Chinese firm launches its latest smartphone in Kenya

Dual rear facing cameras by Leica sit on the back of P10 smartphone, manufactured by Huawei Technologies Co Ltd on the opening day of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, Feb 27, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

NAIROBI - Chinese telecom technology firm Huawei on Tuesday launched its premium Huawei P10 smartphone in Kenya as it continues its aggressive push for an increased stake in the local smartphone market.

Huawei P10, the latest addition of the P series, is aimed at the socially-and-tech-conscious people and combines the art of portrait photography, inventive technology and genuine workmanship.

Mark Hemaobin, Managing Director Huawei Mobile Eastern Africa, said the Huawei P10 was in line with Huawei's global strategy to manufacture products that integrate humanity and technology.

"As culture and technology continue to traverse in every aspect of our world, we want to deliver new products and experiences that ultimately improve and enhance life," said Hemaobin in a statement issued in Nairobi.

Continuing with the P series tradition of really well-built handsets co-engineered with Leica, Huawei P10 intertwines unique imaging abilities and hardware innovations to bring users a powerful device experience.

The latest smartphone features artistic portraits with precise 3D facial detection, dynamic illumination, portrait enhancements, natural bokeh effect and Huawei Hybrid Zoom as well as the world's first Leica front camera with a new, brighter sensor and larger aperture for outstanding self-portraits.

"We understand that our users are particular about great photo moments and selfies, so we spent a considerable amount of research and design making it even better," said Hemaobin.

The Huawei P10 is part of Huawei Mobile Kenya plans to increase its smartphone sales by 50 percent by end of 2017.

This year alone, Huawei Mobile Kenya has launched mid-range phones GR5 2017, GR3 2017 following the P Series predecessor Huawei P9 and Mate 9 in 2016.

Owing to its innovative products and growing recognition as a premium device brand, Huawei Consumer Group shipped in 139 million smartphones during 2016, contributing to 25.9 billion U.S. dollars in annual revenue.

Co-engineered with Leica, the Huawei P10 is the world's first smartphone with a rear dual-camera and a front camera offering cutting-edge portrait photography features.

Showcasing striking colors and a 5.1-inch 1080p display, the HUAWEI P10 is retailing in Huawei Retail Stores for 650 U.S. dollars.

The hardware is powered by a Kirin 960 chipset, and supports dual-SIM functionality, with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage and can expand their storage through a MicroSD card.