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Huawei announced several foldable smartphones thus far, while Xiaomi introduced only one. In this article, we’ll compare the Huawei Mate X2 vs Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold. The Mate X2 is Huawei’s latest foldable handset, while the Mi MIX Fold is Xiaomi’s very first one. Both of these phones got announced in Q1 this year, and both have limited availability. Still, comparing them makes a lot of sense, as they’re not only both foldable devices, but they’re flagship phones as well.
These two phones do have some things in common, but for the most part, they’re quite different. The design is somewhat similar, though the in-hand feel is different, and there are some differences in that regard as well. That being said, we’ll first list their spec sheets, and then move to the design, display, performance, battery, camera, and audio categories. Let’s kick off the Huawei Mate X2 vs Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold comparison, shall we.
Specs
| Huawei Mate X2 | Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold | |
| Screen size | Main: 8-inch fullHD+ OLED display (foldable, 90Hz) Secondary (Cover): 6.45-inch OLED display (flat, 60Hz) |
Main: 8.01-inch AMOLED display (foldable, 60Hz) Secondary (Cover): 6.52-inch AMOLED display (flat, 90Hz) |
| Screen resolution | Main: 2480 x 2200 Secondary (Cover): 2700 x 1160 |
Main: 2480 x 1860 Secondary (Cover): 2520 x 840 |
| SoC | Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 9000 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 |
| RAM | 8GB | 12GB/16GB |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB (UFS 3.0); expandable up to 256GB | 256GB/512GB; non-expandable |
| Rear cameras | 50MP (f/1.9 aperture, 1.22um pixel size, omnidirectional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS) 12MP (telephoto, f/2.4 aperture, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom) 16MP (ultra-wide, f/2.2 aperture, 17mm lens) 8MP (periscope telephoto, f/4.4 aperture, PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom) |
108MP (f/1.8 aperture, wide-angle, 0.7um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF) 13MP (f/2.4 aperture, 123-degree FoV, ultrawide, 1.12um pixel size) 8MP (80mm lens, telephoto/macro, liquid lens, PDAF, 3x optical zoom) |
| Front cameras | 16MP (f/2.2 aperture) | 20MP (27mm wide-angle lens, 0.8um pixel size) |
| Battery | 4,5o0mAh, non-removable, 55W wired charging | 5,020mAh, non-removable, 67W fast wired charging |
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 161.8 x 145.8 x 8.2mm Folded: 161.8 x 74.6 x 14.7mm |
Unfolded: 173.3 x 133.4 x 7.6mm Folded: 173.3 x 69.8 x 17.2mm |
| Weight | 295 grams | 317 grams (glass) 332 grams (ceramic) |
| Connectivity | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C |
| Security | Side-facing fingerprint scanner | Side-facing fingerprint scanner |
| OS | Android 10 EMUI 11 |
Android 10 EMUI 12 |
| Price | $2,785 | $1,520 (China) |
| Buy | Huawei (not available yet) | Xiaomi (not available yet) |
Huawei Mate X2 vs Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold: Design
Both of these phones come with a frame made out of metal, while both also have glass on the back. The thing is, the Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold also comes in a variant with a ceramic backplate. That affects their weight as well. The Huawei Mate X2 weighs 295 grams, while the glass and ceramic Mi MIX Fold models weigh 317 and 332 grams, respectively. The Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold is taller than the Huawei Mate X2, while it’s also narrower. That goes for both folded and unfolded states. It is thinner in the unfolded state, while it’s thicker when folded, which is interesting.
Both devices are in-folding phones. In other words, they fold inwards, like a book, so that their main (foldable) display is protected when they’re folded. They do have a secondary display on the outside, as you can see. That secondary display is quite large on both devices, and both phones do come with a display camera hole. The Huawei Mate X2 includes a pill-shaped one in the top-left corner, while the Mi MIX Fold has a single camera hole in the top-right corner.
The Mi MIX Fold has thicker bezels on its external display, while both include multiple cameras on the back. Their camera setups are placed in the top-left corner on the back. You’ll definitely feel the heft of both phones in your hand. The difference between them is not that noticeable unless you get the ceramic Mi MIX Fold, in which case you’ll feel the difference. Neither phone is particularly pleasant to use with one hand, not even when folded, due to their heft. Both devices are pretty slippery as well, so be vary of that, as they’re far from being cheap. They do feel like quality devices, though, that’s for sure.
Huawei Mate X2 vs Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold: Display
Both phones feature two displays. The Huawei Mate X2 sports an 8-inch 2200 x 2480 OLED main display, with a 90Hz refresh rate. That is its foldable display, of course. On the outside, you’ll find a 6.45-inch fullHD+ (2700 x 1160) OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. Both panels do offer a high refresh rate, unlike what the Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold has to offer. Both panels are also flat, by the way, of course.
The Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold includes an 8.01-inch 1860 x 2480 main display with a 60Hz refresh rate. This is a foldable AMOLED panel that offers 1B colors, and supports HDR10+ content. It also supports Dolby Vision, and it offers up to 900 nits of brightness (max). The secondary display on the device measures 6.52 inches, and comes with a resolution of 840 x 2520. That is a 90Hz panel, with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support. It gets just as bright as the main display.
To be quite honest, all of these displays look perfectly fine. They’re not the best on the market, not at all, but most people won’t even notice the difference. The Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold’s displays do seem to offer slightly punchier colors, though, but its main display doesn’t offer a high refresh rate, so… there you have it. Viewing angles on all displays are actually good, more so on the secondary displays, though.
Huawei Mate X2 vs Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold: Performance
Both of these phones are quite powerful from a hardware standpoint. The Huawei Mate X2 is fueled by the Kirin 9000 5G SoC. It includes 8GB of RAM, and fast flash storage. Android 10 comes pre-installed on the device, with Huawei’s custom UI on top of it. Do note that this phone does not include Google services, though, due to the US ban. If Google services are important to you, and you need the Play Store, well, this probably isn’t the best choice for you.
The Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold, on the other hand, is fueled by the Snapdragon 888 SoC. The device comes in 12GB and 16GB RAM variants, with fast flash storage. The device ships with Android 10 out of the box, and Xiaomi’s MIUI skin on top of it. The Mi MIX Fold will include Google services if it ever leaves China, as it’s currently not available in the international variant. That being said, both of these phones perform really well.
You won’t notice any lag, nor major slowdowns. That is to be expected considering their specifications, though. Both phones are great for multitasking, which is not surprising considering their display sizes and specs. Even their outer panels are more than large enough, but when you need more space, you can simply unfold them. They’re also quite nice for gaming. Do note that games will have black bars on two sides, when you use the main display. Both devices have rather odd screen aspect ratios, so… there’s no way around it.
Huawei Mate X2 vs Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold: Battery
The Huawei Mate X2 includes a 4,500mAh battery, while the Mi MIX Fold includes a 5,020mAh unit. Now, with foldable smartphones, it’s even more difficult to share some general battery life numbers. The usage of each user differs quite a bit, and there are two displays to account for here. The main display on each phone will draw more power, of course, due to their sizes, even though the main panel on the Mi MIX Fold does not offer a high refresh rate.
What we can say about battery life, is that the Mi MIX Fold shared somewhat better numbers. The difference is not huge, but you may be able to reach the 6-hour screen-on-time with the Mi MIX Fold. The Huawei Mate X2 goes a bit below that. Do note that your usage will play a huge part in this, of course. You’ll quickly drain the battery if you play games, do other types of processor-intensive tasks, and so on. The display brightness will also play a huge part, and the same goes for the usage of each display. OEMs always expect that you’ll use both panels, and not unfold the device every time you need to use it.
When it comes to charging, well, both do offer fast charging. The Mate X2 delivers 55W fast wired charging, while the Mi MIX Fold offers 67W fast wired charging. Needless to say, both of these charging technologies are amongst the best, and will recharge the two devices in no time. Those of you who are wondering about wireless charging, however, well, that is not included on either device.
Huawei Mate X2 vs Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold: Cameras
In regards to camera performance, both are excellent, but not the best in the market. The Huawei Mate X2 has four cameras on the back, with Leica lenses, while the Mi MIX Fold relies on three rear cameras. Both phones have rather large main sensors, while the Mate X2 also has a periscope camera included. During the day, both of these phones perform admirably. They capture really detailed, and sharp images, with really good dynamic range. The colors are good on both, though a bit different, and both control white balance really well too.
The Mate X2 can capture great-looking images with its periscope camera, as long as there’s light available. Ultra-wide shooters are really good on both, especially in daylight shots. When the light goes away, both phones do a good job, though the Mi MIX Fold images tend to offer muted colors in comparison. The Mate X2 does a better job with colors in low-lit environments. Other than that, they both do a good job, and manage to capture quite a bit of detail despite the lack of a light source. Their night camera modes are quite capable.
Audio
First and foremost, it’s worth saying that neither phone has a 3.5mm headphone jack. They do, however, come with stereo speakers, and Bluetooth 5.2. So, you can connect your headphones either via Bluetooth, or via a Type-C port on the bottom. You can use a dongle, or use Type-C headphones, whatever works for you. The sound via a good pair of headphones is good on both, no complaints.
In regards to speakers, well… they’re good on both phones, but the Mi MIX Fold sets itself apart. It has four speakers, actually, compared to two on the Mate X2. That does result in a fuller sound. Both sets of speakers do get quite loud, so there’s nothing to complain about in that regard. Xiaomi’s speakers have been tuned by Harman Kardon, and also provided by that company. The sound is a bit better, that is safe to say. In addition to a fuller sound, there’s more bass as well.