Berlin – China's Huawei Technologies unveiled a new smartphone on Wednesday, taking aim at the high end of the market, which is dominated by Apple and Samsung.
The Mate S, launched on the sidelines of Europe's biggest consumer electronics show, IFA, in Berlin, has a 5.5-inch display, a 13 megapixel rear camera and fingerprint security. Huawei says it is one of the first smartphones to include a Force Touch display, which can distinguish between a light tap and deep press, enabling access to more functions just by pressing harder.
Apple is also expected to introduce iPhones featuring Force Touch technology next week.
Huawei became the world's third-biggest smartphone company by sales last month, according to research firm Gartner, overtaking Chinese rival Lenovo, and aims to become the first Chinese firm to sell more than 100 million smartphones this year.
But it is still far behind Samsung, which had 21.9 percent of the market in the second quarter, and Apple, on 14.6 percent. Huawei's share rose to 7.8 percent from 5.4 percent in the first quarter.
Huawei's Mate S phone will retail for 649 euros (around R9,800) – comparable to some higher-end Apple iPhone 6 series models - with a premium version for 748 euros (R11,200), the company said.
The Mate S will be available in more than 30 countries including China, Germany, Israel, Japan, France, Germany and Spain. There are no details yet on its launch in Sout Africa. – Reuters