‘Huawei P50 Pocket’ release date: Foldable phone to rival Galaxy Z Flip is confirmed to launch next week

Huawei is preparing to launch a new foldable smartphone very soon, but it will not be a new entry to the existing Mate X series. The company released an official teaser this week to confirm that a new device called “Huawei P50 Pocket” will be unveiled next week.

The announcement was made through Huawei’s official Weibo account, where the company released a cryptic promotional image along with an even more mysterious message. After running the post through Google Translate, Huawei’s post reads, “Light and shadow are intertwined, and all things live in symbiosis.”

There are not that many clues or details to use to decode what the teaser message exactly means, but it appears to be making references to devices being connected. While the teaser is quite mysterious, Huawei was clear that the product to be announced will be called “Huawei P50 Pocket” and it is going to be the company’s “winter flagship” product. A launch event is set for Thursday, Dec. 23 in China.

As mentioned, the teaser image does not give away much information about the device’s design, but an illustration in the poster seems to be alluding to a foldable smartphone. This lines up with a report last month that Huawei will be supplied with a new type of hinge from Zhaoli Technology for a new foldable device with a flip phone form factor. The device, which now appears to be named Huawei P50 Pocket, has since been expected as a rival for Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 3.

Last month’s report from a well-known Weibo leaker claimed the new hinges will allow Huawei to use fewer components for the upcoming foldable phone. It is expected to make the Huawei P50 Pocket more profitable without sacrificing its quality.

Huawei fans will have to wait until next week to learn more about Huawei P50 Pocket’s technical specifications. But the Galaxy Z Flip 3 should have a number of advantages. For one, Huawei cannot use SoCs with 5G modems from Qualcomm, while Samsung’s latest flip phone with folding displays is powered by Snapdragon 888. It also remains to be seen if the rumored foldable phone would launch in regions outside China.

Photo by Onur Binay on Unsplash