Huawei means business with P8, P8 Max smartphones

May 11, 2015

Chinese smartphone maker Huawei, the third-largest in the world, recently announced two new smartphones- the 5.2 inch P8 and the 6.8 inch P8 Max, showcasing the firm''s ambition to seize market share in the high-end smartphone sector.

By Michael Kanaabi

Chinese smartphone maker Huawei, the third-largest in the world, recently announced two new smartphones- the 5.2 inch P8 and the 6.8 inch P8 Max, showcasing the firm's ambition to seize market share in the high-end smartphone sector.

The move follows on from the success of Huawei's Ascend P7, which has exceeded six million units in sales volume since it launch in May 2014.

The P8 Max, while resembling an iPhone 5, is thinner than Apple devices, or competitor Samsung's Galaxy S6, at just 6.4 mm.

Display

The display has a full HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 424 pixels per inch. It's a great screen for multimedia, as well, displaying photos and videos with enough vibrancy to help you feel more immersed. If movies on the move are important, the P8's screen makes it a worthy option.

Camera

The phone has two cameras: a 13-megapixel one on the back and a generous 5-megapixel on the front for selfies Huawei, however, reckons it's given the camera a boost for low-light shooting and paired it with some cool new shooting modes.

Huawei has given both P8 and the P8 Max optical image stabilisation (OIS) for their rear cameras, which keeps the lens stable and shutter open for longer to create improved low-light images without resorting to the flash. Huawei says its OIS is "best in class" and twice as stable as any other smartphone on the market.

Software

The P8 arrives with the latest Android Lollipop software on board, over which Huawei has applied its usual Emotion UI interface. Emotion UI changes everything from the colour scheme and fonts to the app icons.

It has had some network optimisation tweaks behind the scenes, which Huawei reckons helps the phone connect to a network faster when it boots up.

You'll find the same array of customisation options as on other Huawei phones -- including a range of preset themes, and a Simple Mode, for those who just want the absolute basics put right at the front.

It's powered by a 64-bit Kirin 930 octa-core processor.

Body and design

The entire body of the phone is cut from aerospace grade aluminum metal and the P8 Max’s metal ratio is a cool 94%. To deal with overheating problems since a big part of it is metallic, the phone comes with a heat dissipation solution to counter the heat.

It uses the DX19 high thermal conductivity alloy found in some luxury vehicles, this alloy has a conductivity coefficient 9 times higher than stainless steel and 3.8 times higher than aluminum which is used in most phones.

Outstanding applications

The Huawei P8 max comes with blue tooth printing in built, wireless projection and GPS all of which enhance the value you get from using the phone. It helps users handle emails easier, edit documents and complete office tasks faster.

It comes with an optional innovative perforated leather cover with see through dots that enable a user to see incoming calls and alerts minus opening the cover besides supporting standby mode adding a touch of class to the P8Max.

The standard version is currently priced at 549 euros just over 1.85 million Uganda shillings with the premium version going for 649 Euros about 2.19 million Uganda shillings.