Did HUAWEI just make the best flagship foldable for photography? This is the HUAWEI Mate X6.

Design, look, and hand feel

Foldables are relatively new but Huawei has had their fair share of takes on the form factor.

The Mate X all the way to the Mate Xs2 felt very much like exploratory voyages into the unknown. HUAWEI is also responsible for the world’s first tri-fold smartphone– The HUAWEI Mate XT. They truly are a leader in foldable space. 

But when the Mate X3 rolled around, they seemed to have settled on a form factor and have chosen to refine it.

Enter the HUAWEI Mate X6.

It’s the culmination of everything the company has learned so far in its foldable journey. It’s a simple book-style foldable that delivers on the promise of feeling like a 2-in-1 device.

Folded, it feels like your regular good’ol slab of a smartphone. It’s ultra light and ultra slim, making it very easy to hold. But unfold it and you unlock a larger screen that opens up many possibilities.

It also features a faux leather back that feels fantastic to touch and hold. Huawei says it’s even a skin-friendly material.

For all intents and purposes, this is likely one of the more optimal forms of the bookstyle foldable.

In terms of its overall design, look, and feel, the HUAWEI Mate X6 stands shoulder to shoulder with the best of its kind in the market.

Durability

The most common concern with foldables though is how tough is it? Will it break easily? HUAWEI has brazenly described the Mate X6 to be strong. How so?

The company detailed the following to prove its toughness: It’s made of 2nd Gen Kunlun Glass. That makes it 25 times more durable against glass. If you remember the drop campaign they did previously, that’s an older version of Kunlun Glass. It stands to reason that the one on the Mate X6 is indeed stronger.

But it’s not just the outer later. Even the inner screen is made tough. And it’s as crease-free as you can possibly get. The foundation of foldables like this is the hinge.

This multidimensional hinge on the HUAWEI Mate X6 can be folded and unfolded, worry free, for over 400,000 times. After using it for a few days, we feel confident making dance the way TWICE moves in their latest song called Strategy…

In terms of numbers, the Water Drop Hinge has 27 percent higher material strength. While the Middle Frame made up of series aluminum alloy has 37 percent higher material strength.

Impressive numbers no matter how you shake it.

Oh and it also has an IPX8 water resistance. It can handle being submerged in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes.

Ultra Chroma Camera

The one major ding foldable phones get is that their cameras just aren’t as good as their regular slab counterparts.

That is the sentiment that HUAWEI hopes to end with the Mate X6.

Here are the camera specs:

• 50MP, f/1.4, Adjustable Aperture Camera
• 48MP, f/3.0, RYYB, Telephoto Micro Camera
• 40MP, f/2.2, Ultra-Wide Angle Camera

The Huawei Mate X6 is the first foldable to have a physical adjustable aperture camera. It’s called the Ultra Chroma Camera.

It always sounds cliche when we say this, but it is truly an engineering marvel. And it’s comforting to know that HUAWEI has also done this before. This makes for more pro-grade photos that feel like they were taken from a full-blown camera.

As you all know, smartphone camera performance goes beyond the numbers.

Every smartphone maker has their own image algorithm. And HUAWEI’s has consistently been one of the best.
We all gushed about the camera performance of the HUAWEI Pura 70 Series.

And the Mate X6 is the closest you can get in foldable form.

In practice, having the Mate X6 in your pocket does feel like having an outstanding partner in capturing moments.

You can get closer and with great detail and color thanks to its macro capabilities. Portraits look more refined, whether that’s of people or feline.

Great views look breathtaking and you can zoom in to details to your liking.

Scenes captured in motion show plenty of character.

Overall, the images it produced were color accurate. And the color reproduction is consistent across all three of its main cameras.

That’s a feat that’s rare even among the best smartphone cameras available today.

The HUAWEI Mate X6 has a powerful camera set. One we can confidently say is unrivaled in the bookstyle foldable space. And can compete against the best of regular slab smartphones.

Freebuds Pro 4 — The perfect mate for the Mate X6

One thing we’ll never shut up about is how good HUAWEI’s audio products have been over the past few years.

We’ve been privileged to try a few of its previous versions. And the few things we’ve come to expect  are great build quality, intuitive controls, ample battery life, and rich audio.

HUAWEI’s Freebuds line has been consistent and the Pro 4 is no different. Speaking of consistency, it looks just like the many Freebuds Pros of the past:

• A short stem design in a small charging case.
• There’s the usual pairing button on the side of the case.
• Opening the lid feels secure and satisfying.
• And the buds snap into place magnetically.

In the packaging, you also get plenty of tips to suit your preference. We have the black and gold design which looks absolutely exquisite. It will also be available in white.

There are new head motion features like nodding to accept a call and shaking your head to reject one.

Get the HUAWEI AI Life app to get access to more granular control and adjust the equalizer to your style. But even on default, the Freebuds Pro 4 already sounds amazing.

Everyone was into Rose’s APT. But there are plenty of other gems in her album. The “stay a little longer” track is one of our favorites. The rich sound provided by the Freebuds Pro 4 lends nicely to hearing all the elements present in the song.Rose’s heavenly vocals come through very clearly on each and every track.

It doesn’t hurt that this also has noise cancellation, isolating you from the outside world and keeping you locked in on the music.

Overall, you tend to better appreciate the media you consume with the Freebuds Pro 4.

And that extends to video viewing on the Mate X6.

Unfolded viewing

Zooming in while watching the performance version of TWICE’s Strategy with the Mate X6 and Freebus Pro 4 in tow.

You once again remember why the superstar girl group is called TWICE. They’ll capture you once with your eyes and twice with your ears. It’s an audio-visual combo that can be overwhelming but best enjoyed with the Mate X6 and Freebuds Pro 4 duo.

The big screen also works for viewing movies. Here we’re watching the Christmas movie Red One which makes for a steady turn-your-brain-off holiday flick.

Unfolding productivity and more

Naturally, the big screen is for more than just seeing visuals like TWICE and Chris Evans closer.

The real draw of bookstyle foldables is being able to do multiple things at once. Not only can you do split screen opening to apps simultaneously, you can even have a third window open and they work simultaneously with no hiccups whatsoever.

It’s a boon for people who have to liaise with multiple parties at once. You can reference your email and have messaging apps open all at the same time. This saves you from having to switch from app to app.

App Gallery

Speaking of apps, it’s easier than ever to get apps you use. Simply go to the App Gallery, search for the app you need, and install. Easy.

Some of the most used and most requested apps like Google Chrome, Grab, and BDO Online are available to quickly download and use.

Quick charge test

Supporting all of these features is a 5110mAh battery.

Seems standard for a bookstyle foldable. And then you learn it also has 66W wired fast charging and 50W wireless fast charging. In practice, the Mate X4 feels like it juices up so much faster than advertised.

Here are the numbers from a few quick wired charge tests:

HUAWEI Mate X6 — All you need

With the HUAWEI Mate X6, the company has put together a package that has everything you need.

It fulfills the promise of a 2-in-1 device – a handy smartphone when folded, and a multi-tasking tablet when unfolded.

More importantly, it addresses a major pain point of most foldables with its Ultra Chroma camera. The Mate X6 is equipped with a camera set that more than holds itself against the best camera smartphones out there.

A foldable with flagship level photography used to be just a dream. But HUAWEI turned it into reality – along with other fun bells and whistles – with the Mate X6.

Price and availability

If you now want to replace your regular bar phone with an Ultra-Durable, Ultra-Light, Ultra-Thin, Crease-Free and Best Photography Foldable, check out the Exclusive Preview details below:

Unfold the Classic: HUAWEI Mate X6 Exclusive Preview

• When: January 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, and 25-26 at 3PM.
• Where: Select HUAWEI Experience Stores Nationwide.