Another addition to Huawei's premier smartphone range, the Mate 8, was unveiled in Johannesburg last night. The Chinese ICT and telecommunications firm, which has presence in 170 other countries worldwide, launched the device a day after the introduction of another new smartphone, the P9 in London.
Peter Hu, Managing Director of East and Southern Africa at Huawei said the success of the Huawei P8 in 2015 bodes well for the new Mate 8.
"In 2015 we launched the Huawei P8 and with all of your support we have reached 100 000 shipments in South Africa.This is in line with Huawei's global trend and Huawei has celebrated 100 million shipments globally as our brand continues to go from strength to strength within the consumer segment. In 2016 Huawei's device market share has reached more than ten percent in South Africa and we are confident we will reach a bigger number by the end of this year because we believe in our technology and your support."
Hu told attendees that the Mate 8 exemplifies many of the company's best innovations.
Charlene Munilall, General Manager for Huawei Consumer Business Group SA, added, "The Mate 8 has set a new standard in style that transcends its beautifully-crafted exterior to deliver a mobile companion that meets the needs of today's always-connected and sharing user."
The Mate 8 has a Sony 16MP sensor in addition to an 8MP, wide-angle front-facing camera.
Munilall says the Mate 8's Kirin 950 chipset enabled processing power is not featured at the expense of its battery life and usability. "With an impressive 4000mAh high-capacity battery that offers more than one-and-a-half days of heavy use, nearly two-and-a-half days of regular use and an astounding 22 days' standby time. Should the need arise, you can watch 17 hours of continuous HD video, or navigate the web non-stop for 20 hours."
Huawei also launched their G series of devices targeted at the youth.
Although likely to cost far less than the Mate 8, Huawei South Africa creative director Joao da Fonseca said he was excited about the new range of devices for youngsters who may not be able to afford a top-of-the-range device.
Fonseca is a Huawei Mate 8 ambassador, along with Olympic gold medalist Ryk Neethling, business woman Lynette Magasa and fashion designer Shaldon Kopman.
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