and folds out to “be a smartphone.”

 

The Huawei Mate X versus the Samsung Galaxy Fold

Huawei Mate X vs Samsung Galaxy Fold: they only look like both fold

During the presentation of the Samsung Galaxy S10, Samsung gave the surprise with the Samsung Galaxy Fold and its two screens. Despite being a more prototypical release than the product we will see in a few years, as was the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge , the transition between both screens, the external and the internal, amazed us. The Huawei Mate X dispenses with one of them and instead of being a smartphone that becomes a tablet, it looks more like a tablet that is compressed into a smartphone .

The three screens of the Huawei Mate X seem, a priori, more suitable for smartphones uses of 2019.

Behind the practice, in the Samsung Galaxy Fold we find the inner panel Dynamic AMOLED of 7.3 “QXGA + with proportion 4.2: 3 that gives life to its tablet part, and the outer panel of 4.6″ HD + Super AMOLED with proportion 21: 9, which represents the smartphone part. The approach of both companies to the concept of folding is radically opposed. While Samsung bets to offer use as the current smartphone of 4.6 “and HD + resolution, Huawei opts for a 6.6” main folded screen, much more in line with the times.

The unique panel of the Huawei Mate X also uses OLED technology, and has a size of 8 “when it is deployed, with a resolution of 2,480 x 2,200 pixels and a ratio of 8: 7.1 When closed, it has two” small “screens, available in a smartphone : a higher of 6,6 “, resolution of 2,480 x 1,148 pixels and ratio 19.5: 9 and another smaller of 6,38”, resolution of 2,480 x 892 and ratio 25: 9 (closed, small part), which may be the more equivalent to the Samsung Galaxy Fold .

The two folding systems use hinges, but the companies have sold it differently. Samsung mentioned that it can be doubled in an unlimited way, while Huawei has even named it, and calls it the “Falcon Wing” or “Falcon Wind design” design. Its more than 100 components have been patented.

The processors are another aspect in which both terminals differ a lot. Samsung, as it has been doing in the other terminals of the Galaxy S family, has opted for an Exynos chip in the International version, the 9820 , and the Snapdragon 855 , focused on markets such as the United States. Huawei, as usual, has opted for the HiSilicon Kirin 980 , the most powerful chip of the company, which we have seen in the Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro. In RAM, the front has taken Samsung: the Fold has 12 GB, while the Mate X will be marketed with 8 GB.

Also they approach in battery, where the Huawei Mate X presents a battery of 4,500 mAh , and the Samsung Galaxy Fold a double battery that adds 4,380 mAh . Yes, Huawei will fill it faster, making use of its 55 Watt Super Charge, which can charge even laptops at a good speed.

5G, the other blow on the Huawei table

Both terminals will be able to connect to 5G networks, although the Samsung Galaxy Fold will only do so in one of its versions. However, according to the information that Huawei has boasted, the Balong 5000 modem allows much higher speeds than the Snapdragon X50 and the Exynos 5100, Samsung’s own 5G modem. While these last two reach 2.3 Gbps, the Huawei reaches 4.6 Gbps .

In addition, Huawei has stated that its modem is ready for the second phase of the 5G , while competitors will only be able to use the first phase. It’s something Qualcomm sure has a lot to say.

In the camera section, Huawei has chosen an arrangement that goes in line with the triple rear camera of the Mate 20 Pro , with a wide angle and 40 MP sensor, an ultra wide-angle sensor with 16 MP and a telephoto lens that features an 8 megapixel sensor. The key here is that these cameras will also work as selfie cameras , because all you have to do is turn around the device to photograph yourself (both screens can show the image captured while being folded).

The design of Huawei with the Mate X makes the “front” cameras are the main ones, something that puts him ahead of all the competition in the quality of selfies.

Samsung has also opted for triple camera in the back, with 12MP wide-angle, ultra wide-angle 16MP and 12MP telephoto , but for selfies will appeal to two internal located in the notch, 10 and 8 MP, which Mate X does not present on its expanded screen, and another located on the small screen, which has a 10 MP sensor.

Where both companies coincide in addition to folding and using Android 9 Pie is in storage. The two terminals arrive with 512 GB of ROM, although in the absence of Huawei clarify the technology of its chip (expandable with external cards), Samsung seems to have an advantage, it releases theUFS 3.0 protocol , which gives a much higher performance than the UFS 2.1 . Another aspect to mention is that neither terminal has an audio jack.