vivo X Fold3 vs. Huawei Mate X3: A Deep Dive into Foldable Flagships
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the vivo X Fold3 emerges as the superior choice. Its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset provides a significant performance uplift over the Mate X3’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, translating to smoother multitasking and gaming. While the Mate X3 offers wireless charging, the X Fold3’s 80W wired charging is substantially faster.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | vivo X Fold3 | 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, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 66 | 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, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA | - |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| - | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2024, March 26 | 2023, March 23 |
| Status | Available. Released 2024, April 03 | Available. Released 2023, April 08 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Carbon fiber hinge | Glass front, glass back or eco leather back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 160 x 142.7 x 4.7 mmFolded: 160 x 72.7 x 10.2 mm | Unfolded: 156.9 x 141.5 x 5.3 mmFolded: 156.9 x 72.4 x 11.1 mm |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 219 g (7.72 oz) | 239 g or 241 g (8.43 oz) |
| - | IPX8 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Kunlun Glass (cover display only) |
| Resolution | 2200 x 2480 pixels (~413 ppi density) | 2224 x 2496 pixels (~426 ppi density) |
| Size | 8.03 inches, 206.5 cm2 (~90.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 7.85 inches, 197.5 cm2 (~88.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Foldable LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 4500 nits (peak) | Foldable OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz |
| - | Cover display: OLED, 120Hz, 6.4 inches, 1080 x 2504 pixels | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4G (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 740 | Adreno 730 |
| OS | Android 14, OriginOS 4 | 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, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| - | UFS | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, Dual-LED flash, panorama | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.49", PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/1.9, (telephoto), 1/2.93", PDAF, 2x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.0, 119˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.76", PDAF | 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 | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.4, (wide) Cover camera: 32 MP, f/2.4, (wide) | 8 MP, f/2.4, (wide) Cover camera: 8 MP, f/2.4, (wide) |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | - | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) | 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 Gen 2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, 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 | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, altimeter |
| - | BDS Satellite Message | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 80W wired Reverse wired | 66W wired 50W wireless 7.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Si/C Li-Ion 5500 mAh | Market-dependent versions:· Li-Po 4800 mAh (Global)· Si/C Li-Ion 5060 mAh (China only) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White | Black, White, Violet, Dark Green, Gold |
| Models | V2337A, V2303A | ALT-AL00, ALT-L29 |
| Price | About 900 EUR | 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) |
vivo X Fold3
- Significantly faster processor (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2)
- Faster wired charging (80W)
- Potentially better thermal management
- Battery capacity currently unknown
- Detailed camera specs unavailable
Huawei Mate X3
- Proven 81-hour endurance rating
- Wireless charging support
- Established foldable design
- Older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset
- Slower wired charging (66W)
Display Comparison
The Huawei Mate X3’s display achieves a measured peak brightness of 926 nits, a respectable figure, but the X Fold3’s panel specifications are currently unavailable. Given vivo’s focus on display quality, it’s reasonable to expect comparable or superior brightness. Both devices feature foldable displays, but without refresh rate or panel technology details for the X Fold3, a direct comparison is limited. The Mate X3’s ‘Infinite’ contrast ratio is a marketing term; real-world contrast performance will depend on the panel’s black levels.
Camera Comparison
Both devices are listed as having Photo/Video capabilities, but detailed camera specifications are absent. Without sensor sizes, aperture values, or image processing details, a meaningful comparison is impossible. However, given the current smartphone market trends, it’s likely the X Fold3 will feature a more advanced camera system, potentially with larger sensors and improved computational photography algorithms. The absence of specific camera details on both sides limits a detailed analysis.
Performance
The vivo X Fold3’s Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm) represents a clear generational leap over the Huawei Mate X3’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm). The 8 Gen 2’s Cortex-X3 prime core, clocked at 3.2 GHz, offers improved single-core performance compared to the Mate X3’s 3.19 GHz Cortex-X2. Furthermore, the 8 Gen 2’s more efficient 4nm process should result in better thermal management and sustained performance under load. The Mate X3’s CPU configuration (1x Cortex-X2, 3x Cortex-A710, 4x Cortex-A510) is slightly different from the X Fold3’s (1x Cortex-X3, 2x Cortex-A715, 2x Cortex-A710, 3x Cortex-A510), with the X Fold3 benefiting from newer Cortex-A715 cores.
Battery Life
The Huawei Mate X3 boasts an endurance rating of 81 hours, a strong indicator of its battery life. However, the vivo X Fold3’s battery capacity is unknown. The X Fold3 compensates with significantly faster charging: 80W wired, compared to the Mate X3’s 66W wired and 50W wireless. This means the X Fold3 can potentially replenish its battery much quicker, even if its capacity is slightly lower. The Mate X3 also offers 7.5W reverse wireless charging, a feature also present on the X Fold3, but the faster wired charging of the X Fold3 is a key advantage.
Buying Guide
Buy the vivo X Fold3 if you prioritize raw performance, future-proofing, and rapid charging speeds. It’s ideal for power users, gamers, and those who demand the latest technology. Buy the Huawei Mate X3 if you value a proven track record of battery endurance and prefer the convenience of wireless charging, and are less concerned with having the absolute fastest processor.