News

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

The Chinese company’s latest inward-folding foldable after two years

Published

March 23, 2023

Vincenz

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

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 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.

UPDATE: Huawei is set to launch the P60 series alongside the new Mate X3, Watch Ultimate, and Freebuds 5 in Europe on May 9, 2023

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.

Related Topics:Huawei Huawei Mate X3 Mate X3

Gaming

ROG Ally greatly improves with new update

Days before official launch

Published

June 7, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

The ROG Ally has some hefty shoes to fill. Touting an impressive slate of specs, the upcoming handheld console is one of the first true competitors to the dominating Steam Deck. Unfortunately, early reviews revealed a flawed comparison against Valve’s juggernaut of a console. Now, days ahead of its official launch, ASUS is releasing new firmware which drastically improves the console’s performance.

Getting down to the nitty gritty of things, the ROG Ally, in its unpatched version, lacked performance in low-wattage scenarios. Early reviewers found that the console could not keep up with the Steam Deck under such circumstances.

A new update, which started rolling out to early units, started catching up. According to YouTuber Dave2D, the update easily improves the console by 15 to 20 percent better than its initial release. First of all, it brings the ROG Ally almost at par with the Steam Deck in low-wattage scenarios. While the results aren’t as good as the latter device yet, it’s a much better performer compared to the former on day one. ASUS acknowledges that Valve really did its homework in low-wattage scenarios.

More notably, the update dramatically boosts the ROG Ally’s performance in higher wattages. The console is now close behind the Ayaneo 2S, a beefier alternative to the Steam Deck. Before the update, the ROG Ally could barely touch the Steam Deck, let alone the Ayaneo 2S.

ASUS also notes that the update should include improvements for the battery life. The lackluster battery has been a point of contention among all early users.

The ROG Ally is officially launching on June 13 and will start at US$ 699.99.

News

Xiaomi reportedly working on a clamshell phone

Says a new rumor

Published

June 7, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

In recent years, Motorola and Samsung have proved that the clamshell phone is more than just a resurrected fad. Both companies have developed solid lineups capable of becoming daily drivers. Now, others want to get into the market. Following the footsteps of its contemporaries, Xiaomi is reportedly developing a clamshell phone of its own.

Even before the unannounced clamshell phone, Xiaomi has some experience in the foldable market. The Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 was quite the impressive powerhouse when it launched last year. The foldable smartphone even bagged the title as the thinnest foldable at the time (before Huawei grabbed the title soon after).

Now, the Chinese company is seemingly tapping into the same lineup for a rumored clamshell phone. According to Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station, the brand is indeed looking at an extremely light version of the vertically folding form factor.

Unfortunately, not much else is known about the upcoming device yet. However, Xiaomi’s supposed entry into the market shouldn’t be a surprise. After all, the brand’s competitors — Huawei and vivo — are already deep inside the clamshell segment. The latter, for example, just released the vivo X Flip, its first device in the vertically folding market. Expect things to heat up in the Chinese foldable market soon.

Gaming

Netflix will launch a Queen’s Gambit game in July

Summer lineup is looking strong

Published

June 7, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

The renaissance of chess is an interesting sight to behold. While there are a few reasons why the sport rose in popularity — such as the emergence of chess content creators on Twitch — there is one show that quickly catapulted chess into the limelight: The Queen’s Gambit. If you’re still a fan of the show, Netflix is launching a chess game based on the popular show.

The Queen’s Gambit Chess is the next step in the platform’s push towards mobile gaming. Back in 2021, Netflix announced its first forays into offering mobile games for its subscribers. Now, every Netflix subscriber has access to a library of games right on their app.

With The Queen’s Gambit Chess, Netflix is going back to its pool of notable franchises to tie into the gaming world. The platform previously did the same with other franchises like Stranger Things.

In the upcoming title, players will immerse themselves in the world of Beth Harmon. They can “take lessons, play puzzles and matches, or compete against friends.”

Netflix has not shown a lot of footage of the game yet. The announcement comes through a short video enumerating the titles it has on slate for this summer. This slate also includes Cut the Rope, Oxenfree, and the upcoming Oxenfree II: Lost Signals.

Queen’s Gambit Chess will launch on July 25.