The Huawei P50 Pro is a flagship-grade device, albeit one that has launched with versions of its top-end SoCs without the 5G connectivity that typically comes as standard on smartphones of all tiers at this point. However, its users in China can now apparently upgrade their phones with this up-to-date spec by simply putting them in a new kind of case that has just arrived on the market.
The P50 Pro 5G case, made by Soyealink rather than Huawei, may look like a fairly standard, metallic-gray leather-look polyurethane accessory (albeit one with markedly little frame coverage); however, the inclusion of a USB type-C connector that preserves the P50 Pro's fast-charging, OTG and data-transfer functions while it is in use might be an initial clue that something else is meant to go on here.
Its maker claims that its use results in the appearance of a second set of bars for 5G next to those for 4G/LTE on the flagship's HarmonyOS-based UI. They are associated with the case's in-built eSIM module (powered by a "dual-core" chipset clocked at 1.35GHz) which apparently sets the P50 Pro in question up for an SA/NSA connection over sub-6GHz bands.
According to Soyealink, the cases' eSIMs are supported by 3 (unnamed) carriers active in China; therefore, presuming the user is within their coverage, they can set their P50 Pro up to get 5G via their new case with just a few clicks through a set-up interface.
Soyealink has launched this product via its website, but has yet to mention how much it costs. However, according to an increasingly well-known Weibo-based leaker, it is to start at 799 yuan (~US$119). Furthermore, it is to come in versions compatible with devices of the Mate 40 and Nova 9 lines, not to mention those of the upcoming Mate 50 and Nova 10 series, soon.