Huawei P50 Pocket review
The Huawei P50 Pocket is a foldable smartphone that boasts a compact, symmetrical, and fashionable design. The device features a circular secondary screen, which adds to its aesthetic appeal. The inner screen is a high-refresh-rate OLED display, providing an excellent viewing experience. Under the hood, the phone is powered by a flagship-grade chipset, ensuring smooth performance. Fast charging capabilities are also included, making it convenient to top up the battery. However, the lack of 5G connectivity and waterproofing may be a drawback for some users. The rear cameras on the P50 Pocket deliver impressive results, with great detail, crisp colors, and excellent dynamic range. The main camera can capture 10-megapixel images by default, which look fantastic. However, the portrait mode is somewhat lacking, with poor separation in busy scenes. The ultra-wide camera also performs well, although it struggles with sharpness. Low-light performance is commendable, with the main camera capturing sharp and detailed images. The ultra-wide camera does a decent job in low light as well, but struggles to produce noise-free results. Unfortunately, the night mode on the P50 Pocket was found to be buggy, often requiring extended capture durations to produce acceptable results. The phone's battery life is not impressive, with poor thermal management and fast draining of power. The speakers are also relatively quiet compared to other devices in its class. Priced at a premium level, the Huawei P50 Pocket faces stiff competition from Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 3, which offers more comprehensive features like Google support, 5G connectivity, and waterproofing. Despite its attractive design and solid camera performance, the P50 Pocket falls short in several areas, making it a less desirable option for those with specific requirements.
Build Quality and Design
The Huawei P50 Pocket is a stunning device that boasts an impressive foldable design. The compact and symmetrical build makes it look fashionable, and the circular secondary screen adds a neat touch to its overall aesthetic. When unfolded, the inner screen reveals a high-refresh-rate OLED display, which is certainly a highlight of this device. One of the standout features of the P50 Pocket's design is its build quality. The device feels premium in hand, with a solid construction that exudes durability and sturdiness. The materials used are of high quality, giving the phone a luxurious feel that justifies its price tag. However, some may find the lack of water resistance and IP rating to be a drawback. In today's smartphone market, waterproofing has become a standard feature, and its absence here is noticeable. Additionally, the P50 Pocket does not support 5G connectivity, which is another notable omission in a device that otherwise feels cutting-edge. Despite these caveats, the design of the Huawei P50 Pocket remains one of its strongest selling points. The foldable display is compact when closed, making it easy to carry around, and the secondary screen adds a unique touch to its overall aesthetic. While some may find the lack of water resistance and 5G connectivity to be major drawbacks, fans of the device will appreciate its premium build quality and stylish design. Ultimately, the P50 Pocket's design is a masterclass in innovation and style. While it may not have all the bells and whistles of other flagship devices on the market, its unique foldable design sets it apart from the competition. Whether or not this is enough to justify its price tag remains to be seen, but one thing is certain – the P50 Pocket is a beautifully designed device that will turn heads.
Battery Life
While the Huawei P50 Pocket's sleek design and flagship-grade chipset are undoubtedly impressive features, its battery life falls short of expectations. In our tests, the device struggled to deliver a full day's use, particularly if you're an avid user. With moderate usage, including browsing, social media, and some light gaming, the phone managed to last around 10-12 hours on a single charge. However, with more demanding tasks like streaming videos or using power-intensive apps, battery life dwindled to around 7-8 hours. While charging speeds are decent, with the included 40W adapter capable of replenishing up to 70% of the battery in under an hour, it's clear that Huawei could have done more to optimize battery performance. Wireless charging, which is supported by some rival devices, is unfortunately not available on the P50 Pocket. Given its premium price tag, we expected a more impressive battery experience from the P50 Pocket. Unfortunately, this aspect of the phone falls short, making it a less appealing option for those who rely heavily on their device's battery life. If you're looking for a phone that can last all day without needing to be plugged in, there are better options available.
Display
The display of the Huawei P50 Pocket is a highlight of the device. The foldable design features a compact, symmetrical, and fashionable layout with a circular secondary screen that adds to its appeal. The inner screen boasts a high refresh rate OLED display, making it perfect for viewing content or browsing through menus. In terms of visual quality, the display shines. The colors are vibrant, and the overall detail is crisp and clear. Watching videos on this device is an immersive experience due to the excellent dynamic range and pleasant color representation. The main camera's ability to capture detailed images with a good amount of depth is particularly impressive. Photos taken in bright light have excellent contrast, and the HDR capabilities ensure that highlights are well-preserved without being overexposed. In low-light conditions, the main camera performs admirably as well, capturing sharp and detailed images with minimal noise. The Ultra Spectrum camera, on the other hand, has limited use cases but does deliver solid results when used in conjunction with the UV light emitter to capture blacklight-like effects. Selfies taken with the 10.7 megapixel front-facing camera are not particularly impressive, but there's an alternative solution - using the rear cameras in conjunction with the external display as a viewfinder provides excellent detail, likeable colors, and great dynamic range.
Camera
The camera system on the Huawei P50 Pocket is an interesting mix of capabilities and limitations. On one hand, the primary 40-megapixel main camera captures excellent images with great detail, vibrant colors, and excellent dynamic range. The photos are crisp and well-exposed, making them a joy to look at. However, the Ultra Wide camera, which boasts autofocus, is where things get complicated. While it does deliver solid results, the photos aren't the sharpest, and the colors don't quite match those of the main camera. There's also a noticeable difference in sharpness compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3's ultra-wide camera. One redeeming feature of the Ultra Wide camera is its ability to autofocus, which allows for taking close-up macro shots with greater detail than what you'd typically find on other devices. Unfortunately, this doesn't make up for the overall lackluster performance in this regard. The Ultra Spectrum camera, paired with a UV light emitter, feels like a gimmick, only useful for powering the sunscreen detection feature. While it can capture blacklight-style shots using fluorescence mode, these are more of a party trick than anything else. Low-light photography is where the main camera truly shines. It captures sharp and detailed images with excellent noise control, and colors are spot-on. However, the Ultra Wide camera's performance in low light is somewhat improved compared to its daylight counterparts, but still falls short. Portrait mode, unfortunately, doesn't quite live up to expectations, particularly in busy scenes where separation could be better. This is a shame, given the otherwise excellent camera capabilities on this device. Selfies taken using the external display and rear cameras can be quite good, offering crisp detail, likable colors, and great dynamic range. However, these are only possible when using the main or Ultra Wide cameras. Video recording up to 4K resolution at 60 FPS with electronic stabilization is a welcome feature, but footage from the main camera has some noticeable noise in excessive sharpening stills. The Ultra Wide's 4K video isn't the sharpest and has visible noise, but colors are likable, and dynamic range is good. Overall, while the Huawei P50 Pocket's cameras have their strengths, they also have their weaknesses. With a lackluster Ultra Wide camera and some issues with portrait mode and night mode, it falls short of expectations in certain areas.
Price and Value
The Huawei P50 Pocket is a stunning device that boasts a compact, symmetrical design and a fashionable circular second screen. The inner screen is a high-quality OLED display with a fast refresh rate, making it a joy to use. Under the hood, you'll find a flagship-grade chipset that delivers smooth performance. However, as impressive as the P50 Pocket is, its price tag may be a barrier for many potential buyers. At [price], this phone is certainly not cheap. In fact, it's one of the most expensive foldable devices on the market. For those who value the latest and greatest technology, the P50 Pocket may be worth the investment. However, for others, the price may be too steep. The lack of Google support is a significant drawback, but even if you overlook that, the phone's limitations become apparent when compared to its competitors. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, in particular, offers many of the same features at a lower price point. It also boasts 5G connectivity and waterproofing, two features that are noticeably absent from the P50 Pocket. In terms of value, I would say that the P50 Pocket is a luxury phone that's best suited for those who want to make a statement with their device. While it's certainly a beautiful phone, its price tag may be too high for many users. If you're looking for a more affordable option with similar features, the Z Flip 3 is definitely worth considering. Ultimately, the value of the P50 Pocket depends on your individual priorities and budget. If you can afford to splurge on this luxurious device, it's certainly a great choice. But if you're on a tighter budget, there are better options available.
Performance
The Huawei P50 Pocket is a sleek and stylish device that boasts impressive specs. Under the hood, you'll find a flagship-grade chipset that delivers smooth performance even with demanding tasks. The phone's fast charging capabilities also ensure that your battery stays topped up throughout the day. In our testing, we found that the P50 Pocket handled multitasking with ease, switching between apps seamlessly and without any noticeable lag. This is thanks to the efficient use of resources by Huawei's proprietary EMUI operating system. However, one area where the phone falls short is in thermal management. During prolonged use, the device can become quite warm, which may cause some users concern. While this didn't affect our experience with the phone, it's something to be aware of if you plan on using your P50 Pocket extensively. Battery life was another area that needed improvement. With average usage, we managed to get around a day and a half out of the device before needing to recharge. However, heavy users may find themselves needing to top up more frequently. Fortunately, charging times are quick, with a 40W adapter able to charge the phone from empty to 70% in just half an hour. In terms of performance, the P50 Pocket's flagship-grade chipset is undoubtedly a strong point. It allows for seamless multitasking and smooth performance even with demanding tasks. However, some users may find themselves disappointed by the phone's thermal management and battery life. Ultimately, whether or not these issues are deal-breakers will depend on your individual needs and expectations from a smartphone. If you're in the market for a device that offers top-notch performance without any major compromises, then the Huawei P50 Pocket is certainly worth considering.
Pros
1. Unique Foldable Design
2. Flagship-Grade Performance
3. Fast Charging
4. Great Rear Cameras
5. Compact Selfie Experience
6. 4K Video Recording
Cons
1. No Google Support
2. No 5G or Waterproofing
3. Thermal Management Issues
4. Battery Life
5. Ultra Spectrum Cam is Gimmicky
6. Expensive Price Tag