Last year, Huawei launched the P50 Pocket, a high-end foldable clamshell smartphone that went up against the Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G. This year, the company is doing things differently. Instead of launching a successor to the P50 Pocket to rival the Galaxy Z Flip 4, Huawei has come with a more affordable foldable phone, the Huawei Pocket S. At a starting price of $829, it is not only cheaper than the Galaxy Z Flip 4 but also the most affordable foldable clamshell in the market.
The Huawei Pocket S features a 6.9-inch OLED display on the inside with a 2,790 x 1,188 pixels resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, a 300Hz touch sampling rate, and 1,440Hz PWM. The screen on the outer side is a very small one: a 1.04-inch unit with a 340 x 340 pixels resolution. People will have the option to customize what the always-on display feature shows on the outer screen.
Powering the smartphone is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G. The Pocket S doesn’t offer 5G connectivity due to US sanctions against Huawei, but it is still disappointing for an $829 smartphone in 2022. On the software side of things, the phone gets Harmony OS 3.0 instead of Android, which makes sense as the phone will initially be available only in China. It also comes pre-loaded with apps for the local audience.
The rear cameras on the device include a 40MP main sensor (RYYB color filter and F1.8 aperture) and a 13MP ultrawide camera. There’s also laser AF on board for faster focusing. For selfies, the phone features a 10.7MP sensor embedded into the screen's punch hole. The phone packs a 4,000mAh battery with 40W fast charging. Huawei says that there’s also an ultra-thin bendable graphite sheet inside the smartphone for improved cooling.
Unlike the Pocket P50, which came with exquisite gradients and patterns on its body, the Pocket S has a plain design, similar to the Galaxy Z Flip 4. Huawei is offering the phone in five colors: Mint Green, Gold Yellow, Rose Pink, Ice Crystal Blue, and Black. The 128GB storage variant costs CNY 5,998, the 256GB version costs CNY 6,488, and the 512GB model costs CNY 7,488.
