A couple of weeks ago a group of New Zealand journalists joined other 500 people in Bali for the Huawei APAC Consumer conference/launch. I was happy to attend the event as a guest of Huawei and to see the new Huawei P9, P9 Lite and P9 Plus products - I should have a P9 in my hands later this week. 

The Huawei P9 is available from 1st JUne in New Zealand - press release below

 

Huawei P9 Series Launches in New Zealand

 

New Huawei flagships with revolutionary dual-lens camera co-engineered by Leica

 

New Zealand, May 18 – The Huawei P9 series of smartphones has landed in New Zealand, bringing revolutionary technology and stunning industrial design.

 

The P9 and P9 Plus are the first smartphones created through Huawei’s partnership with the iconic Leica Camera AG. Both smartphones set a new benchmark in smartphone camera technology, with more light and better clarity, to capture brilliant colour and striking black and white images in true Leica style.

 

“Leica and Huawei share an uncompromising commitment to imaging excellence, and our partnership will put outstanding photography into the hands of more consumers around the world,” said Oliver Kaltner, CEO, Leica Camera AG. “We are deepening our collaboration to give users a more optimal smartphone photography experience.”

 

The next level of photography

 

Key to the P9’s breakthrough imaging is the dual-lens design which utilises Leica’s optical lenses renowned for their precision and subject to the industry’s most stringent quality screening requirements. The P9 combines a dedicated RGB camera to capture vivid colours and a separate monochrome camera which excels at recording fine detail. An advanced merging algorithm combines the two images to create a stunning result with outstanding depth and accuracy.

 

The dual-lens technology ensures the P9 and P9 Plus capture 300 percent more light than conventional smartphone camera designs. This enables incredible performance in low-light conditions.

 

Based on their personal preferences, P9 users are able to choose between three colour modes which follow Leica’s own specifications: Standard, Vivid, and Smooth. Each mode faithfully reproduces the unique and authentic style of Leica. By using the dedicated monochrome camera, P9 users are able to capture powerful and evocative black and white images of superior quality.

 

The wide-aperture photography feature on the P9 allows users to experiment with innovative visual effects to create unique images and content. The P9 makes it easy to adjust the camera aperture to create bokeh and other depth-of-field effects, while keeping the main object in sharp focus.

 

Taking Industrial Design to a Higher Level

 

At a shade under seven millimetres, The P9 and P9 Plus are some of the slimmest around.  The body is precision crafted from aerospace grade aluminium and feature diamond-cut edges that beautifully accentuate the proportions.

 

Power and performance

 

The P9, with a high brightness 5.2-inch display, packs the new Kirin 955 2.5GHz 64-Bit ARM-based processor, showcasing the very latest in mobile power, speed, and efficiency. The 3,000mAh high-density battery offers P9 users outstanding mobility and battery life.

 

The P9 Plus features a 5.5-inch Press Touch OLED display, and 3,400mAh battery to match. The P9 Plus also offers dual-IC Rapid Charge, giving users up to six hours talk time after a 10-minute charge.

 

Both phones are equipped with the latest generation USB Type-C reversible connector for efficient charging

 

One touch to a secure phone

 

The P9 and P9 Plus protect users’ privacy and information security with Huawei’s world-leading biometric fingerprint recognition technology. The enhanced fingerprint sensor allows users to personalise and safeguard their devices. It also allows users to wake and unlock their phone with one quick touch of the rear-mounted sensor.

 

A premium experience for every customer

 

Because accidents can happen, Huawei will be offering Huawei P9 and P9 Plus customers the Huawei Screen Promise that gifts customers one free screen replacement in the event that the screen is accidentally broken within twelve months of purchase. Customers are able to register on www.huaweiscreenpromise.co.nz.

 

Global product ambassadors

 

Huawei has also announced partnerships with leading Hollywood actors Henry Cavill and Scarlett Johannson as global product ambassadors for Huawei P9 series. The actors are joined on the Huawei P9 campaign by world-renowned photographers including Mario Testino, Mary McCartney and National Geographic World Press Photo Award winning photographer, David Guttenfelder.

 

These are in addition to Argentine and FC Barcelona superstar, Lionel Messi, who, Huawei unveiled as a global ambassador, earlier this year.

 

Pricing and Availability

 

The Huawei P9 and P9 Plus will be available at 2degrees, Spark, and Vodafone stores including all major retailers from June 1.