Chinese smartphone maker Huawei, which has quietly become the third-largest on the planet, has a new flagship to show off. Two of them, in fact: the 5.2-inch Huawei P8 and the absolutely enormous 6.8-inch P8max. Both have been announced for a launch in "more than 30 countries," including China, Columbia, France, Germany, Mexico, Spain, South Africa, Turkey, UAE and the United Kingdom. As usual, Huawei doesn't seem interested in selling its high-end offerings in the United States.
The P8 (minus Huawei's previous Ascend branding) is a looker, no doubt about it. Between the minimalist 6.4mm-thin aluminum body and the steel-covered back, it gives Sony a run for its money when it comes to industrial design... even if it does borrow a few notes from the iPhone 5. The bezels are so tiny that it crams a screen the same size and resolution (1080p) as the Galaxy S5 in a considerably smaller body. Underneath the screen is a Huawei-designed Kirin 930 octa-core processor with 64-bit architecture. We'd tell you the RAM and storage options, but the PR team seems to be woefully incompetent - there aren't any official numbers for those. We do know that the P8 will use a 2640mAh battery (impressive for such a thin phone) and a dual-SIM LTE radio.
Aside from the aesthetics, Huawei's biggest selling point for the P8 is the camera. The company claims that the four-color sensor (red, green, blue, white) enhances brightness by nearly a third compared to other 13MP cameras, and it also features optical image stabilization. The front-facing cam is a typical 5MP shooter. Software is barely mentioned, but we're guessing that Huawei's skin sits on top of Android 5.0.
The P8 will start at €499 when it launches... sometime, with custom-made accessories including an e-ink add-on rear cover available.
Perhaps more interesting is the P8max. This gigantic "phone" has most of the same features, but stretches the screen out to 6.8 inches. Though it's only slightly thicker at 6.8mm, the P8max uses a 4360mAh battery, which reaches into the territory of small tablets... though I suppose that shouldn't be surprising. Oddly, the P8max uses a more conventional all-aluminum body without the steel accents - perhaps it would have been too heavy otherwise.
In terms of specs, the P8max is almost identical to its smaller sibling. Same 5+13MP camera setup, same software build, same 1080p resolution... which is odd, because a QHD panel would have been a real advantage on a phone this size. Perhaps the relatively low price, €549 for the base model, has something to do with it.
If you're interested in the nitty-gritty, you can comb through the rambling press releases below or check out Huawei's two-hour announcement presentation. The action starts about 36 minutes in.
If you're interested in the nitty-gritty, you can comb through the rambling press releases below or check out Huawei's two-hour announcement presentation. The action starts about 36 minutes in.
