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Huawei recently released their newest smartphone in the premium range, the P8. The new phone is currently available in South Africa, and it is the first truly premium device from the Chinese owned brand.

For the launch of the Huawei P8 in South Africa, members of the press were invited and treated to an extravagant night of glitz and glamour, where no expense was spared. Huawei pulled out all the stops to ensure the evening was enjoyed, VIP style, while still giving us the opportunity for an in-depth look at the P8.

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The phone is 5.2 inches of pure metal gorgeousness, with the main attraction being the camera and its features. It boasts a beautiful 13MP rear camera and 8MP front camera, with the latter offering a “Perfect Selfie” function, which has built in recognition, and perfects your selfie automatically. There is also a Light-painting function, with instant preview, and a director mode, which allows you to connect four smartphones to it, while filming, which enables you to film from four different angles simultaneously, and requires no post-editing. The camera also functions very well, in bright as well as low light, making it easy to capture moments anywhere, at any time.

According to Yudi Ramabaran, Huawei South Africa’s product and marketing director, the P8 is one of a kind, and has no clear competitors at this time. It has a modern look and seamless finish with beveled edges and a flush camera, which is what most of us look for in a premium smartphone. Unlike the P1, P6 and P7, which were made with a combination of glass and metal, the P8 is metal only (save for the screen). Now a few people have already asked if this will not affect the capability of the antenna to find signal, but Hauwei has factored this in as well. According to Jaco van Zyl, Huawei South Africa’s marketing director, the P8 has what is called Signal Plus, which means the phone has a tiny antenna design, making it possible to hold and amplify even the weakest of signals.

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The Huawei P8 is a rather intelligent phone, especially when it comes to screen shots. To take a full length screen shot, you simply tap your knuckle in the middle of the screen and BOOM! screen shot taken. I was a bit skeptical of this function at first, but when I tried it, it worked very well. You can also select a certain part of a picture or text, by simply drawing a circle around it with your finger, and the screen shot will be taken of that particular area.

The Huawei P8 runs on a 2GHz octa-core Kirin 930 processor, and operates on Android 5.0 Lollipop. The 16GB is available immediately, while Charlene Munilall, general manager at Huawei in South Africa, explained that she is hoping to introduce the 64GB by the end of this year. The phone has a 5.2-inch screen, but the screen-to-body ratio makes the phone look bigger than it is. It weighs a mere 144grams, making it the perfect smartphone to carry around wherever you go. It is available in 2 colours – Titanium Grey and Mystic Champagne. Even the packaging of the P8 is elegant and sleek, giving the brand that premium look we all crave. The retail price for the P8 is an extremely reasonable R7999. Charlene Munilall mentioned the P8 will be available on contract with all major network providers, from only about R199 per month.

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I am not a huge Android fan, and personally prefer Apple devices, but the Huawei P8 is in a league of its own and is like no other phone I have tested or felt. It is sleek, light, and offers amazing features at a reasonable price point. Not only is the P8 a great smartphone, but Hauwei themselves have come a long way in the South African market and are building a wonderful reputation for themselves. They proved this, at the launch, where everyone was made to feel like a celebrity, and treated to a lovely evening of entertainment by J’Something of Mi Casa, who was also introduced as the new creative director for Huawei. If the P8 is an indication of where Huawei is headed, then I am looking forward to see what they surprises us with next.

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