Newsletter
We’re here to compare two book-style foldables, which have a similar form factor, but are quite different at the same time. We’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Huawei Mate X3. Samsung announced its latest foldables during an event last month, one of which was the Fold 5. The Huawei Mate X3 arrived earlier this year, but it’s still quite compelling. Hardware-wise, many would say it’s more compelling than the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
We will compare these two phones across a number of areas, but we’ll first list their specs. Following that, we’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. Let’s see how Samsung’s best foldable compares to Huawei’s, shall we?
Specs
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 & Huawei Mate X3, respectively
– Screen size (main):
7.6-inch Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (120Hz, HDR10+, 1,750 nits)
7.85-inch Foldable OLED (120Hz, 1 billion colors)
– Screen Size (cover):
6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X (120Hz)
6.4-inch OLED (120Hz)
– Display resolution (main):
1812 x 2176
2224 x 2496
– Display resolution (cover):
2316 x 904
2504 x 1080
– SoC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
– RAM:
12GB (LPDDR5X)
12GB
– Storage:
256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0)
256GB/512GB/1TB
– Rear cameras:
50MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, 123-degree FoV), 10MP (telephoto, 3x optical zoom)
50MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, PDAF, OIS), 13MP (ultrawide), 12MP (periscope telephoto, 5x optical zoom)
– Front cameras:
4MP (under display, main display, f/1.8 aperture), 10MP (cover display, f/2.2 aperture)
8MP (main and cover display, f/2.4 aperture)
– Battery:
4,400mAh
4,800mAh
– Charging:
25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless (no charger)
66W wired, 50W wireless, 7.5W reverse wireless (charger included)
– Dimensions (unfolded):
154.9 x 129.9 x 6.1mm
156.9 x 141.5 x 5.3mm
– Dimensions (folded):
154.9 x 67.1 x 13.4mm
156.9 x 72.4 x 11.8mm
– Weight:
253 grams
239/241 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
4G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.2
– Security:
Side-facing fingerprint scanner
– OS:
Android 13 with One UI
Android with EMUI 13.1, no Google Play Services
– Price:
$1,799
€2,199
– Buy:
Samsung
Huawei
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Huawei Mate X3: Design
Both the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Huawei Mate X3 are made out of metal and glass. It is worth noting that the Mate X3 also comes in an eco leather variant, though. They do have a similar form factor, they’re quite tall when folded, and almost square-shaped when not. The thing is, the Mate X3 does have a more regular aspect ratio on its cover display, the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s is quite narrow.
Both devices include a display camera hole on their cover display, a centered one. The Mate X3 also has one on the main display, in the top-right corner. Samsung hides the selfie camera under the main display of this phone. Both phones have rather thin bezels around both displays. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has three vertically-aligned cameras on the back. Those cameras are located in the top-left corner, and are a part of the same camera island. The Huawei Mate X3 has a circular camera island on the back, which is centered at the top, and hosts three cameras.
The thing is, the Huawei Mate X3 has larger displays than the Galaxy Z Fold 5, and despite that, it’s considerably lighter. It weighs 239 grams or 241 grams, depending on the model. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 weighs 253 grams. They’re similar in terms of height, while the Mate X3 is wider in both states (folded and unfolded). The Mate X3 is noticeably thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 5, however, in both folded and unfolded states. Both devices do fold flat, without a gap, and both are IPX8 certified for water resistance.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Huawei Mate X3: Display
A 7.6-inch main display is included on the Galaxy Z Fold 5. That is a Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It has a resolution of 1812 x 2176 pixels, and supports HDR10+ content. The cover display on the phone measures 6.2 inches, and has a resolution of 2316 x 904 pixels (23.1:9 aspect ratio). This is also a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel, with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
The Huawei Mate X3, on the other hand, includes a 7.85-inch main display. That is a Foldable OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, which can project up to 1 billion colors. The resolution here is 2224 x 2496. The cover display on the phone measures 6.4 inches. That is an OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. It has a resolution of 2504 x 1080, and it’s protected by Huawei’s Kunlun glass.
All four displays are really good, actually. They offer good, vivid colors, deep blacks, and good viewing angles. They’re more than sharp enough, and also bright enough. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 does have a brighter main panel, though, with a limit of 1,750 nits. The cover displays are well-protected on both phones, and seeing a 120Hz refresh rate on all panels is always good. The cover display on the Mate X3 is more useful, though, as it’s not as narrow as on the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Huawei Mate X3: Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy fuels the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Samsung also included 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM on the phone, and UFS 4.0 flash storage too. The Huawei Mate X3, on the other hand, utilizes the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, a variant that is limited to 4G connectivity. We’re not sure about what LPDDR and UFS modules Huawei used exactly, but it’s most likely LPDDR5 and UFS 3.1 or 4.0.
When it comes to general performance, the two phones are on par. Day-to-day performance is extremely snappy on both, and that goes for multitasking as well. If you delve into gaming, you’ll also get great performance from both phones. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 could handle the most demanding games a bit better, but both are quite capable from what we’ve seen. They do get warm, but not overly hot or anything of the sort. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is more future-proof, though, and the Mate X3 doesn’t include Google services, which is worth noting.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Huawei Mate X3: Battery
A 4,400mAh battery sits inside the Galaxy Z Fold 5, while a 4,800mAh one is included inside the Huawei Mate X3. The Mate X3 does have larger displays, so it makes sense it has a larger battery too. What’s the battery life like, though? Well, it’s really good on both phones. Getting to 7 hours of screen-on-time is easily possible on both phones, though your mileage may vary. Truth be said, we did fly under the 7-hour mark on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 sometimes, but usually it was able to cross that mark. The Mate X3 does seem to offer a bit better battery life, though.
Your mileage may vary, though, of course. There are two screens to consider here, on both phones, while your usage will be different, as will your signal strengths, and installed apps. Also, if you’re planning to play games, that will considerably impact battery life on both phones, which may mess things up even further. We only played games for testing purposes, on regular days, we did not.
When it comes to charging, the Mate X3 shames the Galaxy Z Fold 5. It supports 66W wired, 50W wireless, and 7.5W reverse wireless charging. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 supports 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Needless to say, the Huawei Mate X3 will charge up a lot faster, both via a wire, and wirelessly. It also includes a charger in the box, unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Huawei Mate X3: Cameras
A 50-megapixel main camera is included on the Galaxy Z Fold 5. In addition to that, there is also a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (123-degree FoV), and a 10-megapixel telephoto unit (3x optical zoom). The Huawei Mate X3, on the other hand, also has three cameras on the back. A 50-megapixel main camera is backed by a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera, and a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (5x optical zoom).
The images from the Galaxy Z Fold 5 do end up looking more processed. The Huawei Mate X3 keeps things a bit closer to real life, but the images from the phone are far from plain. We prefer the Huawei Mate X3 here. Both phones do end up offering sharp images, and both phones handle HDR conditions really well. Even in low light, both devices are very capable, and manage to keep around plenty of details. The Mate X3 does handle street flares a bit better, though.
When it comes to ultrawide cameras, they’re following the main camera’s colors really well, but are a step below what the main cameras can do. They do a solid job in low light, though. When it comes to telephoto cameras, we definitely prefer the Mate X3’s, as it can zoom further without losing a lot of details. The telephoto camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is also quite useful, though.
Audio
Both phones feature stereo speakers, and both sets of speakers are loud enough. They’re not the best out there, but they’re loud. They’re also quite detailed, and there’s no distortion you should worry about. The sound is also well-balanced.
Neither device has a 3.5mm headphone jack, so you’ll have to rely on their Type-C ports for wired audio connections. If you opt for a wireless connection, do note that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 supports Bluetooth 5.3, while the Huawei Mate X3 offers Bluetooth 5.2.