Huawei P50 Pocket review

Introduction

Easier on your pocket in more ways than one, the Huawei P50 Pocket is the company's latest foldable, and this one is available globally for a change. In contrast to last year's Mate X2, the Pocket will be sold outside of China, and its EUR1300 starting price can almost pass for reasonable, plus it's the other type of form factor that you might also call compact.

The P50 Pocket is the half-phone-to-full-phone kind of foldable, similar to the Galaxy Z Flip lineup, leaving the tablet-sized Mate X2 for those with deeper pockets (and access to the Chinese market). Smaller than a pack of cigarettes when folded, the Pocket opens up to reveal a generously-sized 6.9-inch OLED display on the inside, so it's that little bit bigger than the Flip. It's also a touch heavier, but has a larger battery to show for it.

As part of the high-end P50 family, the Pocket is treated to a Snapdragon 888 chipset, only minus the 5G capability because of the USA-China feud that's been dragging Huawei's smartphone business down for more than 3 years now. With a base config of 256GB and 8GB of RAM (512GB/12GB available, too), the Pocket is looking strong on the basics. Oh, it has a slot for external memory, NanoMemory as it may be, so it's one-upping the Flip once again.

Speaking of Flip comparisons - the Galaxy doesn't have a UV illuminator on the back and a sunscreen mode for its camera, does it? That's one of the Pocket's key features, for which it includes a dedicated 32MP module on its back. It has a pair of regular cameras too - a 40MP primary one and a 13MP ultrawide, as the monocrome unit and the periscope are reserved for the P50 Pro.

Huawei P50 Pocket specs at a glance:

• Body: 170.0x75.5x7.2mm, 190g; glass back, aluminum frame.
• Display: 6.90" Foldable OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 1188x2790px resolution, 21(-ish):9 aspect ratio, 442ppi; Cover display: OLED, 1.04 inch, 340 x 340 pixels, 328 ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 4G (5 nm): Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 680 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 680 & 4x1.80 GHz Kryo 680); Adreno 660.
• Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM; NM (Nano Memory), up to 256GB (uses shared SIM slot).
• OS/Software: HarmonyOS 2.0 (China), EMUI 12 (Europe), no Google Play Services.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 40 MP, f/1.8, PDAF, Laser AF; Ultra wide angle: 13 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, AF; UV: 32 MP, f/1.8, 1/3.14", 0.7µm, AF.
• Front camera: 10.7 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide).
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/120/240fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps.
• Battery: 4000mAh; Fast charging 40W, Reverse charging 5W.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); NFC; UV illuminator.

The Pocket is missing an IP rating, while Samsung managed to get an IPX8 label on the Z Flip3. Wireless charging is also a no-go on Huawei, but it does promise faster wired charging despite the larger battery.

There's always the matter of the lack of Google Play services on Huawei phones, and the Pocket will need to be pretty convincing in other areas to make up for that.

Huawei P50 Pocket unboxing

The box contents help a little - it's a richer bundle than that of the cable-only Galaxy. We got a 40W Huawei SuperCharge adapter and USB-A-to-C cable to go with it - this proprietary charging solution still relies on USB-A on the brick end.

A two-piece protective case with adhesive strips along the side edges is also included to help keep it attached to the phone. The metallic-looking outline mimics the phone's frame, while the clear back panels allow you to flaunt that textured glass back.

Our P50 Pocket review unit is in the White colorway and as such, comes in a standard white cardboard box, as opposed to the Premium Edition that has a patterned golden box with a low profile and a larger footprint. While the Premium Edition's wavy golden panels are indeed exquisite, and we were a little bummed to get the plainer version, we've warmed to it over the past few days.