Huawei: upcoming handset will 'surpass iPhone 8'

Huawei said their upcoming phone will surpass the iPhone 8. Photo / Getty

Huawei Technologies, the world's largest telecommunications equipment supplier, is looking to spoil the launch of Apple's much-speculated 10th-anniversary iPhone with the release of its updated flagship smartphone, the Mate 10.

"The Mate 10 series will surpass Apple's iPhone 8 as our phone will have much longer battery life, much faster charging speed, much better camera and photographic capability, as well as much better overall user experience," Richard Yu Chengdong, the chief executive of Huawei's Consumer Business Group, told reporters at a briefing in Shenzhen.

In addition, Yu said more applications and services for Huawei's Android smartphones will be powered by artificial intelligence technology.

However, Yu conceded that his assessment of the next-generation iPhone is based on widespread speculation found on the internet.

He said the special-edition iPhone 8 is expected to be a full-screen handset that eliminates the physical home button on the front, which echoes speculation that Huawei's new Mate smartphone will have a bezel-free display.

Apple's iPhone 8 will likely feature a 5.8-inch organic light-emitting diode touch screen, 3D facial recognition, front and back glass casing, a main camera that supports so-called augmented reality applications, wireless charging and a price tag of about US$1,000 (NZ$1330), according to J P Morgan.

Two other new iPhones that Apple is anticipated to release in the third quarter are models with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch liquid crystal display touch screens.

Yu said the high-end Mate 10 will be available in October to compete head to head with the new iPhone around the world.

Without providing details, he said the Mate 10 could be powered by Huawei's first-ever processor with an advanced machine learning algorithm to improve user experience.

Since formal specifications for the Mate 10 and iPhone 8 are yet to be announced, it is difficult to make a comparison between the two models, according to Tay Xiaohan, a senior market analyst at technology research firm IDC. She said the Mate 10 is expected to cost around US$500, while the special-edition iPhone will be priced higher.

"There will also be a lot of Apple fans holding out for the latest iPhone given the hype about it," Tay said. "So I think it will be challenging for the Mate 10 to compete head on against the new iPhone."

Shenzhen-based Huawei last week announced that it shipped 73 million smartphones in the first six months of this year, up 20.6 per cent from the same period last year. It said that growth reflected Huawei's rise as a globally recognised premium brand.

Released in November last year, Huawei's high-end Mate 9 series currently in the market has so far sold 8.5 million units worldwide, the company said.

The Mate 9 is powered by the Kirin 960 multi-core processor, which reduces power consumption by 15 per cent. The chipset was designed by HiSilicon Technologies, a subsidiary of Huawei.

The 4G smartphone also has a dual camera module powered by optics from Germany's Leica Camera and a high-density battery with Huawei's SuperCharge technology, which provides more than two days of battery life when fully charged.