This Huawei Mate X7 review is my seventh experience testing a foldable phone. People often think that the cameras on foldable phones are just ‘just there’ and sometimes the results are less than satisfactory.
But this time I can say that Huawei has tried to cover up those shortcomings with the Huawei Mate X7 and most of the images are satisfactory. However, of course there are some things that need to be compromised. Here is my full review of the Huawei Mate X7.
Huawei Mate X7
External Screen – 6.49-inch LTPO OLED, 120Hz, 1800 nits
Inside – 8.03-inch LTPO OLED, 120Hz, 2,500 nits
Kirin 9030 Pro processor (6 nm)
1 x 2.75 GHz chip
4 x 2.27 GHz
4 x 1.72 GHz
Maleoon 935 Graphics Chip
RAM 16GB RAM
Internal Load 1TB ROM
Primary Camera 50 MP, f/1.5-f/4.0 (wide) PDAF, OIS
50 MP, f/2.2 (telephoto periscope), OIS
40 MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide), PDAF
8 Megapixel Front Camera
Si/C 5600 battery
Wired 66W
Wireless 50W
Dual SIM Nano SIM/Telephony
NFC Yes
Infrared Yes
Waterproof IP58/59
Scanning System Fingerprint Scanner
Face Recognition
Selling Price RM8,688 (16/1TB)
Usage Experience
Huawei Mate X7 is the fourth foldable phone from Huawei that I have ever used. In terms of daily experience, it is actually not much different from previous models such as the Mate X6 and Mate XT. The thin design gives a premium feel. Its balanced weight also makes use more comfortable throughout the day. The book-like folding concept is still maintained this time, thus making the phone feel natural to use and not awkward in the hand.
However, the thinness of the Mate X7 actually brings certain challenges. The smooth and curved frame makes this phone quite difficult to open especially when the hand is wet. In addition, the tight hinge requires a little extra force to open the fold.
Even so, this situation can be considered an advantage because it adds durability to the phone. The overall usage experience is also not that troublesome. In other words, the Mate X7 is still suitable as a daily phone. Personally, I think foldable phones are not suitable for me. Since I am often labeled as a bit careless because the risk of dropping or damaging it is high.
Next, the standard button layout on the Mate X7 is largely the same as the previous model. The buttons provided are quite ergonomic and provide a 'solid' pressing experience without feeling cheap. Huawei also paid attention to the design of the new camera bump called 'Time Space Camera'.
The design is now a neater square, compared to the previous octagonal design and is not too thick. This makes the experience of keeping the phone in a pocket, especially on the back, more comfortable and less intrusive.
I also recommend using a case to prevent the phone's cosmetics from becoming smudged. This recommendation is especially important for models with vegan leather finishes because based on my observations, it easily traps dirt such as makeup stains.
Fortunately, the free case provided still maintains the original color. For example, the black case made of leather still looks compatible with the original color of the phone. Therefore, there is no harm in buying an expensive phone but needing to use a protective case.
The Mate X7's folding line problem is still clearly visible, just like most other foldable phones I've tried before. So far, I haven't found a foldable phone with a really neat folding effect.
In terms of the screen, I don't have any specific comments because Huawei is indeed known for its good display performance. This feature has become a habit on their flagship phones and the Mate X7 is no exception in maintaining satisfactory screen quality.
The physical speaker volume on the Mate X7 can be said to be satisfactory but unbalanced. When held, one of the audio grilles is easily covered by the hand, thus affecting the listening experience. Huawei's speaker design choice feels a bit strange because it is not very practical for daily use.
Internal Hardware and Software
The Mate X7 uses the 6nm-based Kirin 9030 Pro chip paired with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of internal storage. Huawei claims that this chip is capable of offering a 25% performance increase on the CPU and 40% on the GPU compared to the Mate X6. Nevertheless, benchmarks show the chip to be in the mid-range where something is a bit awkward for a premium-class folding phone.
AnTuTu 3D
Chip Score
Huawei Mate X7 1,151,029
Honor Magic V5 1,732,200
Oppo Find N5 2,157,718
Xiaomi 15 Ultra 2,341,598
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 1,946,864
Oppo Find X8 Pro 2,629,017
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max 1,720,751
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL 1,016,712
Geekbench 6
Single Core Multi Core Chip
Huawei Mate X7 1458 4517
Honor Magic V5 1286 4926
Oppo Find N5 2866 7987
Xiaomi 15 Ultra 2918 8917
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 2957 9435
Oppo Fin X8 Pro 2663 8959
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max 3359 8129
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL 1916 4644
However, my overall experience with the Mate X7 was satisfactory. There were no lag issues when opening apps, watching videos, using up to 3 apps simultaneously (Live Multi-task), or returning to the previous app after playing games. However, for large-scale games on a foldable screen, the performance was not very satisfactory, which clearly shows the limits of what this processor can do.
In terms of multitasking, the phone provides easy-to-understand gesture-based controls. I can open an app, then drag it to the left to enter multi-window mode.
The phone's screen can also be split either vertically or horizontally, but the split is limited to a 50/50 ratio. This means I am not given the option to adjust the size of the windows as needed.
A large part of this smoothness is also from the support of EMUI 15. The interface has not changed much, but this version feels more stable and optimized. The problem of bloatware still exists with pre-installed files that need to be removed manually. There are also many original Huawei applications, some useful and some less necessary, including Huawei Browser which displays ads every time it is opened, Petal Search, Petal Maps and Huawei Health.
AI features are also quite limited. The AI Edit function for images is only basic and not as good as other systems. Huawei also provides a virtual assistant Celia, but my experience shows that it is not comparable to Google Gemini.
Camera and Image Quality
My experience using the Mate X7 camera can be said to be quite exciting. This is because it offers image quality that is almost comparable to the Huawei Pura80 despite being in the form of a foldable phone.
The main camera of this phone is capable of producing sharp images and this ability remains consistent, including when zooming beyond 10X. The stable zoom capability makes the process of recording images easier without much shaking, and in some cases the results are seen to be better than the Huawei Pura80.
The performance of the Mate X7 camera at night or in low light conditions can be said to be quite encouraging. The camera manages to brighten images without producing significant noise even when the ISO is at a high level.
Brightness control is also good because dark images can be brightened without affecting the subject or the overall quality of the image. However, if the lighting is uncontrolled or there are too many colors, flare issues can occur.
This situation is still acceptable because the overall image results are still satisfactory and consistent with the performance of the premium camera offered by Huawei.
In portrait mode, the Mate X7 camera really shows impressive capabilities. The bokeh effect looks neat even though it only uses a 1X focal length while the subject's skin tone is well preserved so that the face looks natural. The image results also do not show the effects of excessive filtering or editing, thus maintaining a more authentic quality.
However, Night Mode is not suitable for use in all situations. Too bright lighting can affect the quality of the image and increase flare issues. This mode is felt to be more suitable for use in a completely dark environment without additional lighting interference because at that time the image results are more consistent and satisfactory.
Night mode off (normal camera)
Night mode on
Night mode off (normal camera)
Night mode on
Overall, the Mate X7 camera is able to control the white balance well and produce images that are consistent in terms of color. However, post-recording processing sometimes takes a while before the image is fully ready, especially when using certain modes. I also received a warning that the phone gets hot when used in one of the camera modes on a hot day, which slightly affects the experience.
In addition, the lack of multi-focal function makes the user experience somewhat limited compared to some other phones.
However, the zoom function on the Mate X7 is easier to stabilize and in some cases it gives better results than the Huawei Pura80.
Using a camera on a foldable phone can be a bit awkward for some people. However, the Mate X7 is still able to provide satisfactory results overall.
One notable weakness is the less than impressive autofocus capabilities as the camera fails to detect moving subjects well. This situation causes the captured images to sometimes not be as sharp as expected.
Although the Mate X7 comes with several constraints such as autofocus issues, light emission problems, and no multi-focal function, this phone is still able to provide a pretty good photography experience.
Its camera also shows advantages in low light control, natural-looking portrait reproduction and offers stable zoom capabilities.
With these features, the Mate X7 emerges as a foldable phone that offers competitive camera performance in its class.
Battery And Charging
The 5,600mAh battery on the Mate X7 can still be considered large, although it is actually slightly smaller than the Honor Magic V5 which comes with a capacity of 5820mAh. During my use with the screen open, the main activities included browsing the web, scrolling social media, communicating via Telegram and taking a few pictures. In this usage pattern, I can get SOT around 4 hours 45 minutes. For moderate usage, the battery has no problem lasting more than a full day.
IN THE BOX
Here's what's included in the box.
1x Huawei Mate X7.
1x Leather case.
1x 66W USB-A charger.
1x USB-A to USB-C charging cable
1x User manual.
1x SIM pin.
Conclusion
In my opinion, in the foldable phone segment, the Honor Magic V5 can actually be considered a standout compared to some other brands. It comes with a faster processor, a more mature operating system, full GMS support, a good camera system, and a slightly lower price.
Nevertheless, the Mate X7 can still be considered a solid choice. It comes with a premium design, a solid camera, a bright OLED display, and smooth performance. The Multi-Window function is also good enough for daily use. There are of course the usual limitations of Huawei phones, such as no full GMS support and some pre-installed apps that may be less used. But the Mate X7 is still capable of providing a stable and enjoyable user experience.
The decision to buy the Mate X7 actually depends entirely on individual preferences. If you want full GMS support, more mature internal hardware and advanced AI features then the Honor Magic V5 may be a more suitable choice.
However, if you value premium build quality, a good camera experience, a bright OLED display and smooth performance then the Mate X7 is an interesting option to consider.
Pros
Comfortable to hold and lighter.
High-quality LTPO OLED display.
Large space through 16GB RAM and 1TB storage.
Satisfactory camera in the foldable phone segment.
Good battery management.
IP59 waterproof and dustproof.
Cons
Difficult to open because the sides are too thin.
Unbalanced speaker audio.
No GMS support.
Immature software.
No 5G support.
Less competitive price.
