Motorola Razr: 6 burning questions we still have about this foldable phone

Motorola Razr: 6 burning questions we still have about this foldable phone

The 2004 Motorola Razr is back for 2019, this time with a sexy foldable 6.2-inch screen that bends in half and a 16-megapixel camera for all your shots. After playing with it at Motorola's Chicago headquarters, I called it, "Streamlined. Utterly pocketable. Nostalgic, with a sharp futuristic edge." You might call it a flip phone for the modern age -- it even has a secret retro keyboard for nostalgia-seekers.

Motorola's Razr is the third major foldable phone on the market, after the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X, which currently only sells in China. The Razr is also the first design of its kind, a tall, narrow vertically flipping device rather than a tablet replacement that opens up like a book. Motorola's success or stumbles with the Razr could help set the direction of foldable phones to come -- maybe even Samsung's future foldable clamshell, which the company teased at a developer conference last month.

We know a lot about the foldable Razr phone. How much it costs (a princely $1,500) and when it goes on sale (Jan. 9). How its specs stack up against the Samsung Galaxy Fold's and why Motorola wanted to make this foldable flip Razr in the first place. But there are some things we don't know, all of which will be critical to the phone's success. And since preorders in the US don't begin until Dec. 26, it will be a while before we find out.

Read: CNET's in-depth review of the Motorola Razr

How durable the foldable screen really is

The Razr uses a plastic OLED (P-OLED) display with a hard plastic coating on top. Plastic isn't as rigid as glass, which makes today's foldable phone screens more susceptible to damage. Early Galaxy Fold review units suffered from screen damage before Samsung was able to redesign the flaws.

Although Motorola claims its early work on a plastic hard coat for the screen puts it in a better place than Samsung, it isn't clear how well the Razr's screen will be able to sustain the stress of repeated opening and closing throughout its lifetime, and how well it can rebuff normal wear and tear by items coming into contact with the screen, even an accidental fingernail scratch.

If the battery life will truly last all day

Motorola claims that the foldable Razr's 2,510mAh battery will last you all day, but we obviously need to test it to find out, both in our lab and through day to day observation.

But even without testing, a 2,510mAh battery is quite small to power two screens, the camera and all the rest. As one comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S10E has a 5.8-inch screen and a 3,100mAh battery. As another, the (much larger) Galaxy Fold has a 4,380mAh battery.

Part of the problem is that the Razr's total battery capacity is divided into two parts. This design helps keep the phone balanced so one half isn't heavier than the other, but using two batteries is typically less efficient than one larger battery of the same capacity. This was the case with the Galaxy Fold, which ran for less time than expected for its battery capacity -- so we'll keep a sharp eye on the Razr's total battery life per charge.

How splash-proof the screen and body are in daily life

The Motorola Razr has a 6.2-inch plastic OLED display.

James Martin/CNET

The Razr isn't rated for waterproofing, but Motorola says it's splash-proof nonetheless. The foldable phone has been coated inside and out with nanocoating, which helps protect internal electronic components from water damage.

I'll want to see whether ordinary splashes and raindrops affect the screen and camera. The Galaxy Fold came with a long list of care instructions that highlight its fragility, including limited exposure to liquids, so this will be a real test of the Razr's mettle.

If and when Motorola will sell it in colors other than black

Right now the Razr comes in one color, "noir black". If demand is high enough, Motorola may work up a new tone. The first Razr came in a rainbow of eye-popping shades beyond its original silver. I'd love to see this foldable Razr similarly branch out.

How many times the Razr was folded during testing

Motorola isn't saying how many times its Razr was folded and unfolded as part of a stress test. Since in our tests the Galaxy Fold broke after about half the time Samsung said its test was rated for (100,000 folds versus 200,000 folds), our interest is high.

Nobody wants a $1,500 investment to fall apart over the course of a year or two, even though Motorola's warranty does cover a replacement.

Here's Motorola's statement on durability:

We didn't bring the new Motorola Razr to market until we knew it was ready. We have full confidence in the durability of the Flex View display, and based on our research, it will last for the average lifespan of a smartphone. We acknowledge this is a brand new technology and we are committed to continue improving as the industry evolves. Therefore, we've created a world class service package to make sure every Razr customer has an exceptional experience.

Are we looking at the future of phone screens?

Juan Garzon/CNET

If it's worth buying -- and if so, for whom

You want to know, and so do I. Is the Razr a feather in the cap for collectors with means, or will it be a practical device for everyday people? This is unfortunately a question that only the review can answer, after extensively testing the screen, battery stamina, real-life pocketability and camera.

When the review phone arrives, I'll use the device as my one and only phone. Until then, I'll keep posting updates about the Motorola Razr as new information comes in. Feel free to share burning questions of your own in the comments section, or reach out to me at @jdolcourt on Twitter.

Motorola's $1,500 Razr goes on sale in December and arrives in January.

Juan Garzon/CNET

Updated with new information about the January 9 sale date.

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Leaked Motorola Razr images give us a first look at the foldable phone's new design

Leaked Motorola Razr images give us a first look at the foldable phone's new design

Update, Nov. 14: The foldable Motorola Razr has been launched, and we went hands-on . Original story follows.

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Motorola's foldable Razr is expected to be revealed next month, but the leaks are still coming. Noted leaker Evan Blass shared an image on his private Twitter account that appears to give one of the first clear looks at the foldable phone's design, which Motorola has been teasing for a while. The leaked images don't give us a full look at what the device will look like unfolded, but the leak does reveal that the new foldable Razr's design will remain similar to the original Razr line, including a "chin" that looks like it could house a fingerprint sensor. As for the inside, there is just a hint of the screen's reflection over what previously was the keypad. 

A second image shared Thursday afternoon by Blass gave a glimpse at the "closed" display viewing a notification. 

Read: The inside story behind the creation of the foldable Motorola Razr.

The new foldable Razr, closed. 

Evan Blass

Subsequent images leaked by Blass showed the phone's front screen that doubles as a viewfinder as well as what the phone looks like when fully opened. 

The front display and camera on the Razr. 

Evan Blass

Motorola did not respond to a request for comment. 

Following in the steps of Samsung's recently released Galaxy Fold and Huawei's previously announced Mate X, CNET previously reported that while Motorola had initially planned for a summer release date of its foldable Razr, the company was now targeting a late 2019 release. 

The Motorola Razr foldable, as leaked by Evan Blass.

Evan Blass

In addition to the foldable display, the phone has been reported to cost $1,500 and run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 710 processor with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of storage. It is also rumored to come in white, black or gold, measure 6.2 inches long and have a 2,730-mAh battery.

CNET's Corinne Reichert contributed to this story. 

Originally published at 8:24 a.m. PT
Update 3:05 p.m.PT: Added additional details and images. 

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Samsung's S22 Ultra kicks the Galaxy Note to the curb

Samsung's S22 Ultra kicks the Galaxy Note to the curb

Samsung hasn't officially said the Galaxy Note is gone for good, but it doesn't have to. Just take one look at the Galaxy S22 Ultra, Samsung's new premium phone, and you can see it's the spitting image of the Note. 

The Galaxy S Ultra line has been inching towards Galaxy Note status for years. It was particularly clear in 2021 when it added S Pen compatibility. But the newest model, which Samsung announced at Unpacked on Wednesday, seems like the final push in that direction. 

And it's about time.

Both phones serve the same purpose in Samsung's lineup by catering to customers willing to pay top dollar for a bigger screen and more camera features. Simply put, there's no room for the Galaxy Note to stand out now that the Ultra exists.

The Galaxy Note helped popularize larger phones back when the industry was fixated on making gadgets as small as possible. But that's no longer the case, and the S Pen alone clearly isn't enough to keep the Galaxy Note relevant.

There's no place for the Galaxy Note anymore

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (left) alongside the S20 Ultra (right)

Lexy Savvides/CNET

Don't get me wrong, I was a longtime Galaxy Note fan. The device's nearly tablet-sized screen and the old-fashioned feeling of jotting down notes by hand intrigued me. 

But the Galaxy Note's heyday came at a time when phones were still growing -- literally. Smartphone sales outsold feature phones for the first time in 2013, according to Gartner, roughly two years after the original Galaxy Note's 2011 debut. The smartphone market was relatively young back then, so features like a larger screen and a stylus were considered novel at the time. 

Most phones that were popular in the Galaxy Note line's early days, like the Samsung Galaxy S3, Apple iPhone 5 and Motorola Droid Razr Maxx, had screens that were smaller than 5 inches. The 5.3-inch Galaxy Note seemed gigantic by comparison, but also distinctive. 

Yet in 2022, the characteristics that once made the Note feel fresh no longer seem innovative. Just about every phone has a giant screen that's about 6 inches or larger, including devices from Apple, Google, Motorola or OnePlus. In other words, big phones are now the norm rather than the exception. Even budget phones, like Samsung's $250 Galaxy A13, often include 6-inch screens or bigger now.

Read more: Galaxy S22 vs. S21 FE: How Samsung's phones compare

The Galaxy Note undoubtedly played a big role in that shift. But that's exactly the point; the shift already happened, and the Galaxy Note no longer feels as special as it once did. Evidence of this can be seen in the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, Samsung's most recent high-end Note that debuted in 2020. 

Other than the S Pen, there was little that distinguished the Note 20 Ultra from the Galaxy S20 Ultra, which launched in the same year. Both phones had spacious 6.9-inch screens and multilens cameras. The differences were nuanced and came to certain hardware details.

The S20 Ultra, for example, had a sharper 48-megapixel telephoto lens compared to the Note 20 Ultra's 12-megapixel telephoto lens. It also had additional memory options and a bigger battery, but was $100 more expensive than the Note 20 Ultra at launch. 

Read more: The Galaxy S22 Ultra fails to excite this pro photographer. And that's a problem

Samsung's attempt to maintain two different premium phone brands created confusion for people who just wanted to buy Samsung's top-of-the-line phone. In 2019, it was the Note 10 Plus. In 2020, it was either the S20 Ultra or the Note 20 Ultra. Eliminating the Note brand from Samsung's lineup simplifies that structure. It also means people who prefer giant phones no longer have to decide between a stylus or a better camera, as they did in 2020. 

Samsung's foldables are now filling that role

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 has nearly all the refinements you could ask for but still feel like it's missing a purpose.

Patrick Holland/CNET

The Galaxy Note started out as a niche device for people who wanted more screen space and power than the average phone allowed for. Its large size and high price meant it wasn't for everyone. But it still served as an early indication of where the industry was going.

In the best-case scenario for Samsung, the same could be said for the company's foldable phones. Like the Galaxy Note, Samsung's foldables are more expensive than the standard phone. And the appeal of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is in the extra screen space it offers, just like the Galaxy Note. Samsung seems to be hoping that the Z Fold 3 and flip phone-style Z Flip 3 will set the pace for where smartphones are headed, just as the Note once did. 

Who knows whether today's foldables will lay the foundation for future phones. But the Note certainly did, and its influence has shaped Samsung's most important launch of the year. 

For more, check out everything else Samsung unveiled at its recent Unpacked event including the Galaxy S22, S22 Plus and Galaxy Tab S8. (Here's how you can preorder the devices now.) You can also learn more about how the Galaxy S22 compared to the S21 and nightography. 

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LG Wing hands-on: Here's what it's like to actually use the weird swiveling phone

LG Wing hands-on: Here's what it's like to actually use the weird swiveling phone

These days, phones are either rectangular slabs with one straight screen or, in the case of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 or Motorola Razr 5G, they're slabs with flexible screens that open up. But the LG Wing is neither. Instead, it's a phone with two screens, one of which swivels on top of the other.

Yes, it's weird and yes, it's expensive at $1,000 on Verizon (UK and Australia pricing have not been released yet, but that converts to about £775 and AU$1,394). But the design isn't as crazy or pointless as it seems. After pushing through the initial learning curve, which does take some time, my experience with multitasking and recording video got a boost thanks to the Wing's unusual shape.

The LG Wing isn't for everybody, and LG knows this. Its bulkier design and potentially steep price will automatically lead to many people writing it off. Also, not all apps will accommodate the two screens. Nevertheless, I appreciate LG's willingness to try something different. Swivel phones aren't exactly new, even if they aren't around much anymore: The VX9400 from 2007, for instance, is an early example of an LG phone with a similar design, and I myself owned a beloved Nokia 7370, which featured a screen that swiveled out as smoothly as a switchblade comb. But LG has applied that design thoughtfully enough for this current era of phones.

Whether or not people are willing to pay to give its $1,000 vision a shot is the big question. While it's not impossible to sell an expensive handset amid a pandemic when everyone is more budget-conscious, as Samsung has shown with its Galaxy Note 20, it's certainly risky to do so. And LG's record of selling experimental phones isn't stellar. Its modular G5 from 2016 and curved G Flex from 2014 weren't exactly top sellers. But fitting "more screen in less space" is always appealing, and the LG Wing, at the very least, executes its own concept well. 

In the US the LG Wing will be available first on Verizon, then AT&T in the fall and T-Mobile -- all on their respective 5G networks. 

LG Wing design: Spin me right round

I spent time with a preproduction model and found that the LG Wing is a straightforward phone when it's closed. It has a 6.8-inch display, wireless charging and an in-screen fingerprint reader. But it's also missing a few things that other LG phones have. It doesn't have a headphone jack, which LG usually keeps, and it doesn't have a formal IP rating for water protection.

And while it's not as heavy and thick as the Galaxy Z Fold 2 when it's folded, the LG Wing is still thicker and heavier than regular phones. It's about a third thicker than most phones, not twice like I first assumed, because the top panel is thinner than the bottom.

The phone only opens in one direction, clockwise, so to open it single-handedly, it should be in the right hand. (I'm a left-hander and I thought mine was broken and stuck when I first tried to open it, but it wasn't.) The motion does require some carry-through with the thumb, and if I didn't slide it strong enough, the top display would stop short of clicking straight. But most of the time it rotated fine and the mechanism feels sturdy. While I didn't go buck wild trying to rip these two displays apart, I didn't feel like I needed to be any more careful with it than with any other premium phone. LG estimates that the phone is durable enough to survive 200,000 rotations over the course of five years. If you want more protection, LG is working on cases, but those will undoubtedly add more bulk.  

The phone has a 6.8-inch display on top that rotates clockwise.

Angela Lang/CNET

LG Wing's 2 displays do double duty

Once the phone's open, you can do a variety of things in a variety of orientations. Multitasking is the most obvious benefit, like watching YouTube while looking up something on the web. If you're talking to a buddy over the phone and want to check your calendar to schedule a time to meet up, you can do that too. My favorite way to use it is having Maps display on the larger screen and music controls on the other one. This is especially useful in the car, when I want to skip tracks without fussing too much with the phone and taking my eyes off the road. Given the bulk of the Wing though, I suggest having a sturdy phone mount. When I found myself opening the same pair of apps often (Maps and Spotify, for instance), I paired them so they could launch quickly together. 

The back of the phone when opened.

Angela Lang/CNET

When held upside down, the phone opens up different experiences for gameplay. I played the racing game Asphalt 9 this way, with the bigger screen displaying the main gameplay and the smaller one displaying a roadmap. I'm not convinced this was useful, though. Plus the phone is top-heavy when held upside down, so it was uncomfortable to hold the thinly edged display in my hands after a while.

Having two screens to navigate one app is interesting too. With messaging, for instance, I can view a large part of the conversation while texting. But as I mentioned before, not every app is optimized. For instance, I'd love to watch a YouTube video while reading comments on the other screen, but I couldn't do that on the phone. And if you don't want to use the bottom display much at all, it can be turned into either a trackpad to navigate the top display, or blacked out completely and used as a physical grip.

3 cameras and a gimbal

The Wing has three rear cameras: one standard camera and two ultra-wide cameras. One of the ultra-wide cameras has a gimbal inside, which is similar to the Vivo X50 Pro. Gimbals are used to stabilize and balance video even when you're moving around a lot. LG added a special Gimbal Mode with extra controls as well, so you can pan and follow your subject as they move. 

My video footage was steady, even as I was recording while walking quickly. Video looked more stable than the one recorded on the iPhone XS, which we happened to have on hand, and footage from the LG Wing lacked that pulsing effect the iPhone had too. When it came to picture quality though, colors were more true-to-life and objects looked smoother on the iPhone. On the front is a 32-megapixel camera embedded inside the phone and popup from out of the top edge when in use, which is a lot like the OnePlus 7 Pro, Vivo Nex and Oppo Reno 2. The selfies I took were bright, in-focus and clear.

Videographers may be interested in the suite of tools the LG Wing has, and Gimbal Mode adds an extra layer of control and creativity. Gripping the phone vertically while shooting horizontally also made it comfortable to shoot video. But if you're a casual video-taker, this isn't a must-have, and current iPhones and Pixel phones have excellent video stabilization features too. 

In bright, ample lighting the phone takes vibrant and clear pictures.

Lynn La/CNET

Another outdoor image taken on the LG Wing.

Lynn La/CNET

In this closeup shot, the flower petals on the foreground are in focus and sharp.

Lynn La/CNET

A photo taken with the phone's pop-up front-facing camera.

Lynn La/CNET

LG Wing's hardware and other specs

Powering the phone is a Snapdragon 765G chipset and a 4,000-mAh battery. Since I got a preproduction unit, I didn't conduct battery tests. Anecdotally though, the Wing had a decent battery life. With medium usage of both screens it was able to last a full day without charging.

LG Wing 5G specs

Display size, resolution	Main screen: 6.8-inch OLED; 2,460x1,080 pixels. Second screen: 3.9-inch OLED; 1,240x1,080 pixels
Pixel density	Main screen: 395ppi. Second screen: 419ppi
Dimensions (Inches)	6.67x2.93x0.43 inches
Dimensions (Millimeters)	169.5x74.5x10.9 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)	9.17 oz; 260g
Mobile software	Android 10
Camera	64-megapixel (standard), 13-megapixel (ultra-wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)
Front-facing camera	32-megapixel
Video capture	4K
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G
Storage	256GB
RAM	8GB
Expandable storage	Up to 2TB
Battery	4,000 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	In-screen
Connector	USB-C
Headphone jack	No
Special features	Swivel screen design; gimbal camera; wireless charging
Price off-contract (USD)	$1,000 (Verizon)
Price (GBP)	£775 converted
Price (AUD)	AU$1,394 converted

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The Mate XS: A Huawei foldable will finally be available outside China

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The Mate XS: A Huawei foldable will finally be available outside China

Huawei has taken the wraps off the Mate XS, a minor update to its existing Mate X that I spent time with in Paris late last year. I think the folding design is great and while the Mate X was strictly China-only, the Mate XS is due to go on sale elsewhere in the world, including the UK.

The XS does have some slight upgrades, including an apparently strengthened display, the latest Kirin 990 processor and some caps on the edge of the folding mechanism to help protect against dust. 

There's no firm date for the Mate XS as of yet, and no firm price either, although it is expected to be somewhere around the £2,200 mark in the UK (about $2,850 or AU$4,300). Yikes. Don't expect it to be available in the US at all, due to Huawei's ongoing political difficulties. 

The Mate XS is otherwise identical to the Mate X, so read on to see what I thought of that phone when I took it on a lovely tour of Paris. 

The Huawei Mate X

I've finally been able to spend some real time with the foldable Huawei Mate X, the Chinese company's folding phone rival to Samsung's Galaxy Fold and Motorola's folding Razr. After a whole day using it all over Paris, I've gotta be honest, this foldable Android device is damn cool. 

I'll start with the obvious, the actual folding mechanism. The Mate X's flexible OLED screen folds backward on itself, in contrast to Samsung's Galaxy Fold, which closes in on itself like a book, or the Razr, which folds shut like an old clamshell phone. That means you can use the entire 8-inch display even when the phone is closed. Unlike the Galaxy Fold, there is no internal Mate X display. 

Now we can debate all we want about which screen design and mechanical hinge are best, but this is purely about the Mate X, so I'll tell you what I've found to be great so far.

First of all, that folding display just looks amazing. The way the screen bends back around on itself, without any kind of distortion to the images, is awesome and I love the way the interface -- no matter what you're looking at -- instantly resizes into the correct aspect ratio. When I first saw this at MWC earlier in the year I had a genuine rush of excitement at witnessing something so futuristic. Months later, and even having used the Galaxy Fold since its launch, I'm no less excited about the way the Huawei Mate X bends. 

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Trust me when I say that from the moment you get it out of the box, you'll want to fold and unfold the Mate X time and time again. Your friends will want to have a go, your colleagues will want a go and even random strangers in bars will want a go.

But there's more to like about this foldable phone than just its ability to draw attention on a night out. By folding backward as it does, that big screen is essentially split in half, giving you a 6.6-inch display in its regular, "closed" phone format, outsizing all but the biggest phablet giants. (You get full use of the screen only when you unfold the phone.) As a result, videos and photos look great, particularly because there's no notch interrupting the view -- something I'll come back to later.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Having a big outer screen in "phone mode" makes it much more usable than the closed Galaxy Fold. In my several months with the Fold, I've found its 4.6-inch outer screen to be so narrow that typing on it can be extremely difficult. As a result, I almost always use it in its large, folded-out tablet mode. I've been forced to ask myself, do I really have a foldable smartphone or do I have a tablet that can be folded away for easy storage?

With the Huawei Mate X, I don't need to ask myself the same question. The Mate X's design is comfortable to use and while it's wider than the Fold, it's much thinner in its closed form, so it sits in my jeans pocket more easily and didn't feel at all awkward to keep there as I paced the busy Parisian streets. 

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The downside? By bending outward, the rear screen is permanently exposed to the world, or to potentially damaging keys and coins in your pocket. Although the plastic material seemed pretty tough in my time with it, I can't vouch for it over months or years of ownership and I can't deny I'd be concerned about how easily it could get damaged. Let's not forget that Samsung canceled all orders of the original Fold following numerous instances of the screen breaking and eventually launched it with a refreshed design. At the very least, I'd want to keep it in some kind of protective sleeve when not in use.

The OLED display itself is bright, vibrant, pin-sharp and even under the bright lights of my hotel room -- and later, under the admittedly gray sky of winter in Paris -- I didn't struggle to read what was on screen. Watching videos in phone mode is great, but it's when you fold it out into its full 8 inches that those videos become significantly more immersive. I really loved checking out the images I shot on my day out in the city on that big display.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

To allow it to bend, the display is covered in plastic, not glass (as are all of today's foldable phones) and, like we've seen on the Galaxy Fold, there are some noticeable ripples on the screen's surface when it lays flat. But they're best described as "ripples" rather than the more pronounced "crease" on the Fold. This is likely due to the fact that the screen doesn't bend at such a sharp angle, thereby causing less of a crease in the display material. In my extended hands-on throughout the day, I rarely noticed these ripples and never found them to be a distraction. 

If I were really nitpicking (which, of course, I am), I'd say that the folding hinge is a bit stiff. Bending it backward from its tablet mode feels like you're having to force it more than it really wants, and on my first few attempts I wasn't sure if I was doing it properly. But it's something I'm sure you'd get used to once you got over the initial jarring sensation of basically trying to bend a tablet in half. It does mean that you're not likely to accidentally close it while using it as a tablet. I do like that a physical clasp holds it securely in its phone form and there's an easy-to-reach button that you'll press to release it and fold back out. The Fold and Razr use magnets to remain shut, but I believe the Mate just relies on the clasp. Time will tell which is better.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The cameras are housed in a vertical side-bar, which I found to be a handy gripping point when unfolded in tablet mode (when closed, the phone folds back, sitting flush against this sidebar). It also means the cameras don't interrupt the display with notches, not even for selfies, as you simply turn the phone over and take those with the main camera. 

The camera lineup is much the same as Huawei's P30 Pro: a standard lens, a zoom lens that offers 3x and 5x zoom, a super wide-angle lens and a fourth "time of flight" sensor for depth processing. Having used the cameras extensively throughout my time with the smartphone, I'm pretty pleased with the results, particularly the portrait mode, which gave an extremely accurate bokeh around my willing subject. Exposure seemed good across the board and it uses the same night mode that's impressed me so much on Huawei's previous flagship phones, being able to capture bright, sharp images in dark night-time scenes.

The depth sensor did a great job of recognising that this metro sign is closer to the phone, thereby managing to produce a lovely looking bokeh with the background.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

There's lovely exposure and contrast in this street scene.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Accurate colours and an even exposure. Lovely stuff!

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Although shot at night, this image is vibrant and pin-sharp.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Other specs are pretty much in line with what you'd expect from any top-end smartphone. It runs Huawei's latest Kirin 980 octacore processor, has a 4,500-mAh battery with all-day battery life, 512GB of internal storage and 8GB of RAM. 

But it's not internal specs that are important here. The Huawei Mate X is all about that bend and having spent all day with the phone I'm confident in saying that this is my favorite foldable phone I've used so far. Given that it's only available in China, I'm not likely to add one to my permanent collection anytime soon, and that's a real shame, but my time with it has left me extremely excited about what we'll see from folding devices in the years to come. 

Originally published in December 2019.

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