Huawei Mate X6 Review: The Best Foldable You Shouldn’t Buy

Worth When Reviewed

Unavailable within the US

Peak foldable season could also be over however Huawei has joined the motion with a late contender, the Mate X6. Introduced on the finish of 2024 and touchdown with prospects in early 2025, the Mate X6 goals to be a flagship foldable with out the standard compromises.

This implies it has a spacious outer show, a slim, light-weight and sturdy design, an enormous battery and flagship-level cameras. Nonetheless, regardless of Huawei’s claims, it’s no secret that the model’s telephones do, actually, include compromises.

You received’t discover Google companies right here, and it runs on silicon that’s just a few steps behind the most recent from Qualcomm and MediaTek. Whenever you mix that with premium pricing, is that this foldable really price contemplating?

I used to be eager to seek out out what it’s wish to stay with, and after inserting my SIM card for the previous week or so, right here’s all the things I discovered in regards to the Huawei Mate X6.

Design & Construct

• Vegan leather-based or composite fibre again
• 239g, 2nd Gen Kunlun Glass
• IPX8 rated

Eradicating the machine from the field, the Huawei Mate X6 makes a right away impression. It feels exceptionally effectively constructed and premium, with an expensive fake leather-based again panel and glossy accents that make me consider a high-end purse.

Luke Baker

I’m not often a fan of shiny facet rails. They may look good in a showroom, however they usually choose up smudges and fingerprints like loopy, utterly ruining the look. One way or the other, although, that’s not the case right here. Huawei has labored some magic, and these rails are nearly utterly immune.

The cellphone feels dense and stable within the hand with out being too heavy. It’s a really slim cellphone, solely marginally thicker than the razor-thin Honor Magic V3, however that additional thickness is confidence-inspiring, and this machine feels prefer it may take extra of a beating.

The scale imply that the cellphone feels very pure to make use of folded-shut, it’s a world aside from Samsung’s oddly slim Z Fold 6. In truth, you possibly can nearly mistake it for a typical sweet bar design in case you’re not trying intently – the one distinction is that it’s a little bit thicker. 

Luke Baker

The general design is sort of much like the Huawei Mate XT, the large dual-hinged foldable that Huawei launched in China only a few months in the past. And the crimson model that I’ve for testing seems particularly acquainted.

There’s additionally a model with out the vegan leather-based backing, which is available in a gray color with a swirly sample throughout the again. It’s simply as putting, and in case you’re not into that leathery really feel, it could possibly be simply the ticket.

It’s additionally price mentioning the hinge, as I feel that is possible the perfect implementation exterior of Samsung’s efforts. Most foldable screens can fortunately sit at a 90-degree angle, however they generally tend to spring open or shut at extra excessive angles. Till now, I’d say Samsung was the one model to unravel this difficulty, however Huawei has come alongside and matched it. It’s simply top-of-the-line hinges in the marketplace.

Luke Baker

The Mate X6 comes with a case included within the field, it’s produced from a clear onerous acrylic materials, and my mannequin got here with a colour-matched vegan leather-based patch on the rear. It’s a half case, so it’ll solely defend the rear portion of the machine, however entrance bumpers aren’t often too sensible on foldables, in order that’s no main loss.

The case has a built-in kickstand that’s spring-loaded and makes for an excellent fidget toy, in addition to being very sensible. It may possibly rotate 270 levels to make for an efficient stand in both panorama or portrait orientation. I all the time wish to have a kickstand with a foldable cellphone, it’s good to have the ability to set the cellphone down on a desk and use it like a mini TV.

Other than the included case, the cellphone additionally boasts IPX8 water resistance, so getting caught out within the rain shouldn’t pose a problem. There’s additionally a brand new extremely scratch-resistant model of Huawei’s Kunlun glass on the outer display. In fact, mud may nonetheless pose a menace, and that inside display will should be dealt with with care.

Display & Audio system

• Outer: 6.45-inch 1080 x 2440 OLED 120Hz
• Interior: 7.94-inch 2240 x 2440 OLED 120Hz
• Stereo audio system

The outer display has a quad-curved design with symmetrical bezels, as is the development with current Chinese language flagship units. This implies the display is usually flat, and the curves solely begin across the bezel, providing you with the perfect of each worlds.

The curve is barely much less pronounced on the hinge facet, however the impact is similar. Gesture controls really feel splendidly clean as you swipe from the sting of the show, however you don’t get the annoying unintended touches or distracting reflections which are current on conventional curved designs.

Opening it up, the inside folding show is a spacious unit simply shy of 8 inches. It has an nearly sq. side ratio and the selfie digicam is tucked neatly within the nook.

That is my most well-liked configuration, centrally positioned digicam cutouts typically intervene with full-screen content material and Samsung’s under-display unit, with its low pixel density masking, is nearly as distracting. This digicam gap may be very simple to overlook about, and the one draw back is that you need to angle the cellphone barely to be centred in selfies and video calls.

The foldable display protector jogs my memory of the one on Samsung’s Galaxy Z collection telephones. It’s rather more shiny than the one on the Honor Magic V3, however for good motive. It feels more durable, and this implies your fingers glide throughout it with much less friction, it’s additionally much less vulnerable to fingerprint smudges.

Nonetheless, there’s an enormous draw back to this sort of display protector, and that’s the reflections. The principle difficulty is that the crease turns into rather more noticeable in sure lighting circumstances, and that’s certain to hassle some customers greater than others. In any case, the crease is way shallower than Samsung’s, and I discovered it simple to overlook about.

Each screens share related specs, they’re each LTPO OLED panels that may shift from 1-120Hz, and so they have an analogous pixel density. The foldable show has a better decision, just because it’s bigger, however the primary distinction is the brightness.

The outer display can increase to 2500 nits to compete with vibrant sunny days, whereas the foldable display maxes out at 1800 nits. Each have been lots vibrant sufficient for me, however it’s winter within the UK, and solar is a rarity, so take that with a grain of salt.

Luke Baker

For those who’re involved about eye well being, Huawei has made some strides on this space, too. The screens have a brand new low mild mode that may dim all the best way all the way down to 1 nit, in addition to tremendous speedy 1440Hz PWM dimming to cut back eye fatigue.

Specs & Efficiency

• Thriller processor (Kirin 9020?)
• 12GB RAM
• 512GB storage

As you’ll have gathered, Huawei’s {hardware} has impressed on all fronts up to now, however it’s right here that issues get a little bit extra difficult. US sanctions imply that Huawei doesn’t have entry to the identical chips as rival manufacturers, so there’s no Qualcomm or MediaTek right here, and the model should rely by itself Kirin processors.

Huawei’s product web page and advertising and marketing supplies neglect to say the processor, however different sources declare it’s the Kirin 9020. Regardless of the case could also be, this silicon is an efficient few steps behind the competitors.

Luke Baker

Benchmark checks make the hole clear as day, it’s nowhere near matching the uncooked energy of the Snapdragon 8 Elite or MediaTek Dimensity 9400, and that’s not what you wish to see if you’re paying such a premium value.

Nonetheless, benchmarks don’t inform the complete story, and with some intelligent software program optimisation, Huawei is ready to squeeze lots of efficiency from this comparatively sluggish chip.

In day-to-day use, it’s nearly not possible to inform the distinction between this cellphone and some other flagship machine. It feels snappy and responsive, apps open rapidly and animations are persistently slick and clean.

Luke Baker

It even video games surprisingly effectively, I used to be stunned to seek out I may max out the settings in notoriously demanding titles like Genshin Impression and Zenless Zone Zero. The framerate dipped sometimes, however each remained playable, and the cellphone by no means obtained concerningly heat within the course of. I’m unsure how Huawei has managed this, however I’m actually not complaining.

I’m certain there are circumstances the place the dearth of processing energy might be extra obvious, possibly in modifying movies or one thing like that, however it wasn’t one thing I bumped into with regular utilization. The principle factor I seen was that images took a little bit longer to course of after they first opened within the gallery, which is barely an inconvenience.

It’s additionally price mentioning that the reception is superb on this cellphone. I discovered that I had a sign in locations the place my different telephones are inclined to drop out. There’s an enormous caveat, although, and that’s the truth that this cellphone doesn’t help 5G. So whereas your sign may be nice, the utmost velocity might be decrease than you’re used to.

Cameras

• 50 Mp f/1.4-f/4.0 important digicam
• 48 Mp f/3.0 4x telephoto (macro)
• 40 Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide
• 8 Mp, f/2.2 selfie digicam, mounted focus

The Huawei Mate X6 has a triple digicam setup on its rear, there’s a 50Mp important digicam with a mechanically adjustable aperture, a 48Mp 4x telephoto with macro capabilities and a 40Mp ultrawide digicam.

Luke Baker

Considerably unusually, Huawei hasn’t talked about the sensor sizes, so we’re left guessing in that division. Given the comparatively slim digicam bump, although, it’s secure to say we’re underneath the 1-inch threshold.

There’s a fourth sensor on the rear, that Huawei calls the Extremely Chroma Shade Sensor. That is designed to provide the excellent white stability each time, and based mostly on my testing up to now, it appears to work as marketed.

That is the primary foldable cellphone to reach on the worldwide stage with an adjustable aperture. We’ve seen related tech on current Honor and Huawei flagships, however it has by no means made its approach to a foldable, aside from the China-exclusive Mate XT.

Matching the Pura 70 Extremely, this aperture can shift from f/2.0 to f/4.0, and altering the worth impacts the quantity of sunshine let in, in addition to the depth of subject – similar to knowledgeable mirrorless digicam. Informal customers are unlikely to note an enormous distinction, because the software program robotically selects an acceptable F-stop, however these craving finer management over their photographs will take pleasure in this.

The principle manner I used this characteristic was for closeup pictures. For those who’re taking a macro shot of a plant or a miniature, it could typically be troublesome to get your complete topic in focus. The nearer you get, the narrower the focal aircraft turns into, however closing that aperture a bit can yield a lot sharper outcomes.

What’s barely irritating is that the perfect macro digicam on this cellphone is the 4x telephoto, and that doesn’t have an adjustable aperture. Fortunately, Huawei has managed to beat this difficulty with its software program.

There’s a brand new characteristic that Huawei calls eDOF (prolonged depth of subject) and it combines a number of pictures taken at completely different focal factors to maintain the entire topic sharp. It’s the identical method that skilled macro shooters use, however on this case, it’s achieved on the contact of a button, with out the standard handbook stitching course of.

It may possibly’t be overstated how spectacular this 4x lens is for macro taking pictures. It’s principally like having a microscope in your pocket. You may get shut sufficient to see the person fibres on clothes, and in case you love taking footage of vegetation or bugs, you’re in for a good time.

The ultrawide is barely much less spectacular than the opposite two cameras, as is usually the case, however it’s nonetheless excellent. The colors match the opposite lenses completely and the 13mm equal FOV means that you can squeeze heaps into the body.

There’s a punch-hole selfie digicam on each shows and every has an 8Mp decision. These cameras are completely satisfactory, however small sensors and stuck focus imply they’re not going to amaze with their high quality. For those who’re searching for a show-stopping selfie, it’s effectively price unfolding the cellphone and utilizing the rear digicam as a substitute.

As I’ve discovered with earlier Huawei units, the portrait mode results and evening mode are up there with the perfect obtainable. So whereas this cellphone may not boast the massive sensor sizes of its bar-phone competitors, it will get the job achieved handily in low-light circumstances. It additionally has the identical spectacular motion-freezing capabilities because the Pura 70 Extremely. So in case you love taking motion pictures, or when you’ve got children or pets that received’t sit nonetheless, the Mate X6 can work some magic.

Photograph high quality is considerably subjective. Some individuals like vibrant, poppy photographs, whereas others choose lifelike pictures with a natural-looking sharpness. I’m within the latter camp, and for me, Huawei’s picture processing is among the many greatest obtainable.

Battery Life & Charging

• 5110 mAh battery
• 66W wired charging
• 50W wi-fi charging

Regardless of being impressively slim, the Huawei Mate X6 nonetheless manages to pack in a 5110 mAh battery pack. And whereas it’s not the longest-lasting foldable that I’ve ever examined, the battery life is superb. I by no means struggled to make it to the top of the day, even with plenty of digicam utilization and loads of streaming on the massive foldable show.

Luke Baker

It prices pretty rapidly, too. Once more, it’s not the quickest that I’ve tried, however 66W is sufficient to take you from flat to full in underneath 45 minutes. It’s nearly as fast wirelessly, boasting a powerful 50W most charge. That’s sooner than the S24 Extremely can cost with a wire, not too shabby!

In fact, you’ll want a selected Huawei wi-fi charger to attain most velocity, however fortunately, the wired adapter is included within the field. So that you’ll get the quickest speeds from day one if you’re plugged in.

Software program & Apps

• EMUI 15, based mostly on Android
• No Google companies
• New multitasking options and eye-tracking

In China, Huawei’s newest telephones have moved to a brand new proprietary model of HarmonyOS that’s not based mostly on Android, however that’s not the case with world fashions. The Mate X6 runs EMUI 15, which continues to be a closely customised model of Android 12.

Luke Baker

Nonetheless, until you’re coming from a current Huawei machine, it’s a really completely different Android expertise than normal. These aforementioned sanctions imply that the cellphone has no entry to Google companies. Meaning no Play Retailer, no Gmail, no YouTube – the record goes on.

There’s no manner I can use a cellphone with out these companies, however fortunately, there are just a few completely different workarounds that may get these apps put in. A mix of the MicroG Challenge and Aurora Retailer implies that these apps run nearly natively, and it’s my most well-liked technique. The one capabilities which are lacking are Google Assistant/Gemini, Google Pockets and Android Auto. Not ideally suited, however manageable omissions for a lot of.

Sadly, it’s not solely seamless elsewhere. I nonetheless skilled delayed and lacking notifications, in addition to different minor bugs, and because the affected apps aren’t formally supported, troubleshooting may be troublesome.

Luke Baker

Apart from the dearth of Google companies, Huawei’s OS is sort of nice. I’ve already talked about the spectacular velocity and responsiveness regardless of lacklustre {hardware}, however there are many different novel options included too.

Essentially the most uncommon is a collection of wallpaper choices with eye-tracking help. There’s a mini basketball sport you possibly can play hands-free with air gestures and a few wallpapers which have eye-reactive animations. There’s no helpful performance to any of it, however it’s fairly cool, so I assume that’s the purpose.

There’s additionally a brand new stereoscopic multi-view multitasking mode, which is much extra sensible. This lets you show as much as 3 apps facet by facet and swipe via them as required. It seems very slick, however essentially the most spectacular half is that movies will maintain taking part in even after they’re shifted off to the facet, so you possibly can maintain listening as you multitask like a professional.

Luke Baker

For those who use different Huawei merchandise, like the brand new FreeBuds Professional 4, for instance. The mixing is impressively clean. The OS makes it quick and simple to handle all of your Huawei gear and pairing is completed in a flash. These explicit earbuds help lossless audio by way of Huawei Sound, too. A perk at the moment restricted to this handset solely.

One factor I discovered notably irksome is that the app drawer possibility appears to have disappeared on the most recent model of EMUI. I’ve my fingers crossed that it’s only a pre-release software program oddity, however my Pura 70 Extremely lets me have my apps hidden away and the Mate X6 doesn’t. It makes holding issues tidy an actual chore.

Worth & Availability

The Huawei Mate X6 has a reasonably lofty MSRP of €1,999 in Europe, and it’ll be launching imminently in choose international locations. The cellphone was listed on the native Huawei web site in France, Spain and Germany, however it appears to have vanished once more, on the time of writing – and there’s no signal of it within the UK simply but.

It’s one of many priciest handsets in the marketplace proper now, and contemplating the compromises that include proudly owning a Huawei cellphone, it’s a tricky promote for all however essentially the most die-hard Huawei followers. If you wish to try what the competitors brings to the desk, try our information to the perfect folding telephones.

We’re nonetheless not sure if this cellphone will formally be offered within the UK, but when it arrives, it’s impossible to be obtainable on contract. So whether or not you’re importing or simply shopping for outright, be certain to check out our record of the perfect SIM-only offers.

Do you have to purchase the Huawei Mate X6?

The Huawei Mate X6 is a tremendous piece of {hardware}. It seems gorgeous, feels premium and has top-of-the-line hinges within the enterprise. Its cameras are spectacular too, with pure color tuning and distinctive macro capabilities.

Sadly, the expertise is soured by the dearth of Google companies. Sure, there are many workarounds, however they’re not flawless, and it’s a headache you don’t need to endure elsewhere.

Then, there’s the worth. This cellphone prices as a lot because the spectacular Honor Magic V3 and greater than the Pixel 9 Professional Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 6. It’s onerous to justify such a price if you’re in for a less-than-perfect expertise.

Huawei has succeeded in making one of the spectacular foldable telephones obtainable, and at instances, it’s a pleasure to make use of. On the finish of the day, although, the compromises are too massive to advocate shopping for one.

Specs

• EMUI 15, based mostly on Android 15
• Outer: 6.45-inch, 1080 x 2440, OLED, 120Hz
• Interior: 7.94-inch, 2240 x 2440, OLED, 120Hz
• Energy-button fingerprint sensor
• Kirin 9020
• 12GB RAM
• 512GB storage
• Cameras:
  • 50Mp important sensor
  • 40Mp ultrawide
  • 48Mp 4x telemacro
  • Twin 8Mp selfie digicam
  • As much as 4K @ 60fps rear video
• Stereo audio system
• Twin-SIM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
• Bluetooth 5.2
• 5110mAh battery
• 66W wired charging
• 50W wi-fi charging
• 156.6 x 73.8 x 9.9 mm (folded)
• IPX8 licensed
• 239g
• Colors: Nebula Pink, Black, Nebula Gray