First impressions done by Bobby Tonelli.
The focus of smartphones has always been on on-the-go functionality and convenience, and it isn’t always an easy task balancing between that and a larger display for greater immersion or legibility. Here’s where foldable models have the edge, packing in more real estate into a sleek, flexible body to bring the best of both worlds.
The Huawei Mate Xs 2 shows how it’s done by improving the existing infrastructure of its predecessor, the Mate Xs. Powered by a Snapdragon 888 4G CPU and Adreno 8GB GPU, it delivers the industry standard package of 8GB RAM and 512 GB SSD, but continues to shine in its use of a wraparound folding design — a feature that’s unique only to Huawei. The result is a lightweight and portable companion with a fantastic display that highlights less-visible creases as compared to other foldable smartphone options.
Camera-wise, the smartphone ships with a triple-lens set-up comprising a 50MP true-chroma camera, a 13MP ultra wide lens, and an 8MP telephoto lens. While images are observed to be oversaturated and slightly overexposed, its display impresses with natural and vibrant colours that when coupled with an all-day battery of 4,600 mAh, can make for a pleasant, lasting viewing experience.
A conversation about Huawei wouldn’t be complete without addressing the elephant in the room, however. The Mate Xs 2 still doesn’t have access to Google services, but Huawei has been working around the situation by making popular and well-used apps available on its own Huawei App Gallery or via APK websites. It’s more accessible than previous efforts, and should be an improvement that fans would appreciate.
Joining the foldable phone in raising performance standards is the Huawei GT3 Pro smartwatch. Armed with over 100 workout modes, impressive speakers, a lightweight fit, and an enduring battery life that can last up to two weeks, the timepiece is easily comparable to the likes of the higher-tier Apple Watch and Garmin Fenix series.
It also comes priced at a premium, but its value-add functionality is clear — not only can users monitor health trackers like skin temperature, oxygen levels, and heart rate, the numerous modes mean golfing enthusiasts, for instance, will be able to know their swing speed, backswing tempo, and other statistics. The best part? The readings are all pretty accurate.
Check out the video above to see the power duo in action.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Trinity Sun
Edwin Teo
Destro
