Despite a significant price tag of under $4,000, The Mate XT feels like an engineering marvel, according to The Verge’s first impressions of the foldable smartphone.
The device can be used folded like a regular smartphone; opened into a square, giving twice as much screen; or fully opened like a mini tablet.
It takes a little practice to get used to opening the unusual hinge mechanism, but once mastered it is a “pretty satisfying” process, although opening the device is a two-handed job.
The Mate feels thicker and heavier than a standard smartphone but is slimmer and lighter than a 10-inch tablet, highlighting the different perspective needed for a foldable device.
One of the biggest drawbacks is that, like other foldables, some apps make better use of the full display than others, although multitasking is also limited.
The real question is whether the Mate is a good value as a smartphone or a premium tablet, or whether the price and some limitations are too much to recommend it.