In what can be a source for the China-based company, Huawei, square up to market leaders Apple and Samsung, the company has launched the Mate 9, a high-spec, high-price smartphone.
Inviting comparison with Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus and the now discontinued Samsung Galaxy Note 7, the latest device in Huawei's Mate series boasts a 5.9 inch full HD screen.
Huawei said made the handset's processing power is the "most powerful smartphone in the world" and the manufacturer is making a big play on this. Software in the Mate 9 performed 80 percent better than major competitors after one year of use according to Huawei's testing
However describing the product as merely "another big screen smartphone", Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics, was not overly impressed by these claims. The Mate 9 release did a good job of "filling the Note 7 gap, at a lower price point than Apple" and it was a "nice incremental improvement", conceded Mawston, speaking to CNBC.
Saying that it "shows just how ambitious Huawei are," and "reiterates (his organization's) belief that Huawei is emerging as a force to be recognized in the smartphone market.", Ben Wood, mobile industry analyst at CCS Insight, viewed the launch more positively.
4 microphones that in combination enable directional sound recording, 64GB memory and an 8 megapixel camera are some of the Mate 9's other key features. The Mate 9 has a headphone jack unlike the Apple's iPhone 7.
However the market could not rule out that this could be the same as that of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, which is now notorious for overheating as Huawei did not disclose where the device's battery was manufactured. However, the battery of Mate 9 had been tested in independent research labs, by the manufacturer of the component and in house, stressed Huawei.
The smartphone is likely to face stiff competition in a very competitive market space whilst the Mate 9's release has been lucky in terms of its timing. Mawston said that "any differentiation from Huawei won't last long."
The "Mate 9 just boosts Huawei's profile" in a "sea of smartphone sameness," says Wood while claiming that Apple and Samsung were unlikely to be worried by the release. But ultimately the launch's success "comes down to price”, Wood said.
"Huawei is coming under intense pressure at home in China as (lower end manufacturers) OPPO and Vivo offer similar phones at better price points. The Mate 9 will help alleviate some of that pressure," said Mawston with regards to the Mate 9's reception in regional markets. In comparison to the same period in 2015, both OPPO and Vivo saw their market share growth move into triple digits in the third quarter of this year, according to figures from the International Data Corporation released last week.
But it was most likely that the company's position in Europe and India, where Samsung has left a space in the market, would get boosted by Mate 9, added Mawston.
The Mate 9 also serves as a "productivity tool" and is a "high end performance device aimed at professional users", Huawei said.
(Source:www.cnbc.com)
Inviting comparison with Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus and the now discontinued Samsung Galaxy Note 7, the latest device in Huawei's Mate series boasts a 5.9 inch full HD screen.
Huawei said made the handset's processing power is the "most powerful smartphone in the world" and the manufacturer is making a big play on this. Software in the Mate 9 performed 80 percent better than major competitors after one year of use according to Huawei's testing
However describing the product as merely "another big screen smartphone", Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics, was not overly impressed by these claims. The Mate 9 release did a good job of "filling the Note 7 gap, at a lower price point than Apple" and it was a "nice incremental improvement", conceded Mawston, speaking to CNBC.
Saying that it "shows just how ambitious Huawei are," and "reiterates (his organization's) belief that Huawei is emerging as a force to be recognized in the smartphone market.", Ben Wood, mobile industry analyst at CCS Insight, viewed the launch more positively.
4 microphones that in combination enable directional sound recording, 64GB memory and an 8 megapixel camera are some of the Mate 9's other key features. The Mate 9 has a headphone jack unlike the Apple's iPhone 7.
However the market could not rule out that this could be the same as that of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, which is now notorious for overheating as Huawei did not disclose where the device's battery was manufactured. However, the battery of Mate 9 had been tested in independent research labs, by the manufacturer of the component and in house, stressed Huawei.
The smartphone is likely to face stiff competition in a very competitive market space whilst the Mate 9's release has been lucky in terms of its timing. Mawston said that "any differentiation from Huawei won't last long."
The "Mate 9 just boosts Huawei's profile" in a "sea of smartphone sameness," says Wood while claiming that Apple and Samsung were unlikely to be worried by the release. But ultimately the launch's success "comes down to price”, Wood said.
"Huawei is coming under intense pressure at home in China as (lower end manufacturers) OPPO and Vivo offer similar phones at better price points. The Mate 9 will help alleviate some of that pressure," said Mawston with regards to the Mate 9's reception in regional markets. In comparison to the same period in 2015, both OPPO and Vivo saw their market share growth move into triple digits in the third quarter of this year, according to figures from the International Data Corporation released last week.
But it was most likely that the company's position in Europe and India, where Samsung has left a space in the market, would get boosted by Mate 9, added Mawston.
The Mate 9 also serves as a "productivity tool" and is a "high end performance device aimed at professional users", Huawei said.
(Source:www.cnbc.com)
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