HUAWEI Mate X7 review: Top hardware and Google apps

The HUAWEI Mate X7 was recently officially unveiled and has a lot to offer. It positions itself as a premium foldable with excellent features and can easily compete with Samsung, HONOR, and Google in terms of hardware.

For a hefty RRP of €2.099, you get, among other things, IP protection against dust and water, a 5.170 mAh battery, the in-house Kirin 9030 Pro processor, two 120Hz OLED displays, a Telephoto macro camera and even EMUI with Google apps. We have thoroughly tested the foldable device over the past few weeks and are now sharing our experiences with you.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I was very impressed with the HUAWEI Mate X7 overall. The design is particularly striking. The device is extremely thin when unfolded, feels comfortable in the hand, and has a premium feel thanks to its high-quality workmanship and sturdy folding mechanism. The crease is barely visible, and finally, the device is waterproof. The displays are excellent, the stereo speakers are clear and loud, the vibration motor is solid, and the battery life pleasantly surprised me. A real highlight for me is the ability to easily install Google services, making the Mate X7 fully usable again in everyday life.

The performance is very strong, apps run smoothly, multitasking works perfectly. proIt works flawlessly and games are fun too. One minor drawback is that the processor isn't quite top-of-the-line compared to the competition and it lacks 5G, which might become relevant in the long run.

Overall, I like the cameras, especially the telephoto macro lens, which is a real highlight. It allows for breathtaking close-ups with a beautiful background effect. The main and ultra-wide-angle cameras deliver solid results, but don't quite reach the level of the Pura 80 Ultra.

Despite all these strengths, the price is high. Those looking to save money can consider the Mate X6, which is similarly equipped and significantly cheaper. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 also remains a strong competitor. If you want the Mate X7, go for it now; for everyone else, it might be worth waiting a few more weeks for a better price.

We would like to thank HUAWEI Austria for providing the test device 🙂

Design & processing

One of my absolute favorite things about the HUAWEI Mate X7 is definitely its design. When folded, it measures approximately 156,8 mm in height and 73,8 mm in width. When unfolded, the width increases to around 144 mm, but at only about 4,5 mm thick, it remains impressively slim. Even when closed, at around 9,5 mm, it's remarkably thin for a foldable phone. It weighs in at 236 grams, which is really comfortable for this type of device and makes a noticeable difference in everyday use.

I particularly like the faux leather back.proThe case is good. It feels soft, grippy, and high-quality, ensuring that the smartphone sits very comfortably in the hand, both open and closed. Compared to many glass backs, this feels significantly more practical and less slippery. The frame also makes a very high-quality impression and is cleanly finished.

HUAWEI offers the Mate X7 in several colors, including classic options like black as well as more eye-catching choices with a textured leather look. The combination of a slim body, grippy back, and high-quality frame creates a very elegant overall impression.

The folding mechanism works reliably and feels high-quality. The two halves of the display close cleanly and without any play. However, due to the extremely thin casing, I sometimes find it a little difficult to open the phone immediately, as I don't always get a firm grip. Overall, I find the folding mechanism on Samsung phones to be slightly more premium, but I'm still very happy with it on the Mate X7.

Displays

The displays are a real highlight for me. Both the outer 6,5-inch OLED and the large 8-inch inner screen are vibrant, very bright, and support 120 Hz, which ensures super smooth operation. Color reproduction appears natural and balanced – content looks neither oversaturated nor flat – and the viewing angle stability is truly excellent, even when the laptop is unfolded.

The brightness is sufficiently high outdoors, allowing me to easily read the device even in sunlight. The adaptive refresh rate adjusts automatically depending on the content, which is noticeably pleasant in everyday use. While the crease of the inner display remains visible, it's hardly bothersome during normal use – more of a visual indication that it's a foldable device than a real drawback.

Software

The HUAWEI The Mate X7 runs EMUI. Which Android version the interface is based on remains unclear; in China, HarmonyOS is used. EMUI looks modern, is clearly structured, and offers smooth animations as well as practical additional functions, such as the flexible customization of app icons. The always-on display is particularly helpful: it activates automatically when you look at it and switches off again shortly after you look away – very reliable in everyday use.

Typical foldable features are also on board – the Mate X7 really shines when it comes to multitasking. Multiple apps can be used simultaneously, either in floating windows or in split-screen mode, which is structured like a book page and allows for quick switching between apps. Many settings menus have the selection options on the left and the detailed view on the right, which works very well on the large display. Some apps are already optimized for the large screen, others less so – for example… Instagram or LinkedIn They don't seem to scale optimally yet. Surprisingly, I also couldn't find a classic app drawer.

I find the operation of the notification bar and control panel less than ideal, as they can only be opened by swiping down from the top edge. Swiping down from anywhere on the home screen would be significantly more convenient.

Google Apps

Even though Google services are not installed by default, there is now a very simple solution to install them: All services can be installed via the Aurora Store in combination with the pre-installed microG services. Google-Apps proUse it without problems and it updates automatically. Even mobile payment with the Savings bank It works, even though Google Pay is still missing. For me, this combination is a real game changer because in everyday use, many things run almost as smoothly as on a classic Android smartphone.

Here is a short and clear guide to installing Aurora Store and microG: Connect

Performance

Under the hood, the Kirin 9030 Pro processor powers the device, supported by a generous 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal storage. Unfortunately, the latter is not expandable. Typical of Huawei, everyday performance is excellent. Apps launch and close incredibly quickly, and overall responsiveness is consistently high. Even demanding multitasking tasks are performed smoothly without any lag. Games run with impressive graphics, and the smartphone remains remarkably cool throughout.

To be fair, it must be said that Qualcomm processors are, on paper, sometimes significantly superior. While this isn't noticeable in everyday use at the moment, it could play a role in the future – especially in the field of AI. 5G is not supported by the HUAWEI Mate X7.

Battery

The battery has a capacity of It has a 5.170 mAh battery and can be fast-charged at up to 66 watts. A full charge takes about 50 minutes, which isn't exceptional, but still very good. Unfortunately, HUAWEI doesn't include a power adapter, which I find disappointing at this price point.

The battery life actually surprised me in a positive way, because I expected the huge indoor display to consume significantly more power. But that's not the case. With my everyday use (YouTube, music, browsing, photography, social media) on Wi-Fi and mobile data, I easily get through a day, and 1,5 days is usually quite possible. I use the large indoor display about 60 percent of the time and the outdoor display about 40 percent. With a screen-on time of 3,5 to 4,5 hours, I still have about 50 to 60 percent battery left.

camera

On the back, there is a triple camera that protrudes noticeably from the casing:

• 50 Megapixel main camera
• 40 megapixel ultra wide angle camera
• 50 megapixel telephoto macro camera

Picture: TechnikNews

The main camera delivers highly detailed and naturally colored photos in everyday use, impressing with rich colors and a high dynamic range even in strong lighting conditions. Sharpness is very high, although images are occasionally artificially sharpened. Low-light performance is also quite good, especially for a foldable phone.

The ultra-wide-angle camera delivers decent, realistic results with a wide perspective and good detail. I have no complaints in bright environments, but details are quickly lost in low light.

My personal highlight, however, is the telephoto macro camera: It combines true optical zoom with a very powerful macro function, allowing you to get extremely close to subjects without having to physically bring the device close. This results in shots with beautiful background effects and impressive sharpness – currently one of the best macro performances in a smartphone, in my opinion.

Videos and selfies

For selfies, HUAWEI uses two 8-megapixel front cameras (cover and inner display) that capture good portraits with natural colors and sufficient detail. The results are perfectly suitable for social media shots, and thanks to the preview on the outer display, I can often use the main camera for selfies as well, achieving even better quality.

Video recordings are also impressive: clips can be recorded in 4K and appear color-balanced with a stable image. The stabilization works well, so everyday videos are hardly shaky, and 4K 60fps recordings look really good in daylight. However, stability decreases somewhat in extreme zoom ranges, which is similar to other foldable phones.

Other

HUAWEI The fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power button. Due to the very thin casing, I don't always hit it perfectly with my thumb. This occasionally leads to the sensor not responding or not recognizing my fingerprint. This solution isn't ideal, but when you hit the sensor correctly, it unlocks the smartphone quickly and reliably.

The stereo speakers of the HUAWEI Mate X7 They positively surprised me. Because of the extremely thin casing, I didn't have high expectations – especially since the HONOR Magic V3 It was disappointing in this respect. However, the X7 delivers clear sound with decent bass and also gets very loud.

The built-in vibration motor provides high-quality haptic feedback and isn't unpleasantly loud. In this respect, the Mate X7 is clearly superior to the HONOR Magic V3, but it doesn't quite reach the level of classic smartphones from Google, Xiaomi, and Vivo.

Finally, I'd like to highlight the positive fact that the HUAWEI Mate X7 is protected against water and dust ingress according to IP58 and IP59 standards. For a foldable phone, I still find that quite impressive.