Huawei P50 Pocket Review

The Huawei P50 Pocket will be offered in Europe for EUR1,299 with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, in black or white.

The P50 Pocket Costs Version, which we have actually been examining, is readied to sell for EUR1,599. This design features the unique patterned chassis developed in partnership with developer Iris Van Herpen, as well as 12GB of RAM as well as 512GB of storage space.

Neither model of P50 Pocket is listed on Huawei’s official on-line shop at the time of writing; we’ll update this evaluation when they’re offered more widely.

Huawei’s very first flip phone is a lovely item of modern technology. The typical black and white P50 Pocket models look wonderful, but the Costs Edition we’ve been utilizing sporting activities an extra-ostentatious coating in shiny gold. This variation was created in collaboration with Dutch stylist Iris Van Herpen, with the shell-like pattern molded into the glass said to be influenced by electro-magnetic waves.

Somewhere else, Huawei borrows several established foldable design signs. The external frame is bent for a comfy grip, and consists of a quickly, trusted capacitive fingerprint scanner in its power switch. The hinge, meanwhile, resembles that of the Galaxy Z Flip 3, but with one crucial difference. Huawei’s foldable closes completely level, while the Samsung design has a small air gap between both sides of its display screen when folded closed.

In its folded form, the P50 Pocket’s footprint has to do with the dimension of a little drinks rollercoaster, though clearly a lot thicker. Opened, it conveniently overshadows also fairly large typical smart devices, with a big 6.9-inch display angled and lanky 21:9 facet proportion.

The display– a Full HD+ panel– isn’t quite as bright as top-tier flagships, and also includes a 90Hz freshen rate instead of the greater 120Hz of some rivals. However it arguably hits the wonderful place in terms of power usage, permitting the P50 Pocket to quickly last all the time on its 4,000 mAh battery. Like the majority of foldables, the Pocket’s internal screen really feels a bit extra plasticky than your normal Gorilla Glass panel, however it’s equally as smudge-resistant as the flat-screened competition. Plus the inner bezels are fairly svelte, with just a little recognizable chin location down below.

The fold in the display, a particular usual to even the best foldable phones, is additionally pretty discreet– you’ll notice it as you swipe with apps, yet we didn’t locate it to be especially bothersome.

Like the P50 Pro, the Pocket includes two unique round intermediaries in its framework, the very first real estate its triple-camera array and LED flash. Unlike the standard P50, however, the 2nd circle hosts a coin-sized external display screen. This isn’t as huge as the external screens of rivals like the Galaxy Z Flip 3– to say nothing of the Motorola Razr’s expansive cover display. However it serves sufficient, permitting quick notification access, in addition to smartwatch-style widgets for weather as well as media controls.

The P50 Pocket’s biometric authentication is additionally quite clever when the tool is closed, permitting the cover display to be unlocked for viewing points like notifications with either a touch of the finger print scanner or a swipe to make use of face unlock with the rear-facing video cameras.

The cover screen likewise functions as a viewfinder for taking selfies or video clips with the major cameras, with the volume rocker handling dual duty as a shutter trick when you’ve bent your hand into the appropriate placement.

It’s very easy to overlook the benefits of having the ability to take selfies with your rear video camera system, but it’s a function you’ll appreciate if you’ve ever before been frustrated by the confined field of view or lackluster low-light efficiency of a standard front-facer.

Internally, the P50 Pocket is improved the exact same foundations as the P50 Pro. That implies the 4G-only variation of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 runs the show, which is completely fine in terms of everyday efficiency– though a disappointment in a couple of evident locations we’ll get to later on.

That’s supported by 8GB of RAM and also 256GB of storage in the common P50 Pocket, or 12GB + 512GB in the Costs Edition. Either can be boosted using a Huawei NanoMemory card.

The Pocket’s 4,000 mAh battery is dramatically larger than anything supplied by the competition in this form factor, and I’ve been thrilled with exactly how well it’s stood up to my everyday use. Like the P50 Pro, the numbers on the spec sheet do not always excite, but you must quickly be able to obtain a complete day out of this device. The lack of 5G connectivity most likely assists in saving some juice, as does Huawei’s tight control over applications’ background power usage.

There’s always a compromise between capacity and optimum charging speeds in lithium-ion batteries. Therefore Huawei’s 40W Super Charging typical, while no longer the quickest out there for quick refills, walks the line in between charging rates and also battery capability.

Mentioning which, Huawei’s EMUI 12 software platform returns on the P50 Pocket, carrying over a familiar feature set from current Huawei devices. It’s based upon Android 11, however offers a much more iOS-inspired interface. Huawei’s multitasking attributes are durable as well, with quick accessibility to windowed and also split-screen settings via a swipe-and-hold motion from the side of the display.

And the P50 Pocket is fully capable of benefiting from Huawei’s Super Tool function too. This suggests if you possess other current Huawei gadgets like a COMPUTER, tablet or display, they can pair up to capitalize on each others’ unique attributes. Throughout testing I had the P50 Pocket paired with a Huawei MateBook E, providing me accessibility to the phone’s internal storage wirelessly through Windows Explorer, and additionally letting me run numerous phone applications from another location via Windows on the PC.

Huawei has a strong photo pedigree, and although the P50 Pocket does not flaunt the exact same optical chops as the P50 Pro, it’s still with the ability of taking some absolutely excellent photos. The major electronic camera experience combines information from the 40-megapixel primary shooter as well as a 32-megapixel “ultra-spectrum sensing unit,” made use of to resolve more information in photos.

While there’s no committed telephoto video camera below, the high resolution of both major cameras makes up pretty well at zoom levels approximately around 3X. Considering the competitors in this flippy kind variable provides, at most, a 2X optical zoom level, that’s an easy to understand profession. And the P50 Pocket’s twin main cameras generated outstanding shots even in challenging lights problems, though I did observe that low-light captures were more at risk to hand activity than the P50 Pro with its bigger major sensor. And, like the various other P50, the ultrawide video camera isn’t the very best in night-time digital photography, being a raw downgrade from the major electronic camera despite having evening setting enabled.

Overall, like many other foldables in this classification, you’re getting a video camera experience that’s around a generation behind the cutting edge of flat flagships. That said, the P50 Pocket’s video camera abilities are far from disappointing.

A lot of the mistakes of the P50 Pocket will certainly be familiar if you’ve reviewed our Huawei P50 Pro testimonial. This is a pricey high-end phone without 5G connection, and also with a cpu based upon in 2015’s front runner Qualcomm chip. Taking into consideration the cost, as well as the various other technical areas in which the P50 Pocket succeeds, that’s something that’ll make this phone appear rather dated in just a number of years or so.

This is a phone that begins at EUR1,299, making these omissions hard to ignore.

Various other hardware disappointments consist of the lack of extra benefits like water-resistance and also wireless charging. The latter is reasonable, as well as a giving in most likely made in order to fit a bigger battery right into this fairly tiny mobile. However the previous is a location where the competitors has a side.

Huawei’s latest collapsible is weaker than the Samsung competition– the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is accredited IPX8 for security versus water access.

Huawei’s software application likewise lacks several of the software program benefits that three years of experience with flip phones has brought to Samsung’s software program. If you were expecting a One UI-style split-screen view in applications when the P50 Pocket is half opened up, you’ll be disappointed.

Likewise, there’s no Google Play Solutions support in this phone, suggesting that you’ll require to depend on Huawei’s AppGallery store front and Petal Look to track down applications. The latter does a respectable job of uncovering APKs from a variety of trusted websites, but updating applications mounted using Petal Search stays a hassle. As well as also after mounting, certain applications still misbehave on phones that do not have Google Play Solutions. If you make use of a great deal of Google solutions, this isn’t the collapsible for you.

Huawei’s brand-new foldable competes directly with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, which costs EUR1,049 in Europe. That’s a little less than the P50 Pocket for a phone with 5G connectivity, water-resistance and complete Google Play assistance. (The latter is a major win for anybody who makes use of a lot of Google services on their phone.).

Huawei, nonetheless, provides a larger battery for considerably improved long life, as well as quicker crediting boot thanks to its bundled 40W super charger. The P50’s main video camera sensor is also premium, on paper, to Samsung’s offering, while making up for the absence of a 2X telephoto video camera with the higher resolution of its key sensing unit. As well as its joint design allows it to fold entirely level, whereas both sections of the Flip 3 don’t fairly rest flush. The P50 Pocket also uses memory expansion with its NanoMemory port, although you’ll require to acquire cards from Huawei to utilize this exclusive memory layout.

The various other major competitor in this group is the Motorola Razr 5G, which, as the name recommends, likewise features 5G connectivity. Purchase this version brand new and also it’ll set you back around the same amount as the P50 Pocket, regardless of using a significantly less powerful Snapdragon 765G cpu as well as a substandard electronic camera system, plus a small 2,800 mAh battery. In regards to raw power and photographic abilities, it’s not even close.

Motorola can boast a larger and also better cover display, however. Its landscape orientation “Quick Sight’ panel is larger than Huawei’s coin-shaped external panel, and also you can do even more with it.

You must buy this if …

.You want the best-looking flip phone out there.
.Battery life is more vital than ease of charging.
.You do not care regarding 5G or Google solutions.

You should not buy this if …

.You need the fastest cellular information rates.
.You use a great deal of Google apps or services.
.You require a phone that’ll survive a dip in the water.

The Huawei P50 Pocket is one of the most striking phones I’ve made use of, with a phenomenal layout, far better battery life than the competition, a qualified camera system, and excellent ecological community functions for owners of other Huawei gadgets. Considering the high quality of the hardware and the toughness of Huawei’s layout, the P50 Pocket seems like an extra reasonable proposal at its (admittedly high) beginning cost.

But it succumbs to many of the very same mistakes as its flatter relative, the P50 Pro: It uses a year-old chip without 5G connectivity, and software headaches continue if you use Google services– or certainly any type of Android applications that depend on Google’s Android software application layer.

What’s even more, Samsung’s foldables appear elder in a couple of crucial locations, significantly water-resistance, software program functions customized to this flippy form aspect, and the ease of cordless charging.

It isn’t mosting likely to change the Galaxy Z Flip 3 as the “default” purchase in this specific classification, specifically thinking about the cost costs you’ll pay contrasted to the Samsung tool. However, for the ideal individual– someone who respects layout, wants a big display in a little dimension, and also isn’t bought into the Google environment– the P50 Pocket is an excellent little mobile.