Huawei unveils foldable 'P50 Pocket' smartphone in China

Smartphone brand Huawei has unveiled a clamshell-style folding smartphone, P50 Pocket, that comes with a circular, 1-inch external display for quick access to notifications and widgets. The device has been launched in China, though US sanctions (which mean Huawei can't use key tech like Google's Android OS) mean the P50 Pocket won't make any impact in the West, The Verge reported on Thursday.

The company teased the handset earlier this month with a photoshoot focused on the P50 Pocket Premium Edition that appeared in Harper's Bazaar China. This version of the device was created with Dutch designer Iris van Herpen.

P50 Pocket has a gold or silver finish and a 3D pattern on the exterior surface that's typical of van Herpen's work, resembling feathers or leaves. It is Huawei's third foldable phone, but it is first to use a clamshell design, the report said.

When unfolded, the Pocket's OLED screen is 6.9-inches in size, with a 21:9 ratio and 120Hz refresh rate.

The device weighs 190 grams and is just 7.2mm thick. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 4G SoC, a 4,000mAh battery, and runs Huawei's Harmony OS 2.

The P50 Pocket's main camera array has a 40MP main sensor, 13MP wide angle lens and 32MP "super spectrum" lens. There's a hole-punch camera built into the main display, but Huawei notes that the phone's foldable design makes it more convenient to use the main camera for taking selfies.