New Huawei Flagship Smartphone Combines World-leading Innovations andBreathtaking Design to Offer Users an Unmatched Mobile Photography Experience
London – April 6, 2016 – Huawei Consumer Business Group today unveiled the new P9, the world’s first Leica dual-camera smartphone. Created in partnership with Leica Camera AG, the flagship Huawei P9 offers users industry-leading imaging innovations in an aesthetically-stunning smartphone design. Huawei’s new B3 Talkband wearable wristband also made its global debut.
Guests at Huawei’s lavish launch event in London’s Battersea Evolution, which included BBC Global News CEO Jim Egan, Vogue China Publisher Anita Chang, Condé Nast Chairman and Chief Executive Jonathan Newhouse, and Huawei UK Board Members Sir Andrew Cahn and Dame Helen Alexander, witnessed an exciting trailer for the new television commercial. It revealed glimpses of exclusive behind the scenes footage showcasing the coming together of two global stars in Shanghai and Hollywood; symbolizing the intersection of color and black and white, brought together through the partnership between Huawei and Leica. The trailer stars Henry Cavill, Global Brand Ambassador for Huawei, and actress Scarlett Johansson. Cavill was joined at the P9 launch by top photographers including Mary McCartney and David Guttenfelder.
“Huawei is excited to give P9 users the best smartphone photography experience by leveraging the unrivalled capabilities of Leica, the leader in the world of imaging for more than 100 years,” said Richard Yu, CEO, Huawei Consumer Business Group. “Consumers around the world use their smartphones to take billions of pictures each year, making photography critical to user experience. P9 users can now capture images with unmatched clarity, richness and authenticity, with a delightfully-designed and powerful smartphone that looks and feels incredible.”
Reinventing smartphone photography
Integrating the design values and engineering excellence of Leica and Huawei in a smartphone photography system co-engineered by the two companies, the P9 brings together best-in-class hardware and software, from optical lens, to sensors, to image processing algorithms, empowering users to capture the highest-quality pictures.
Key to the P9’s superlative imaging capabilities is a dual-camera design that fully unleashes the power of Leica’s optical lenses, renowned for precision and attention to detail, and subject to the industry’s most stringent quality screening requirements. The RGB camera on the P9 specializes in capturing color, while the monochrome camera is outstanding at acquiring picture detail. The two rear cameras of the P9 work in tandem to enable users to create images of superior detail, depth and color. The P9 truly excels in low-light conditions, as the dual-camera design guarantees more light and detail can be captured.
Each picture taken by the P9 carries the unique emotional resonance and timelessness that are the hallmarks of Leica, as users may choose between three Leica film modes: Standard, Vivid Colors and Smooth Colors, depending on their personal preferences. With meticulous calibration of the P9’s camera parameters, each film mode faithfully renders the authentic color and style of Leica. By selecting the monochrome mode, P9 users can use their devices as a true monochrome camera to capture powerful and evocative black and white images of superior quality.
Deploying Huawei’s Hybrid Focus technology, the P9 captures images with superior speed, accuracy and stability. The P9 supports camera focusing based on three methodologies – laser, depth calculation and contrast – and automatically select the one that yields the best result in any given environment.
The wide-aperture photography feature on the P9 allows users to experiment with innovative visual effects to create unique images and content. The P9 makes it easy to adjust the camera aperture to create bokeh and other depth-of-field effects, while keeping the main object in sharp focus.
“Leica and Huawei share an uncompromising commitment to imaging excellence, and our partnership will put outstanding photography into the hands of more consumers around the world,” said Oliver Kaltner, CEO, Leica. “We are deepening our collaboration to give users a more optimal smartphone photography experience.”
Taking Industrial Design to a Higher Level
The P9 is a masterpiece of state-of the-art industrial design, with the same minimalist design DNA as earlier products in Huawei’s acclaimed flagship P-series of premium smartphones. Each P9 device is a perfect construct of superior-grade 2.5D glass and an aerospace-class aluminum, with diamond-cut edges rounded out by carefully balanced curvatures.
The 64GB version of the P9 comes in a stunning and unique Haze Gold finishing, setting new industry standards in industrial design, with the use of techniques including brushed hairlines and metal polishing at micron-level precision to create a translucent metal surface. Additionally, the Ceramic White version of the P9 is smoother than the painted bodywork of premium cars, reflecting and refracting light to present different shades of awe-inspiring colors as ambient conditions change.
Power and Performance
The P9 is equipped with the power, connectivity and speed that today’s high-end smartphone user expects from Huawei. With a 5.2-inch 1080p display, the P9 is powered by the new Kirin 955 2.5GHz 64-bit ARM-based processor for class-leading mobile performance. The 3000mAh high-density battery offers P9 users outstanding mobility and battery life.
Huawei is also unveiling P9 Plus, featuring a 5.5-inch Press Touch display and a larger 3400mAh battery. The P9 Plus also offers dual-IC Rapid Charge, giving users 6 hours of talk time after a 10-minute charge.
Leveraging Huawei’s industry leading capabilities in telecommunications, the P9 and P9 Plus offer unrivaled new features including a virtual-triple-antenna architecture, designed for users who need robust and seamless connectivity to cellular and Wi-Fi networks, to fully harness the power of the mobile Internet no matter where they are in the world.
The P9 and P9 Plus also protect users’ privacy and information security with Huawei’s world-leading biometric fingerprint recognition technology. The enhanced fingerprint sensor allows users to personalize and safeguard their devices by significantly lowering the possibility of fraudulent or accidental device access, while also ensuring users can quickly and securely access their smartphone.
