Lab – The very good reflection management of the Huawei P50 Pocket

Our smartphones love glossy screens, which contributes to their aesthetics, but does not necessarily work in their favor in use. Indeed, this results in reflections that affect their consultation in bright places. It is for this reason that we always evaluate the reflectance rate of the different tiles tested.

To do this, we directly measure, using a light beam, the percentage of light returned by the screen, independently of the environment. The test is carried out from several angles, which then allows us to make an average. The score is always given as a percentage, with 100% representing the reflection rate of a mirror.

This data is combined with many others (contrast, light peak, afterglow, etc.) in order to assign an overall score to the screen. This protocol is used on mobiles and tablets, but also televisions, monitors and even laptops.

A true hunter of reflections

Smartphones are very often bad students. The average reflectance rate is generally close to 50%, and it is not uncommon for them to behave like mirrors. The Huawei P50 Pocket, which we tested from every angle, does particularly well on this specific point. We compared it to a panel of competitors, and the result is clear.

As you can see, Huawei’s smartphone is almost half as reflective as its competitors, with a rigid screen or not. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, also folding, has a significantly higher reflectance of 44.8%.

To better visualize these results, we imaged them by photographing several smartphones from the same 45° angle. Even if the precision is not comparable to that of our measurements, these shots make it possible to perceive these differences. It is however necessary to weight the results, because the screen is lit in a current use. The impact of reflectance is therefore reduced.

In the following example, the P50 Pocket faces the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, its only folding competitor. It easily confirms the figures in the table above.

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You can also consult our image gallery to compare it to other smartphones. In the figures, the P50 Pocket even allows itself to do better than the iPad Mini 2021, which nevertheless has an anti-reflective coating and whose reflectance rate reaches 26%.

If we see a fairly similar performance between the two devices, the rendering of the tablet may seem more efficient. This is explained by the particular angle used when taking the photos, which slightly benefits the tablet. In any case, we hope that Huawei’s performance will be emulated by the market leaders.