Explore the complete Huawei P50 Pocket review, a foldable smartphone with a 6.9-inch OLED display, Snapdragon 888 chipset, triple-camera setup, and HarmonyOS 2.0. Released in December 2021, this flagship device offers style and substance in a compact, foldable design.
Introduction
The Huawei P50 Pocket, released in December 2021, is Huawei’s entry into the growing world of foldable smartphones. With its unique clamshell design, high-end specifications, and sleek aesthetics, it caters to users who want innovation in a compact form factor. The device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 4G chipset and runs on HarmonyOS 2.0 (in China) and EMUI 12 (in Europe), though, like most recent Huawei devices, it lacks Google Play Services.
In this detailed review, we’ll take an in-depth look at the Huawei P50 Pocket’s design, performance, camera system, battery life, and other features, ultimately helping you decide if this foldable flagship is the right choice for you.
Design and Build
The Huawei P50 Pocket boasts an ultra-slim design with a thickness of only 7.2mm when unfolded. The device weighs 190g, making it comfortable to carry, and when folded, it easily slips into pockets or bags due to its compact form factor. The build quality feels premium, as Huawei uses high-grade materials in its construction, including a reflective, elegant outer surface that comes in Black, Gold, and Silver color options.
Dimensions: When unfolded, the phone measures 170 x 75.5 x 7.2 mm, while in its folded state, it becomes even more compact at 87.3 x 75.5 x 15.2 mm.
The foldable OLED display mechanism is smooth, and Huawei has incorporated its engineering prowess to ensure the hinge feels sturdy and reliable, even after continuous use. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor ensures easy, secure unlocking, while the phone is built with durability in mind.
Display
The Huawei P50 Pocket is equipped with a 6.9-inch Foldable OLED display, which supports 1 billion colors and boasts a 120Hz refresh rate. The display offers sharp visuals, rich colors, and smooth animations, making it perfect for gaming, streaming, and everyday tasks. With a resolution of 1188 x 2790 pixels and a 442 ppi density, the screen delivers crisp details.
A secondary 1.04-inch cover OLED display (with 340 x 340 pixels) is included, allowing users to access notifications, quick controls, and selfies when the phone is folded.
The P50 Pocket’s 803 nits max brightness ensures readability under sunlight, and the high screen-to-body ratio of 85.1% provides an immersive viewing experience.
Performance
Under the hood, the Huawei P50 Pocket runs on the Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 4G chipset, built on the 5nm process. This is paired with an Octa-core CPU, consisting of a Cortex-X1 core for high-performance tasks, three Cortex-A78 cores for balanced power, and four Cortex-A55 cores for energy efficiency. The Adreno 660 GPU ensures smooth gaming and graphical performance, making the P50 Pocket suitable for multitasking, productivity, and gaming.
However, one limitation is the absence of 5G connectivity, as the Snapdragon 888 used here only supports 4G. While 5G adoption is still in its early stages in many regions, this could be a drawback for those looking for future-proof devices.
The P50 Pocket is available in multiple configurations, with options ranging from 8GB RAM + 256GB storage to 12GB RAM + 512GB storage. There’s also support for Nano Memory (NM) cards for storage expansion, but this takes up one of the SIM slots.
Software
The device runs on HarmonyOS 2.0 in China and EMUI 12 for international markets. As with other Huawei devices post-2019, the P50 Pocket does not come with Google Play Services, so users will need to rely on Huawei’s AppGallery and Petal Search for downloading apps. Despite the absence of Google services, the user interface remains intuitive, with seamless multitasking features and powerful AI optimizations.
Camera
The Huawei P50 Pocket features a triple-camera setup, designed to capture excellent photos across various lighting conditions. The phone’s cameras perform exceptionally well for a foldable device, maintaining flagship-level quality.
- 40 MP main camera with f/1.8 aperture and PDAF for high-resolution, detailed photos.
- 13 MP ultrawide sensor with a 120˚ field of view and f/2.2 aperture, ideal for landscape and group photos.
- 32 MP ultra-spectrum camera with f/1.8 aperture, which enhances color accuracy and detail in portrait and low-light photography.
This camera system features laser autofocus, LED flash, HDR, and panorama mode. The P50 Pocket supports 4K video recording at 30/60fps and 1080p video at 30/120/240fps, with gyro-EIS for stabilization.
The 10.7 MP selfie camera with f/2.2 aperture is capable of shooting ultra-wide selfies and also supports 4K video recording, making it perfect for vloggers and selfie enthusiasts.
Battery and Charging
The Huawei P50 Pocket is equipped with a 4000 mAh Li-Po battery, which is non-removable. While this may seem modest for a flagship device with a large, high-refresh-rate display, the phone makes up for it with 40W wired fast charging. The phone also supports 5W reverse wired charging, allowing it to charge other devices like wireless earbuds.
The 66-hour endurance rating ensures that, with moderate use, the device will last throughout the day without any battery concerns.
Connectivity and Sensors
The Huawei P50 Pocket comes with a range of connectivity features, including:
- Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6), dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
- Bluetooth 5.2, A2DP, LE
- NFC for contactless payments and data sharing
- USB Type-C 2.0 with OTG support
Positioning features include GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS, and NavIC.
Other notable sensors include a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, gyro, proximity sensor, compass, barometer, and even a UV illuminator to monitor skin exposure to sunlight.
Storage and Memory
The Huawei P50 Pocket is available in multiple configurations:
- 256GB storage + 8GB RAM
- 256GB storage + 12GB RAM
- 512GB storage + 8GB RAM
- 512GB storage + 12GB RAM
It also supports NM cards (up to 256GB) for additional storage, but the NM card shares the SIM slot.
Pricing
At the time of its release, the Huawei P50 Pocket was priced around 870 EUR, placing it in the premium category of smartphones, particularly for foldables.
Full Specifications of Huawei P50 Pocket
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Network | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE |
| Dimensions (Unfolded) | 170 x 75.5 x 7.2 mm |
| Dimensions (Folded) | 87.3 x 75.5 x 15.2 mm |
| Weight | 190 g |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| Display Type | Foldable OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz |
| Display Size | 6.9 inches |
| Resolution | 1188 x 2790 pixels (~442 ppi density) |
| Cover Display | 1.04-inch OLED, 340 x 340 pixels (~328 ppi) |
| OS | HarmonyOS 2.0 (China), EMUI 12 (Europe), no Google Play Services |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 4G (5 nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Cortex-X1, 3×2.42 GHz Cortex-A78, 4×1.80 GHz A55) |
| GPU | Adreno 660 |
| Memory Options | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| Main Camera | 40 MP (wide), 13 MP (ultrawide), 32 MP (ultra-spectrum) |
| Selfie Camera | 10.7 MP (ultrawide) |
| Battery | 4000 mAh, non-removable, 40W wired, 5W reverse wired |
| Colors | Black, Gold, Silver |
Conclusion
The Huawei P50 Pocket represents a perfect blend of style and substance in the foldable smartphone category. It stands out for its sleek design, foldable OLED display, powerful Snapdragon 888 4G chipset, and capable triple-camera setup. Although it lacks 5G connectivity and Google Play Services, it remains a compelling option for those seeking a high-end foldable device with excellent build quality and cutting-edge features.
Disclaimer: We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
