FACT continues its quest to uncover the very latest and greatest gadgets, this time with the new Huawei Mate X3.

Design
The X3 boasts an elegant yet durable design, complete with an aluminium frame. It comes in two colourways – dark green vegan leather and black Feather-Sand Glass. This model is not only compact but ultra-light and ultra-thin. At 5.3mm unfolded, it’s the thinnest smartphone we’ve ever encountered.

Screens
When opened, the new X3 unfolded flat without a noticeable centre gap between the two symmetrical halves or an unsightly crease on the foldable panel. This is thanks to Huawei’s new advanced hinge mechanism allowing opening to various degrees for different situations and uses. The 6.4-inch 3D OLED exterior screen has a 1080p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Although smaller than the previous generation, it features Kunlun Glass exterior protection and IPX8-rated water resistance – the first Huawei smartphone to boast this quality. The X3 also features an impact-resistant, 7.85-inch foldable OLED screen. It provides an ultra-high resolution of 2496 x 2224, along with the highest pixel density in the industry at 426 PPI. This model also delivers a 120Hz refresh rate – 30Hz more than last year’s model. We appreciated the split screen feature of the X3, which allows the user to select between a vertical or a horizontal split.

Functionality
The international version of the Huawei Mate X3 runs EMUI 13.1 and features Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 hardware. We found the operating system fast and exceptionally responsive, experiencing no problem with lagging or picture quality. The stereo speakers at both ends add to the appeal with ample volume and pure sound. The X3 also comes with an impressive 256GB or 512GB of storage. The X3 supports Huawei mobile services. These include Petal Search, Petal Maps and the App Gallery Store. You can still search for certain Google apps and download them through an app repository or a developer website. Huawei still has no access to 5G networks.

Cameras
Lovers of photography will appreciate the X3’s Ultra Vision XMAGE Camera system. This impressive setup includes a 50MP Ultra Vision Main Camera, a 13MP Ultra-Wide Angle Camera and a 12MP Periscope Telephoto Camera that supports 5x optical zoom. We found them all to capture excellent detail and trueto-life colours. For selfies, the 8MP front-facing camera in both the cover and inner screen proved more than capable. This smartphone also allowed us to take selfies with the rear cameras using the cover display as a viewfinder. The X3’s main camera, however, proved a cut above the rest in this area and can also record video in up to 4k resolution at 30fps, providing superb quality, fine detailing and vivid colours.

Battery
The sizable 4800mAh battery supports 66W wired Huawei SuperCharge and 50W wireless Huawei SuperCharge. This means ample power to last throughout the day. We managed to recharge the X3 from 0–70% in just half an hour.

Our Verdict
The new Huawei Mate X3 is a beautifully designed, capable smartphone proving to be a game-changer in the premium flip phone segment. ✤

GO: VISIT HTTPS://CONSUMER.HUAWEI.COM/QA/ FOR MORE INFORMATION.