The battle for foldable phone supremacy is heating up, and Huawei has just thrown a fascinating new contender into the ring. The newly announced Huawei Mate X7 arrives on the scene to directly challenge the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7, the Honor Magic V5, and the Oppo Find N5.
But in a market where rivals are obsessively shaving off millimeters and grams, Huawei has taken a bold, contrarian approach. Instead of chasing an ultra-thin profile, the company has made a conscious decision: build a slightly thicker and heavier device to deliver a camera system that doesn't feel like a compromise. In essence, the Mate X7 isn't just a foldable phone; it's a flagship camera that folds.
A Familiar, Yet Refined, Form Factor
At first glance, the Mate X7 retains the elegant book-style foldable design Huawei is known for. When folded, it measures 156.8 x 73.8 mm with a thickness of 9.5 mm. Unfolded, it transforms into a slender 4.5 mm-thick slate with a 156.8 x 144.2 mm footprint. These dimensions are roughly identical to its predecessor, the Mate X6, and it's only a mere 4 grams lighter.
Where you will notice the upgrade is in the screens. Huawei has equipped the Mate X7 with larger displays on both sides. The cover display is now a practical 6.49-inch panel, while the main, unfolded screen is a massive, immersive 8-inch canvas. Both are stunning LTPO OLED panels capable of a silky-smooth 1-120 Hz variable refresh rate, ensuring both buttery scrolling and power efficiency when static content is on screen.
For those wanting to explore the design in more detail, you can view the official specifications on the Huawei Mate X7 product page.
The Main Event: A Pro-Grade Camera in Your Pocket
This is where the Huawei Mate X7 truly differentiates itself. While competitors often equip their foldables with mid-tier camera sensors, Huawei has decided to bring almost the entire imaging arsenal from its legendary Mate 80 Pro and place it inside a foldable body.
The star of the show is the return of the 50 MP primary camera, complete with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and a remarkable 10-step physical variable aperture that can shift between f/1.4 and f/4.0. This allows for incredible control over depth of field and light intake, mimicking the behavior of a professional camera lens.
Joining it is the robust 40 MP ultra-wide-angle camera (f/2.2) and dual 8 MP selfie cameras—one on the inner display and one on the cover. But the most exciting addition is a brand new 50 MP periscope telephoto camera that also doubles as a macro lens, complete with its own OIS. This gives the Mate X7 a versatile quad-camera system that few, if any, foldables can match.
For the ultimate photography enthusiast, the Mate X7 Collector's Edition takes it a step further, featuring an even wider f/1.49-f/4.0 variable aperture on its main sensor for unparalleled low-light performance.
Performance and Power to Match
Driving this sophisticated hardware is Huawei's latest in-house chipset, the 5nm Kirin 9030 Pro. This processor is tasked with handling everything from complex image processing to multitasking across the expansive 8-inch display.
Powering the device is a substantial 5,525 mAh battery (with a 5,600 mAh equivalent in the Collector's Edition), ensuring it can last through a day of heavy use. Both variants support incredibly fast 66 W wired charging and a very convenient 50 W wireless charging, a feature still frustratingly rare in the foldable segment.
If you're considering the competitive landscape, it's worth checking the latest prices for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 on Amazon to see how the Mate X7 stacks up on value.
Pricing, Availability, and Final Thoughts
The Huawei Mate X7 starts at CNY 12,999 (approximately $1,835) for the model with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. The 512 GB version rises to CNY 13,999 (~$1,975). The Collector's Edition, available with 16 GB or a massive 20 GB of RAM, tops the lineup at CNY 17,599 (~$2,484).
As of now, Huawei has not confirmed any international release details or pricing outside of China, which may leave global audiences waiting.
So, what's the final verdict? The Huawei Mate X7 makes a compelling argument that in the pursuit of the perfect foldable, camera excellence should not be sacrificed. By embracing a slightly more substantial build, Huawei has created a device that isn't just a technological marvel but a genuine creative tool. It’s a bold statement that in the world of foldables, power and performance can be just as important as portability.
