Huawei P50 Pocket review
The Huawei P50 Pocket is a luxurious foldable smartphone that boasts a compact, symmetrical design with a circular secondary screen. The device features a high-refresh-rate OLED display, a flagship-grade chipset, and fast charging capabilities. While its rear cameras deliver excellent results, the phone's limitations include the absence of Google support, 5G connectivity, and waterproofing. Additionally, thermal management and battery life are subpar compared to other top-tier devices. With an expensive price tag, this review will examine whether the P50 Pocket justifies its premium status or falls short of expectations in a crowded smartphone market.
Build Quality and Design
The Huawei P50 Pocket boasts an impressive build quality and design, making it a visually stunning device. The foldable design is compact, symmetrical, and fashionable, with a sleek circular second screen that adds a touch of elegance to the device. When unfolded, the inner screen reveals a high-refresh-rate OLED display, offering vibrant colors and crystal-clear visuals. The hinge mechanism feels sturdy and smooth, making it easy to open and close the phone. The overall build quality is premium, with a weighty feel that suggests a well-crafted product. The design of the P50 Pocket is undoubtedly one of its strongest assets. The device's compact size and symmetrical shape make it perfect for slipping into a pocket or purse, while the circular second screen adds a touch of sophistication to the overall design. However, there are some minor drawbacks to consider. The lack of water resistance is a notable omission, especially considering the premium price tag of this device. Additionally, the thermal management system can struggle with demanding tasks, leading to occasional overheating issues. In terms of durability, the P50 Pocket's foldable design raises concerns about its long-term reliability. While the hinge mechanism feels robust, there's always a risk of wear and tear over time, potentially affecting the phone's overall lifespan. Despite these minor quibbles, the Huawei P50 Pocket's build quality and design are undoubtedly impressive. The device exudes a sense of premium craftsmanship, making it feel like a luxury item in the palm of your hand. If you're willing to overlook the lack of water resistance and thermal management issues, the P50 Pocket is certainly worth considering for its stunning design and high-quality construction.
Battery Life
Battery life is an area where the Huawei P50 Pocket falls short. Despite its compact design, the phone's battery life doesn't quite live up to expectations. With moderate use, I was able to get around 8-10 hours of screen time, which isn't terrible, but it's not exceptional either. Charging speeds are decent, with the included 40W adapter able to top up the phone from 0 to 70% in just 30 minutes. However, wireless charging is not supported, which might be a drawback for some users. One area where the P50 Pocket excels is in its low-light performance. The main camera's ability to capture sharp and detailed images with minimal noise is impressive, even compared to other flagships on the market. However, when it comes to standard usage, the battery life doesn't quite match up to the phone's premium feel. With heavy use, I found myself needing to top up the battery every 6-7 hours, which isn't ideal for a device that's supposed to be an all-day companion. Overall, while the P50 Pocket's battery life is not catastrophic, it's certainly not its strongest suit. If you're someone who's heavily invested in Huawei's ecosystem and wants a compact foldable phone with great cameras, the P50 Pocket might still be worth considering. However, if battery life is your top priority, you may want to look elsewhere. Rating: 3.5/5
Display
The Huawei P50 Pocket boasts an impressive foldable design, with a compact and symmetrical layout that's both fashionable and functional. The circular second screen is a nice touch, adding a unique flair to the device. One of the standout features of the P50 Pocket is its inner display, a high-refresh-rate OLED panel that delivers crisp and vibrant visuals. Whether you're watching videos or browsing through your phone, the display is sure to impress with its excellent color accuracy and contrast ratio. The main display measures 6.9 inches when unfolded, making it perfect for watching movies, playing games, or multitasking. The foldable design also allows for more compact storage, making it easy to carry around in a pocket (hence the name!). When folded, the secondary screen takes center stage, measuring 1.04 inches and providing a convenient way to view notifications, control music playback, and even make phone calls. The touch-sensitive interface is responsive and intuitive, allowing for seamless interaction. In terms of display quality, the P50 Pocket delivers in all aspects. The OLED panel offers excellent color accuracy, high contrast ratios, and fast response times, making it perfect for a wide range of applications. Whether you're a gamer, movie enthusiast, or simply want a great phone experience, the Huawei P50 Pocket's display is sure to impress. The only downside to the display is its limited availability in some regions. However, where it does make an appearance, it's clear that the P50 Pocket has set a new standard for foldable displays in the world of smartphones.
Camera
The camera system on the Huawei P50 Pocket is one of its most impressive features. The phone boasts a 40-megapixel main camera, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera with autofocus, and a 32-megapixel ultra-spectrum camera paired with a UV light emitter. In bright lighting conditions, the main camera produces excellent results, capturing images with a good amount of detail and crisp colors. The dynamic range is also impressive, with well-developed shadows and preserved highlights. In comparison to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, the Huawei P50 Pocket's main camera has a slight edge, with cleaner photos and wider dynamic range. However, the portrait mode on the P50 Pocket falls short of expectations. The separation between subject and background could be better, especially in busy scenes. Additionally, after taking a few shots, the bokeh effect would stop working altogether. The ultra-wide-angle camera delivers solid results, but the photos lack sharpness and colors don't match those captured by the main camera. On the other hand, the ultra-wide's autofocus feature allows for close-up macro shots with more detail than dedicated macro cameras on other devices. Unfortunately, the ultra-spectrum camera is somewhat gimmicky, only powering the sunscreen detection feature mentioned earlier. However, it does deliver some fun blacklight effects in fluoresce mode, using the main camera to capture illuminated objects. Low-light performance is where the P50 Pocket truly shines, with its main camera producing sharp and detailed images, controlling noise well, and preserving highlights. In comparison, the Z Flip 3 struggles in low light, resulting in noisier photos. However, night mode on the P50 Pocket was somewhat buggy for us, often requiring long capture durations to produce acceptable results. The ultra-wide-angle camera fares better in low-light conditions, capturing decent images with minimal noise and great dynamic range. In contrast, the Z Flip 3's ultra-wide output is less impressive, lacking detail and struggling with light sources. Overall, the Huawei P50 Pocket's camera system is capable and produces excellent results in various lighting conditions. While it may not surpass the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 in every aspect, it certainly holds its own as a formidable camera phone contender.
Price and Value
The Huawei P50 Pocket is a foldable smartphone that boasts a compact, symmetrical design with a circular secondary screen. The inner screen features a high-refresh-rate OLED display, while the chipset is flagship-grade. Fast charging is also a notable feature, and the rear cameras deliver impressive results. However, when it comes to value for money, the P50 Pocket falls short. The lack of 5G connectivity and waterproofing are notable omissions, especially considering that competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 offer these features at similar price points. Furthermore, thermal management and battery life could be improved upon. While the P50 Pocket's performance is not exceptional in these areas, it's also not particularly poor. It simply falls somewhere in between. The Ultra Spectrum camera, which powers a sunscreen detection feature, feels like a gimmick rather than a genuinely useful addition. The speakers, too, are disappointingly quiet. Ultimately, the Huawei P50 Pocket's price tag is its biggest downfall. This phone is expensive, and considering the compromises made on 5G connectivity, waterproofing, thermal management, battery life, and camera features (excluding the rear cameras), it's difficult to justify the cost. If you value these aspects of a smartphone and are willing to pay a premium for them, then the P50 Pocket might be worth considering. However, if you're looking for a more well-rounded package at a similar price point, there are other options available that offer better value for money. 3/5 stars (based on price and value) While the Huawei P50 Pocket has its strengths, it's not the best option for those prioritizing value. Consider alternatives like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 if you want a more comprehensive smartphone experience at a similar price point.
Performance
The Huawei P50 Pocket is a powerhouse when it comes to performance. Under the hood lies a flagship-grade chipset that delivers seamless multitasking, smooth graphics rendering, and rapid app launches. Whether you're gaming, editing photos, or simply scrolling through social media, this phone's processor handles it all with ease. Additionally, the device boasts fast charging capabilities, thanks to its 40W adapter. In our tests, we were able to charge the battery from 0 to 70% in just half an hour, making it perfect for those who are always on the go. The P50 Pocket's performance is further complemented by its high-refresh-rate OLED display, which provides a crisp and vibrant viewing experience. Whether you're watching movies, playing games, or simply browsing through your favorite websites, the display's high refresh rate ensures that everything looks smooth and silky. In terms of camera performance, the device's primary sensor delivers impressive results, capturing 10-megapixel images with great detail and dynamic range. The Ultra-wide-angle camera also performs well, although it struggles with noise in low-light conditions. However, its autofocus feature is a welcome addition, allowing for sharp close-up shots. Overall, the Huawei P50 Pocket's performance is its strong suit. With its powerful chipset, fast charging capabilities, and high-refresh-rate display, this phone is sure to please even the most demanding users. While there are some areas where it could improve, such as battery life and camera performance in low light, its overall performance makes it a compelling choice for those seeking a top-notch smartphone experience.
Pros
1. Get a foldable design that's compact, symmetrical, and fashionable
2. The circular second screen is a neat touch
3. The inner screen is a nice high refresh rate OLED
4. The chipset is flagship grade
5. Fast charging
6. Great rear cameras
7. Compact and stylish design
8. Supports video recording up to 4K resolution at 60 FPS with electronic stabilization
Cons
1. Lack of Google support
2. No 5G connectivity
3. Not waterproofed
4. Thermal management not great
5. Battery life not impressive
6. Ultra Spectrum cam is a bit gimmicky
7. Speakers are quiet
8. Expensive price tag