Huawei announced the latest versions of its flagship smartphone, the P30 and P30 Pro, on Tuesday.
The Android devices were unveiled at a press conference in Paris, along with new wireless earphones and a number of wearables like sunglasses and watches.
The higher-end P30 Pro doesn’t have a headphone jack, earpiece or stereo speakers. Instead, the company says it uses electromagnetism and vibrates the top of the screen to produce sound on calls. The device also has four rear-facing cameras, which the company claims will be able to take high-quality photos in extremely low light.
P30 Pro is meant to compete with Apple’s iPhone XS line and Samsung’s higher-end devices such as the Galaxy S10+ and the S10 5G, which were unveiled in February and hit stores on March 8.
Huawei is the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, but has struggled to expand in the same markets as Samsung and Apple, which are still the first and second largest smartphone makers in the world respectively, according to research firm IDC.
The US, which has banned federal agencies from buying the Chinese company’s products, has raised concerns that Beijing could use Huawei’s technology for spying.
Huawei denies the allegations that its devices pose a security risk. But the US has urged European countries not to use its equipment in their 5G networks, warning it could hurt US-European relations.
Huawei is the largest maker of telecommunications equipment in the world and a major player in 5G networking technology, which will greatly increase connection speeds for mobile devices.
The company debuted the latest versions of products in Paris in an effort to strengthen its foothold in Europe in the face of international scrutiny. Europe has expressed concerns but the company maintains a presence in the area. Still, it faces increased pressure from the likes of Germany and the United Kingdom.
Huawei’s press conference coincided with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Paris.
