New smartphone packs a triple camera

Arjun Kharpal | CNBC

The Huawei P20 has a “hyper zoom” feature that lets you take zoomed in pictures without distorting the quality of the image. In this demonstration, the zoom was used to capture an image of letters down a tunnel.

The Chinese technology firm is looking to offer a device that competes with the likes of the iPhone X and Samsung’s recently-released S9 and S9+, but at a lower price. Apple and Samsung both focused heavily on the camera which continues to be a strong area where companies can differentiate their devices from each other, in a sea of very similar looking phones.

Huawei is not afraid to refer to itself as an upstart in the smartphone world, and Richard Yu, the head of the company’s consumer business, is often heard bashing the competition. In a recent briefing with reporters, Yu said the upcoming P20 will be “much better” than the iPhone X. Yu claimed Huawei, which is the third-biggest smartphone player by market share, could become the second-largest “within one to two years.”

The tech giant will be hoping the latest device will help it move past its recent issues in the U.S. Huawei was supposed to sell its Mate 10 Pro through AT&T in the U.S. but the deal eventually fell through with intelligence officials warning consumers not to buy any devices made by the Chinese company. Best Buy is also reportedly going to cut ties with Huawei.

In response to a CNBC question in February, Yu claimed that Huawei’s competitors were using politics to kick the company out of the U.S. Yu’s comments were off-script and Huawei later distanced itself from the executive’s remarks.