Chinese tech giant Huawei unveiled its newest flagship devices, the 5.2-inch P9 and its larger sibling, the 5.5-inch P9 Plus, in London today. Created in collaboration with prominent cameramaker Leica, the P9 and the P9 Plus promise to take mobile imaging to the next level.
The secret to the P9 and the P9 Plus could easily be found on the rear of the devices. Just like the alleged killer feature of the upcoming Apple flagship, the rumored Phone 7 Pro, the Huawei P9 and P9 Plus are equipped with a dual camera system. Of course, with the lenses being, as the company puts it, "co-engineered" with the German optics maker, Huawei might have just created the world's ultimate camera phone.
What makes the dual lenses of the P9 and the P9 Plus unique is the fact that they function in tandem to render near-professional results. Each of the lenses houses a 12MP sensor, with one lens featuring an RGB sensor and the other being B&W. Thus, according to the smartphone maker, the cameras will be able to bring more light and clarity to photos.
Having dual cameras also allows users to play with more advanced photography techniques such as a picture's depth of field and the lens' aperture. One particularly interesting feature is the "Professional Bokeh" effect, which allows users to shoot photos with a clear subject and a blurred background, just like a DSLR.
Of course, with the phone's cameras being created in tandem with Leica, a number of exclusive filters, aptly dubbed the "Leica Film Mode," are also included. The filters are designed to give photos the characteristic look of vintage film photos, without looking overdone.
The device's front-facing camera is also quite notable, featuring an enhanced low-light sensor for taking great selfies even under less-than-optimal conditions. In the case of the P9 Plus, the front-facing camera also includes image stabilization to ensure the clarity of selfies taken with the phone.
The phone's internals are no joke either, as both the P9 and the P9 Plus feature specs that are up there with the most powerful smartphones of today. Both units feature full 1080p displays, Huawei's very own Kirin 955 processor, 3GB/4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of storage. A fingerprint sensor also lies at the back of the device.
The phone is encased in aerospace-class aluminum bodies, giving the units a very premium feel. The charging port of the phone is quite updated too, featuring a USB Type-C slot instead of the usual micro-USB found on most Android devices.
The P9 and the P9 Plus are only set to go on sale in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The release date for the United States has yet to be revealed.
