Foldable smartphones burst into our lives a little over a year ago, when, with a minimal time difference, at one event, we were shown Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X. Not so long ago, I got Huawei Mate X and I can't say that I was comfortable using it. In general, I changed my mind regarding this type of device, but there are some points that haunt me and prevent me from making a final decision about whether to use such devices. In any case, I want to share my observations and hear your opinion on the folding smartphone in general and Huawei for 200,000 rubles in particular. Although, there can be no two opinions on the second question.
This smartphone is interesting but very expensive.
Foldable and flip phones
It so happened that I was lucky enough to get acquainted with folding smartphones literally the next day after they were shown from the stage. The acquaintance, I must admit, was crumpled. I was given to hold one of them for just a couple of minutes, and during this time it was very difficult to make a complete impression. Therefore, only later, at the first opportunity, I began to get to know them better. And now got to Huawei Mate Xs.
I do not want to review from this article, since it is simply not interesting to list the characteristics, especially since there are already a lot of them on the Internet. I'd rather try to answer the questions that interested me and to which I could not find an answer before I took the device in hand and used it for a couple of days.
How does a foldable phone work
In fact, a foldable phone works like two separate phones that are simply connected together by a common screen. Of course, nothing beats the dual screen monster from Microsoft.
In order for the foldable phone to work as a single device, there is a hinge in its design. This hinge must be calibrated so that even taking into account the wear of the parts and the inevitable backlash after a couple of years of use, it fully corresponds to the folding shape of the screen. Otherwise, the screen will be heavily loaded and it will quickly break.
The hinge should not break.
Since each half of the foldable phone is very thin, and also part of the thickness is taken away by the screen, solving the problem of autonomy was very difficult. As a result, the battery is in both halves. They are connected to each other by loops and work like one battery.
The Huawei Mate Xs also has a common cooling system for the two parts, which somehow redistributes heat from the right side to the left. In the right one, all the hardware is installed, including the camera, and it heats up much more.
Sample photos taken with the camera Huawei Mate Xs:
Basically, that's all there is to know about the design of a foldable smartphone. Otherwise, these are almost the same boards, memory, camera modules, etc. The biggest challenge is making a foldable but non-breaking screen and finding a way to put the structure together.
Our beloved USB Type-C is used for charging
Is it convenient to use a foldable smartphone
First of all, you need to understand that a folding smartphone at this stage of their development will be larger in size and weight than classic monoblocks. When folded, the same Huawei Mate Xs feels like a regular smartphone in a very large protective case. The comparison is a bit rough, but this is the easiest way to imagine it.
It is interesting that when you expand it, you no longer get the feeling that it is big. On the contrary! Compared to tablets, it seems small and thin. Here's a twofold gadget.
Such a smartphone does not seem small.
For many tasks, a regular screen is enough, for example, to read a message, see the weather or something similar. Despite this, the hand still reaches out to press the coveted button and open the smartphone “in full growth”. Not for that you carry such a bulky smartphone with you to watch everything on the half of the screen.
The only thing that is inconvenient to do on the big screen is to watch videos. They still turn out to be limited in width and as a result, the picture above and below is supplemented with thick black stripes. To watch videos, I always folded my smartphone and just took it horizontally in my hands – the old fashioned way.
You can take a photo with a smartphone either as usual, when it is folded, or unfolded. Everything here is for everybody, but I did not open my smartphone in order to take a photo. When the main screen is inside, like the Galaxy Fold (it has a small external screen), it is easier to open the smartphone for shooting, but in Huawei Mate Xs the screen is outside and it is convenient to use it even when folded.
Huawei Mate Xs have cameras in only one place.
How durable foldable smartphones are
When you first pick up a foldable smartphone, you open it with some extra care. We are all accustomed to the fact that this should not be so, and therefore we are afraid of what is happening.
After some time, you stop paying attention to it and open it not like a gadget for 200,000 rubles, but like an iron box. No fear.
This all suggests that the design is very durable. Especially with all my might, I did not try to bend the body in the opposite direction, but a little effort does not cause any problems. There is no fear that the phone will break. Numerous drop tests have confirmed this.
I don't want to drop this smartphone, but it must withstand.
Of course, it is better to be more careful with this smartphone, but you should not worry too much about this. Much more likely to scratch the screen.
We can say that the fragility of a smartphone is relative. In some ways it is stronger than monoblocks, in others it is not. For example, where the glass of the candy bar breaks, the clamshell screen will remain intact. On the other hand, where a regular phone just wrinkles a little when dropped, the hinge may not hold up. Simply put, if you are even a little careful, then any technique will serve for a long time.
The smartphone is kept closed by this tongue. To open, you will need to press a button.
Anti-scratch foldable phone
To protect your smartphone from scratches, you usually put on a case or stick a protective glass (or film) on the screen. It won't work here.
The original Huawei Mate X came with a pocket-like pouch that could be put in for transport and removed for use only. This is not the most convenient option, since such a cover must be constantly removed somewhere. The new smartphone comes with a cover. It is a bumper that is glued to the side edges and protrudes slightly above the screen. So it protects the side edges from scuffs and drops, and the screen from scratches. This is especially true when the smartphone is on the table. With such a cover, the screen will not touch the surface and will not be scratched by dust and crumbs.
In such a case, the smartphone is still a pity, but it will definitely be more complete.
But in the corners of such a cover a lot of dust is collected from the pockets of clothes. It doesn't look very nice, but you have to choose between protection and appearance.
Is there a crease in the screen Huawei Mate Xs
There is a fold on the smartphone screen. She has not gone anywhere and only a blind person can deny her existence. But from my own experience I can only say one thing. You pay attention to it only when you think about it. If you do not pay attention to it, then it ceases to strain.
You can also say that although it is visible, but not always and only from a certain angle. It is much more unpleasant that it has a relief and you feel it with your finger when you swipe across the screen.
Should you buy a phone with a foldable screen?
The other day, I already talked about what use cases foldable smartphones have. You can read more about this at this link.
If you often use tables on your smartphone, regularly launch two applications, want something new and are ready to spend about two hundred thousand on a phone, then you should think about buying.
Buying Huawei Mate Xs, you need to understand that you will have to use AppGallery, although now it already has a lot.
If, on the contrary, you just scroll Instagram, use a camera, instant messengers and a dialer, then such a purchase will be a mistake for you.
You have to understand that a folding smartphone is now the peak of technology. You can and should use it, but only if you understand that you really need this technique. If you are not ready to switch to it, then, logically, you should not spend a lot of money.
A foldable smartphone cannot fully replace the tablet yet, but it has already come close to this.
I have used the foldable smartphone for a while (apart from brief meetings with it in the past) and am not yet ready to say if I will continue to use it. Perhaps you have a different opinion and want to express it. Then let's meet in the comments or in our Telegram chat and discuss it.