China’s Huawei Technologies Co (華為) on Wednesday unveiled a new smartphone, taking aim at the high end of the market, which is dominated by Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co.
The Mate S, launched on the sidelines of Europe’s biggest consumer electronics show, IFA, in Berlin, has a 5.5-inch display, a 13 megapixel rear camera and fingerprint security.
Huawei said it is one of the first smartphones to include a Force Touch display, which can distinguish between a light tap and deep press, enabling access to more functions just by pressing harder.
Photo: EPA
Apple is also expected to introduce iPhones featuring Force Touch technology next week.
According to research firm Gartner Inc, Huawei became the world’s third-biggest smartphone company by sales last month, overtaking Chinese rival Lenovo Group Ltd (聯想), and aims to become the first Chinese firm to sell more than 100 million smartphones this year.
However, it is still far behind Samsung, which had 21.9 percent of the market in the second quarter, and Apple, on 14.6 percent.
Huawei’s share rose to 7.8 percent from 5.4 percent in the first quarter.
Huawei’s Mate S phone is to retail for 649 euros (US$732) — comparable to some higher-end Apple iPhone 6 series models — with a premium version for 748 euros, the Chinese company said.
The new phone will be available in more than 30 countries, including China, Germany, Israel, Japan, France and Spain and can be pre-ordered in Western Europe from Sept. 15.
Separately, Motorola introduced the second generation collection of its Moto 360 smartwatch, aiming to challenge Apple Watch.
The new Moto 360 is not a single watch with a few small variations, as the first edition was. This watch comes in three basic variations, each with a number of customizable details, according to Motorola.
Two watches are intended for men, one that is 46mm across and a second that is 42mm. They take 24mm and 20mm straps, respectably. Because the watches have lugs this year — the bits that jut out to hold the strap — all 360 models can use any properly sized watch straps, not just those from Motorola.
There is also a special women’s watch, which is still 42mm, but uses slimmer 16mm straps to give the illusion of a smaller size.
The watches have a premium look that comes with a premium price tag: from US$299. By comparison, the 2014 Moto 360 starts at US$149. Since Android Wear now works with the iPhone, Motorola seems to be positioning this smartwatch in direct opposition to the Apple Watch, and doubling the price puts the Moto 360 in the same bracket as the Apple Watch Sport — and still well below the tariff for the standard Apple Watch.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg
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