Huawei P50 Pocket is Here to Rival Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3

After competing with Samsung’s Galaxy Fold for over 2 years with the Mate X family, Huawei is finally taking the fight to the Galaxy Z Flip series. The Chinese brand has just released its own flip phone, the Huawei P50 Pocket.

As the name says, the P50 Pocket looks just like a regular Huawei P50 that folds in half.

Design and Display

The design may look unsightly from the back, but the phone’s build is quite sleek. This is because it uses Huawei’s patented hinge mechanism with no visible gap when closed. The textured finish on the rear panel also stands out from other devices.

The inner screen is a 6.9-inch 120Hz OLED with a tall 21:9 aspect ratio and 2790 x 1188 px resolution, which is slightly higher than 1080p. The punch-hole selfie camera is placed in the center.

The small 1-inch screen on the outside not only shows time and date or notifications but also has an array of widgets for apps like maps, music players, QR code scanners, etc. You can navigate through maps on the main screen and continue to get directions on the outer screen when you close the phone.

Internals and Storage

The phone is powered by Qualcomm’s recently outdated flagship chip, the Snapdragon 888. The memory options include 8/12GB RAM and 256/512GB storage but there is also a memory card slot for expansion.

Sadly, there are still no Google services onboard since you get Harmony OS out of the box.

Cameras

Foldable phone cameras are rarely powerful, but if the P50 Pocket has the same cameras like the P50, then it will be a force to be reckoned with. What we do know is that it has a 40MP primary sensor, a 13MP ultrawide unit, and a 32MP “ultra spectrum” camera to help with color rendering.

A 10MP selfie camera is an ultrawide unit capable of 4K video recording.

Battery and Pricing

The Huawei P50 Pocket easily takes the cake over Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 in terms of battery specs. That’s because it has a 4,000 mAh cell with support for 40W fast charging and 5W reverse charging. The Z Flip 3 falls short with its 3300 mAh battery and 15W charging, but it does include wireless charging.

However, the P50 Pocket is far behind when it comes to pricing. The phone costs $1410 in China, while the Z Flip 3 is already below the $1000 mark. Huawei has confirmed an international launch, but we don’t know when it’s coming to other countries.

Huawei P50 Pocket Specifications

• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
• CPU: Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 680 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 680 & 4×1.80 GHz Kryo 680)
• GPU: Adreno 660
• OS: Harmony OS 2.0
• Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, 5G
• Display:
  • Primary: 6.9″ Foldable OLED with 1188 x 2790 pixels resolution; 120Hz, 1B colors
  • Secondary: 1.04″ OLED with 340 x 340 pixels resolution, 60Hz
• Memory:
  • RAM: 8GB, 12GB
  • Internal: 256GB, 512GB
  • Card slot: Yes
• Camera:
  • Rear (Triple): 40 MP, f/1.8, (wide), PDAF, Laser AF
    13 MP, f/2.2, 120˚ (ultrawide)
    32 MP, f/1.8
  • Front: 10MP
• Colors: Black, Gold, Silver
• Fingerprint sensor: Side-mounted
• Battery: 4,000 mAh, 40W wired charging, 5W reverse charging
• Price: $1410