Huawei launched its latest high-end smartphones using the P30 brand, with the company pushing camera features which consumer chief Richard Yu said opened a new chapter in mobile photography.

During a launch event in Paris, Yu said new image sensor technology allowed in 40 per cent more light than previous devices.

The Pro version of the handset has four rear cameras (pictured, right), including one claimed to be the most powerful telephoto camera available in a smartphone with 50-times zoom.

Meanwhile, the standard P30 (pictured, below) comes with three cameras on the back of the device. Both offer a primary camera of 40MP.

Yu said the company was “breaking the boundary of distance” with its lens and was also leading on AI camera features. The P30 also upgrades the front camera compared to the Mate 20.

Huawei subsequently demonstrated a number of images taken with the P30 against rival flagship handsets to illustrate the differences, including images of the Northern Lights and other night sky scenes.

Aside from improvements to the camera, Yu said the new top-tier handsets had smaller bezels, larger batteries and a number of software upgrades. Its reverse charging, first noted in its Mate 20 launch, has been extended to charge other objects including electric toothbrushes.

Both handsets come in a choice of five colours: Aurora, Amber Sunrise, Black, Breathing Crystal and Pearl White.

The standard P30 is 6.1-inches and will cost €799 with 128GB of memory. The Pro is 6.47-inches, priced €999 with 128GB, €1,099 (256GB) and €1,249 (512GB).

Pressure at the top
The launch comes almost six months after the launch of the Huawei Mate 20 and a month after it unveiled a forthcoming foldable device on the eve of MWC19 Barcelona.

Its lavish P30 unveiling comes in the hours after a major announcement from top-tier market rival Apple around content and mobile payments.

During Huawei’s P30 event there were also a number of references to its Mate X, with the company reiterating its intent to be one of the leading players in the fledgling foldable market.

Prior to the event the company played video testimonials by executives from Orange, Vodafone Group and Telefonica noting the prospects of the new foldable handset.