Believe it or not, the Huawei Mate X2 was announced way back in 2021 as the company skipped updating their huge inward-folding foldable with the Flip-ish Huawei P50 Pocket and the outward-folding Mate Xs 2 last 2022. But if you’re looking for an update, now is that time.

Apart from the newest Huawei P60 series and the ultra-advanced Huawei Watch Ultimate, the Chinese company has also introduced the Mate X3 as their next-gen foldable.

World’s thinnest foldable (so far)

Unlike the outward-folding foldables such as the Mate X, Xs, and Xs 2, the Huawei Mate X3 is their latest inward-folding foldable display — rivaling the dominant list of the big foldable competition.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

This also means a thinner form factor unlike its bulky predecessors, making the Huawei Mate X3 the world’s thinnest foldable yet at just 5.3mm when unfolded and 11.08mm when closed — just 0.1mm / 0.12mm thinner than the previous record-holder, the Xiaomi MIX Fold 2.

Thanks to a new generation of dual-spin water droplet hinge design, this makes the foldable not only as thin as possible, but also an improved folding mechanism and feel whenever you fold and unfold the device. This also promises a flatter unfolded form and little to no crease visibility.

Different from the Mate X2, the new version seems to have either a feather-sanded glass or leather back which eliminates those pesky fingerprint smudges all over when having a ultra-glossy glass.

Better (but smaller) 120Hz displays

Admittedly, the Mate X2 features larger displays compared to its successor: a 6.45-inch outer display, 8-inch on the inside. However, those screens also have a limited 90Hz refresh rate. That changes now as the Mate X3 features both 120Hz inside and out.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Albeit, the inner LTPS display is smaller at 7.85-inches and the LTPO-touting cover screen is measured at exactly 6.4-inches with a Full HD+ resolution. Surprisingly, pixel density on both Huawei “X-TRUE” screens are capped at 426 ppi (pixels per inch). Its screens also have 1.07 Billion Colors support and are TÜV Rheinland-certified as well.

For better durability, the cover display is equipped with Huawei’s in-house Kunlun glass that promises up to 10x more drop-resistance. Moreover, it will be resistant to wet hands and splashes thanks to its IPX8 certification. Only this and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold4 has this IP-certification for a foldable of its kind.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

The new hinge design also supports various Flex-Stop Mode interactions such as tripod-less selfies, split-screen when answering video calls or watching videos, and a Nightstand mode displaying necessary weather and clock information via Always-On Display.

Bye Kirin! Hello Snapdragon

Just a refresher, the Mate X2 was equipped with Huawei’s last-of-its-kind Kirin 9000 processor. This time, the Mate X3 has finally said goodbye to Kirin with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset.

Of course, that promises better CPU and GPU performance, but this also means you have to say goodbye to 5G connectivity with the limitations Qualcomm gives to Huawei in their Snapdragon chipsets.

But don’t let that dismay you. The Huawei Mate X3 features a larger 5060mAh Silicon-carbon battery for the Collector’s Edition and 4800mAh for the Non-Collector version (meant for the global version as well). And with the efficiency of the Snapdragon chipset and lack of 5G connectivity, this means an even longer battery life for any foldable out there.

Speaking of, the foldable supports a faster 66W Huawei SuperCharge ability (versus 55W). Also, Huawei has finally added wireless charging support with 50W top-up speeds and 7.5W when you use reverse wireless charging.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Lastly, just like the newest P60 series, the Mate X3 also features their newest two-way satellite communication service that enables SMS sending and receiving without any signal on the ground. Again, this is a China-exclusive feature for now as it relies on BeiDou’s messaging system.

Bye LEICA! Hello XMAGE

Huawei says goodbye to another long-time friend (more like Mate 😭): LEICA optics and imaging system (which was then transferred to its closer rival, the Xiaomi MIX Fold 2).

First made its debut on the Huawei Mate 50 Pro, the company’s new XMAGE imaging system also makes its way to the latest Mate foldable — but take that with a grain of salt.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Quite similar from its predecessor, it has a 50MP main (wide) sensor but with an improved aperture of f/1.8 (versus f/1.9). Moreover, there’s a 13MP f/2.2 ultra-wide lens. Finally, it’s equipped with an 8MP f/3.4 periscope telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. This may be a hit or miss to some of you as the Mate X2 originally featured more megapixels and wider aperture with its 12MP f/2.4 telephoto lens. Albeit, it optically zooms to just 3x.

For selfies, there’s an 8MP f/2.2 camera beneath the inner and outer punch-hole displays. It might sound like a downgrade but the lack of inner selfie shooter of the Mate X2 and the new 4K (instead of just 1080p) might make you think otherwise.

Pricing and Availability

Unlike other large foldables in the market, the Huawei Mate X3 is surprisingly available in a plethora of colors in two different textures: feather-sanded black, white, and purple/violet. Meanwhile, there’s the Dawn Gold and Qingshandai (dark green) colorways with leather-textured back.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Of course, it’s a China-exclusive for now but Huawei has hinted a global rollout on its international website. The suspecting reason of the delayed announcement might be the differences in HarmonyOS versus its Android-based EMUI software.

The foldable is available in three (3) storage options with no word about its RAM configurations:

• 256GB = CNY 12,999 (US$ 1903 / EUR 1749 / GBP 1548 / SG$ 2525 / PhP 103,424 / INR 156,524)
• 512GB = CNY 13,999 (US$ 2049 / EUR 1884 / GBP 1668 / SG$ 2719 / PhP 111,381 / INR 168,567)
• 1TB* = CNY 15,999 (US$ 2342 / EUR 2153 / GBP 1906 / SG$ 3108 / PhP 127,293 / INR 192,648)
  *only in Dawn Gold and Qingshandai

If you’re worrying about accessories, Huawei has got you covered with their official Stand PU case as well as a Smart View Flip Cover.

SEE ALSO: Huawei finally reveals the new P60 Series in China

It was last July 2021 when the Huawei P50 and P50 Pro were announced in China (while end of 2021 outside their hometown).

After almost two years, Huawei has finally revealed the latest successor of their ever-popular P-series with three models in the lineup.

P60 and P60 Pro

Just like its predecessors, the newest P60 and P60 Pro share almost the same hardware as one another.

Huawei P60 (left), P60 Pro (right) — Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Their new Huawei “Immersion” curved display measures at 6.67-inch with a Full HD+ resolution and based on the LTPO OLED technology. It has a dynamic 1~120Hz refresh rate and also supports DCI-P3 wide color gamut plus 1.07 Billion Colors. It’s also TÜV Rheinland certified. Hiding behind that punch-hole cutout is a 13MP f/2.4 ultra-wide angle (UWA) front camera.

Looking at the inside, it has a flagship-grade Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset and Adreno 730. However, just like the past P50 series (and even the Mate 50 series) smartphones, it’s only limited to 4G connectivity so take that in mind if you’re a heavy 5G user.

Speaking of, both phones now feature satellite communication technology. This enables a user to send and receive messaged when there’s no ground signal. However, this will be limited to China as the services relies on BeiDou.

Battery capacities aren’t that different with a 4816mAh capacity. To make them significantly different from one another, the P60 only has Huawei’s 66W SuperCharge feature while the Pro variant has a speedier 88W SuperCharge capability. Both phones also have IP68 water and dust resistance rating but only the Pro variant is equipped with Huawei’s in-house Kunlun Glass protection.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Huawei China did not state anything about its RAM configurations but both phones rely on a UFS 3.1 storage. The P60 is available in a base 128GB variant while the P60 Pro starts at 256GB. These phones max out at 512GB. Storage expansion of up to 256GB is still available with Huawei’s NM (NanoMemory) Card.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Lastly, these two phones almost share the same set of cameras. Pretty much like the Mate 50 and Mate 50 Pro, you’ll get its newest 48MP main (wide) camera with a Dual Variable aperture system that switches between f/1.4-4.0 for shooting flexibility. They also have the same 13MP f/2.2 ultra-wide cameras.

So what’s the dealbreaker? The Huawei P60 has a 12MP f/3.4 periscope telephoto lens that optically zooms in to 5x. Meanwhile, the P60 Pro has a 48MP f/2.1 telephoto lens that has an optical zoom of 3.5x. Kind of confusing options from Huawei but it is what it is.

P60 Art

For those who want the best in Huawei’s latest P-series flagship series, the P60 Art is the one to get.

Display size isn’t different at 6.67-inches with the same display technology as the other two plus the P60 Pro’s Kunlun glass. IP68 rating and support for satellite communication are also present as we all expected.

Aside from display, specs weren’t changed too such as the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4G chipset and Adreno 730 GPU. Albeit, it has a larger 1TB storage capacity aside from the 512GB base model. Moreover, its cameras (both rear and front) are very similar to what the P60 Pro offers but replace that 12MP ultra-wide camera with a 40MP of the same aperture.

Unlike the P60 and P60 Pro, the P60 Art features a more heavier Silicon-Carbon battery with a capacity of 5100mAh. Still, it has the 88W Huawei SuperCharge capability of its Pro sibling.

Pricing and Availability

The Huawei P60 and P60 Pro are neither different in color offerings. They’re both available in Green, Black, Violet, and the special Rococo Pearl variant. Meanwhile, the Huawei P60 Art only has two colorways in either Azure Blue or Seashore Gold.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

The P60 and P60 Pro are available for pre-orders starting March 30, 2023 (Thursday) while the P60 Art on April 7, 2023 (Friday).

We got no word on global (or at least Southeast Asian) availability but here’s the lengthy pricing list just in case you’re curious to find out:

HuaweiP60

• 128GB = CNY 4488 (US$ 652 / EUR 605 / GBP 532 / SG$ 870 / PhP 35,476 / INR 53,853)
• 256GB = CNY 4988 (US$ 725 / EUR 672 / GBP 591 / SG$ 967 / PhP 39,429 / INR 59,852)
• 512GB = CNY 5988 (US$ 877 / EUR 807 / GBP 709 / SG$ 1161 / PhP 47,333 / INR 71,852)

Huawei P60 Pro

• 256GB = CNY 6988 (US$ 1023 / EUR 940 / GBP 832 / SG$ 1357 / PhP 55,599 / INR 84,144)
• 512GB = CNY 7988 (US$ 1169 / EUR 1075 / GBP 952 / SG$ 1552 / PhP 63,555 / INR 96,186)

Huawei P60 Art

• 512GB = CNY 8988 (US$ 1316 / EUR 1210 / GBP 1071 / SG$ 1746 / PhP 71,511 / INR 108,227)
• 1TB = CNY 10,988 (US$ 1609 / EUR 1479 / GBP 1309 / SG$ 2134 / PhP 87,424 / INR 132,309)

SEE ALSO: The Huawei Mate X3 is currently the world’s slimmest foldable

Companies continue to redefine what a “budget” smartphone can be capable of, offering customers more for an affordable price point. Xiaomi unveiled its newest entry-level, the Redmi 12C which comes with bigger storage, a larger screen, and better performance.

The phone comes in four colors — Graphite Grey, Ocean Blue, Mint Green, and Lavender Purple. There are three storage and memory capacities:

• 3GB+32GB: PhP 5,499
• 4GB+64GB: PhP 6,499
• 4GB+128GB: PhP 7,499

The Redmi 12C is now available at authorized Xiaomi stores, as well as online via Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok. A free Mi Compact Bluetooth Speaker 2 (worth PhP 599) also awaits purchases until March 31.

At the same time, early birds are also urged to get the 6GB+128GB version for the discounted rate of PhP 8,599, from PhP 8,999, until March 31. This particular model is only available through Xiaomi’s e-commerce platforms and comes with a free Redmi Buds 3.

Better experience

The Redmi 12C is powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 processor and offers smoother usage for daily tasks, along with faster app starts. The phone also has a fingerprint sensor and a 5,000mAh battery for all-day use.

The screen is a larger 6.71-inch HD+ display in a 20.6:9 aspect ratio, which is all part of the stylish flat edge design.

Capture moments

As far as its cameras are concerned, the Redmi 12C comes with a 50MP main camera capable of both HDR and Night Mode. It can film 1080p videos in the standard 30fps.

Complementing this is a simple 5MP selfie camera.