Google Pixel Fold vs Huawei Mate X3: The Ultimate Foldable Face-Off
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Pixel Fold offers a cleaner Android experience, Google's AI smarts, and a more compact form factor. The Mate X3 boasts a brighter display, faster wired charging, and potentially longer battery life, but lacks Google services. Ultimately, the best choice depends on your priorities.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Google Pixel Fold | Huawei Mate X3 |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 257, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave | - |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023, May 10 | 2023, March 23 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, June 27 | Available. Released 2023, April 08 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus) (folded), plastic front (unfolded), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back or eco leather back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 139.7 x 158.7 x 5.8 mmFolded: 139.7 x 79.5 x 12.1 mm | Unfolded: 156.9 x 141.5 x 5.3 mmFolded: 156.9 x 72.4 x 11.1 mm |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 283 g (9.98 oz) | 239 g or 241 g (8.43 oz) |
| IPX8 water resistant | IPX8 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Kunlun Glass (cover display only) |
| Resolution | 1840 x 2208 pixels (~378 ppi density) | 2224 x 2496 pixels (~426 ppi density) |
| Size | 7.6 inches, 183.3 cm2 (~82.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 7.85 inches, 197.5 cm2 (~88.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Foldable OLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1450 nits (peak) | Foldable OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz |
| Cover display: OLED, 120Hz, HDR, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 5.8 inches, 1080 x 2092 pixels, 17.4:9 ratio, 408 ppi 1200 nits (HBM), 1550 nits (peak) | Cover display: OLED, 120Hz, 6.4 inches, 1080 x 2504 pixels | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.85 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2x2.35 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Google Tensor G2 (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4G (4 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G710 MP7 | Adreno 730 |
| OS | Android 13, upgradable to Android 15, up to 5 major Android upgrades | HarmonyOS 3.1 (China), EMUI 13.1 (Europe), no Google Play Services |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR |
| Triple | 48 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10.8 MP, f/3.1, 112mm (telephoto), 1/3.1", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 10.8 MP, f/2.2, 121˚, (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.25µm | 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 13 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), AF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm Cover camera: 9.5 MP, f/2.2, 24mm (wide), 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 8 MP, f/2.4, (wide) Cover camera: 8 MP, f/2.4, (wide) |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | - | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (B1I+B1c+B2a), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, altimeter |
| Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | BDS Satellite Message | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Wired, PD3.0 Wireless | 66W wired 50W wireless 7.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4821 mAh | Market-dependent versions:· Li-Po 4800 mAh (Global)· Si/C Li-Ion 5060 mAh (China only) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Porcelain, Obsidian | Black, White, Violet, Dark Green, Gold |
| Models | G9FPL | ALT-AL00, ALT-L29 |
| Price | € 670.87 / $ 389.26 / £ 899.99 | About 1500 EUR |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 81h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -26.3 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 993592 (v9) GeekBench: 4283 (v5.5), 4512 (v6) GFXBench: 41fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Google Pixel Fold
- Compact and pocketable design
- Clean Android experience
- Google's AI features
- Excellent camera processing
- Potentially shorter battery life
- Tensor G2 may not be the absolute fastest
- Pricey
Huawei Mate X3
- Brighter display
- Faster wired charging (66W)
- Impressive battery life (81h endurance)
- Premium design
- No Google services (relies on Huawei AppGallery)
- Limited software updates
- Potentially less intuitive software experience
Display Comparison
The Mate X3 takes the display crown with a measured 926 nits peak brightness, significantly outshining the Pixel Fold. While the Pixel Fold's display is excellent, the Mate X3's infinite contrast ratio (nominal) promises deeper blacks and more vibrant colors. Both offer smooth refresh rates, but the Mate X3's brightness advantage is noticeable in outdoor conditions.
Camera Comparison
Both phones feature capable camera systems, but the Pixel Fold leverages Google's computational photography prowess. Expect excellent image processing and consistently good results in various lighting conditions. The Mate X3's camera hardware is impressive, but Google's software optimization often produces more pleasing images. Detailed camera specs are missing, making a definitive winner difficult to declare.
Performance
The Mate X3's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 offers a slight edge in raw processing power compared to the Pixel Fold's Tensor G2. However, the Tensor G2 excels in AI and machine learning tasks, providing a smoother experience with Google's features. Real-world performance is generally excellent on both devices.
Battery Life
The Mate X3 boasts an impressive endurance rating of 81 hours, suggesting significantly longer battery life than the Pixel Fold. While the Pixel Fold's battery life is respectable, the Mate X3's larger battery capacity gives it a clear advantage for all-day usage and beyond.
Buying Guide
The Google Pixel Fold is ideal for Android enthusiasts who value software integration, Google's ecosystem, and a more pocketable foldable. The Huawei Mate X3 is a strong contender for those prioritizing a stunning display, fast charging, and a premium design, willing to forgo Google services.