Huawei P10 Middle East launch date revealed

Chinese technology firm Huawei has unveiled its latest flagship smartphones the P10 and P10 Plus along with the next version of its smart watch.

The two handsets, revealed at a packed launch event ahead of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, are an indication of the manufacturer’s ambitions in the premium segment where it is seeking to take market share from Apple and Samsung.

To do so, Huawei has placed a particular emphasis on the photographic capabilities of both devices, extending its partnership with German optical firm Leica to produce the 20MP monochrome and 12MP RGB sensor on the dual lens rear camera and for the first time the front camera.

It has also penned partnerships with the Saatchi Gallery and fashion magazine Vogue to prove the quality of the two devices’ photo-taking capabilities.

Outside of the cameras, other noticeable changes come in the new metallic frame, which features ‘hyper diamond-cut finishing’ and is available in a wide variety of colours through a partnership with the Pantone Colour Institute.

The devices also do away with Huawei’s trademark rear fingerprint scanner in favour of a front scanner similar to Samsung’s Galaxy line. Huawei Consumer Business Group president for Middle East and Africa, Gene Jiao, said there was huge internal debate surrounding the move but he indicated it was a sign the manufacturer may eventually do away with the scanner altogether as screen technology improves and can recognise the user’s fingerprints.

On the hardware side the devices feature upgraded specifications with the use of Huawei’s Kirin 960 processor and up to 6GB of RAM in the P10 Plus.

The normal P10 comes with a 5.1-inch 1080p screen with the P10 Plus stretching to 5.5-inches and 2K resolution.

They will compete with Samsung’s Galaxy S8 device, which will be the first flagship the manufacturer has not launched at Mobile World Congress for years, and the newly unveiled LG G6.

The two devices will be available in the UAE and Saudi Arabia from March with the P10 starting from EUR649 (Dhs2,520) and the P10 Plus EUR699 (Dhs2,714).

Jiao declined to reveal the exact Gulf regional pricing or launch date but said he hoped the devices would boost the firm’s regional smartphone market share from around 15-20 per cent in most Middle Eastern countries and 10 per cent in the UAE.

Huawei Watch 2

The Huawei Watch 2 appears designed to be more of a fitness accessory than its predecessor with a particular focus on workout functionality.

One key detail of the new device is its built in 4G connectivity and GPS chip, effectively allowing the user to leave their smartphone at home.

Huawei has also teamed up with Porsche Design for a more premium version – similar to its tie-up for the Mate 9.

It will come to the region a month later in April priced from EUR329 (Dhs1,276).