Huawei P50 Pocket Foldable Revealed With Massive Clamshell Design
It's still a week away, but Huawei has already been dropping hints about its next foldable phone, and it doesn't seem too concerned about subtlety. The company pretty much already confirmed the Pocket will be a foldable phone with a clamshell design, one that will likely take on Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip and the Motorola Razr. Unlike those two latter models, however, it seems Huawei isn't too concerned about the P50 Pocket's size and, as a result, the model may look like a P50 folded in half.
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 was designed to be small and pocket-sized even when unfolded, as you can see in our review. The result is a phone with a traditional "candy bar" form factor, though a tad narrower and taller than conventional non-foldable phones, especially with its 22:9 screen aspect ratio. For comparison, Sony's most recent Xperia phones have already been ridiculed for their long or tall 21:9 screens.
The Huawei P50 Pocket seems to be going in a slightly different direction in terms of shape and size, at least based on the marketing photos revealed by fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar China on Weibo. Even without full details, one key thing about the foldable phone immediately stands out: everything about this supposedly pocket-sized smartphone is big.
In the hands of actress Guan Xiaotong, the Huawei P50 Pocket looks bigger than any foldable clamshell we've seen so far — in fact, it appears to be larger than the folding compact mirrors some people keep in their day packs. This means the phone will be even larger when unfolded, of course, perhaps even bigger than the Huawei P50 Pro. In fact, Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants claims the Pocket's internal flexible screen is 6.85-inches in size. That's in contrast to the P50 Pro's 6.6-inch display.
Another figuratively big thing about the Huawei P50 Pocket is the external screen on its back, which is tipped to have a 1-inch diameter. Although smaller than the Galaxy Z Flip 3's cover screen, it is also unique in taking on a circular shape. In effect, this is like putting a Huawei Watch on the back of the P50 Pocket, and it won't be surprising if it behaves and looks like such, complete with watch faces.
The Huawei P50 Pocket's specs remain unknown, though it's not hard to guess the device will feature hardware similar to that of the Huawei P50. The foldable might even have the same triple camera system, as suggested by the photos, possibly including a periscope-style telephoto lens. Based on these photos and Huawei's own teaser, the phone will come with a variety of luxurious designs and colors, setting it apart as a fashion item rather than just a foldable phone.