Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei launched its new phablet range in SA this week.
The top-of-the-range Porsche Design Mate 10 will cost South Africans nearly R30 000.
SA is one of the first countries to have the devices after they were unveiled in Germany earlier this month.
The range includes the Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro, and a smartphone designed by car manufacturer Porsche. However, SA will not receive the slightly smaller Mate 10, as the company says its market research shows South Africans in the market for such an expensive phone prefer bigger screens.
The recommended retail price for the Huawei Mate 10 Pro is R17 999 and the Porsche Design Huawei Mate 10 will sell for R26 999. The Porsche Design device will be exclusively available from MTN and Telkom.
The Porsche Design smartphone has the same features as the Mate 10 Pro but is designed by a team at the luxury car manufacturer, and has double the internal memory (256GB), and comes with a leather cover and an extra charger in the box.
Huawei has done away with the audio jack and replaced it with the Type C connection in both devices. Compatible headphones come with the phones.
The new smartphones feature the new artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled chipset, Kirin 970, launched by the company at IFA earlier this year. Huawei says this is the first smartphone that has a fully functional offline AI, as it is based on the smartphone, not held in the cloud.
It partnered with various companies to take advantage of this new AI function; this includes Microsoft, which created a language translation app. The app allows users to translate the text of any language into any other language, by laying the second language on top of the first using the camera app, without having to be connected to the Internet.
"As we enter the age of intelligence, AI is no longer a virtual concept but something that intertwines with our daily life. AI can enhance user experience, provide valuable services and improve product performance," says Likun Zhao, GM, Huawei Consumer Business Group SA.
"The Huawei Mate 10 Series introduces the first mobile AI-specific neural network processing unit, launching a new era of intelligent smartphones."
The smartphones feature new Leica dual camera technology, a partnership introduced a few years ago, with a 20MP monochrome sensor and 12MP RGB sensor.
The phone has an 'almost' bezel-less 6-inch display, runs on Android 8, and features a 4 000mAh battery with fast-charging capabilities.
The smartphones are the first from the manufacturer to feature a certified IP67 water- and dust-resistant exterior.
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