Foldable smartphones seem to be an ideal solution for consumers who want a large display screen without giving up the convenience of a smaller, easier to handle a smartphone. With display screens having gotten larger in recent years, a common complaint amongst users is the inability to use the bigger phones one-handed.
Flagship Folding Phones Comparison
| SAMSUNG GALAXY FOLD | HUAWEI MATE X | |
| PRICE | $1,980 | ~$2,600 (2,300 euros) |
| SIZE | Not yet confirmed | Folded: 6.35 x 3.08 x .43 in
Unfolded: 6.35 x 5.75 x .20 in |
| WEIGHT | Not yet confirmed | 10.41 ounces |
| SCREEN SIZE | 7.3 in AMOLED and 4.6 in AMOLED | 8 in AMOLED folds down to 6.6 and 6.3 in |
| SCREEN RESOLUTION | 2,152 x 1,536 pixels and 1,960 x 840 pixels | 2,480 x 2,200 pixels and 2,480 x 1,148 pixels, 2,480 x 892 pixels |
| STORAGE | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| RAM | 12 GB | 8 GB |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (Not yet confirmed) | Kirin 980 |
| BATTERY | 4,380mAh
Quick Charge 2.0 (18W) Qi wireless charging |
4,500mAh
Huawei SuperCharge (55W) |
With the Samsung Galaxy Fold, you can use three apps simultaneously. The 12GB of RAM make this possible, but the Huawei’s 8GB of RAM is more than enough for the Mate X.
While only the Huawei Mate X has a MicroSD card slot, both phones have 512GB of storage.
As for battery power, there is a small 120mAh difference in sizes, but Huawei’s SuperCharge feature guarantees the phone will be charged crazy fast. Reportedly, the Mate X can take a dead battery to 85 percent in half an hour. It will take quite a bit longer for the Galaxy Fold to charge, even with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0.
Folding Smart Phone Displays
While both the Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Huawei Mate X have the flagship folding feature, the two phone designs are vastly different.
The Galaxy Fold has a separate cover display that is used when the phone is folded up, while the Mate X has just one folding screen. When folded, the Mate X’s screen is the cover, while the Galaxy Fold’s Infinity Flex screen is folded inwardly.
With this design, the Huawei Mate X transforms into a 6.6-inch screen with a back camera, or a 6.3-inch display with a front-facing camera.
As for the Samsung Galaxy Fold, the large 7.3-inch display includes a notch for the dual-lens front-facing camera. On the back of the phone is the triple-lens camera. When folded, the 4.6-inch front display includes a single-lens camera.
Admittedly, both phones reportedly look pretty fragile. Case makers will likely have to spend quite a bit of time at the drawing board to figure out how to adequately protect both phones.
Samsung Galaxy Fold & Huawei Mate X Special Features
As if the ability to fold isn’t exciting enough, both phones boast exciting special features.
Samsung previews the Multi-Active Window that allows the user to have three apps open at once, as well as App Continuity that makes switching screens seamless.
The Huawei Mate X utilizes Android’s split-screen mode with the bonus of Mirror Shooting. Essentially, when the phone is folded, both the photographer and the subject can examine shots.
Samsung Galaxy Fold & Huawei Mate X Price
Reportedly, the Samsung Galaxy Fold will start at $1,980 for the 4G LTE version, with the 5G version likely being more expensive. The phone will be available through AT&T and T-Mobile.
The 5G Huawei Mate X will cost around $2,600 (2,300 euros). The phone will likely be released around the globe to carriers when 5G networks can support it. However, there is no word on a release in the United States.
Conclusion
With such different designs, both phones are exciting in their own way. While the appeal of Huawei’s Mate X may be more significant, the higher price may push users toward the still-thrilling Galaxy Fold.
But with U.S. consumers unable to give the Huawei Mate X a try, the Samsung Galaxy Fold may come out on top by default.
