Johannesburg - Chinese electronics manufacturer Huawei has released the latest in its larger format smartphones - the Mate 10 and new Mate 10 Pro - and they are expected to land in South Africa in November.
The smartphones were launched alongside a special edition Porsche Design Mate 10 on Monday.
The Mate 10 features a 5.9 inch screen with a 16:9 display ratio, and the 6 inch Mate 10 Pro boasts a 18:9 OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display.
South Africa will be among the first countries to have the Mate series smartphones, with all devices slated for launch here.
“We are delighted to bring the Mate 10 Pro and the Porsche Design Mate 10 to South Africa as we believe these smartphones will cater for South African consumer needs as we enter the age of AI (artificial intelligence),” said Likun Zhao, general manager of the Huawei Consumer Business Group SA.
“Consumers will be able to pre-order their devices online after our local launch on the 6th of November 2017,” he added.
The latest devices from the smartphone maker hope to make Artificial Intelligence better via their Kirin 970 chipsets, the billed as the world’s first true AI processor for smartphones.
The smartphones also feature a 3D glass body feature with an almost bezel-less display.
Huawei partnered once again with German-optics firm Leica for its dual 12 and 20 megapixel cameras. They include what the compnay refers to as AI-powered "real-time scene and object recognition".
The smartphones will run on the Android 8.0 operating system.
“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,” Richard Yu, the CEO for the Huawei Consumer Business Group said.
“The HUAWEI Mate 10 Series introduces the first mobile AI-specific Neural Network Processing Unit, launching a new era of intelligent smartphones,” he added.
The Mate 10 devices are the follow-up from Huawei’s Mate 9 smartphone, which was released in November last year and also featured a 20 and 12 megapixel dual camera – which made it the first in the ‘Mate’ series to include the camera technology.