CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

Training gloves are off for Chinese smartphone maker Huawei.

Considering how ubiquitous smartphones are in our lives, it’s remarkable how few sincere attempts have been made to capture the well-heeled segment since British manufacturer Vertu halted production. Sure, there’s been some perfunctory recolouring and plenty of luxe accessories, plus the bandying about of high-security phones that were never actually realised. But the gumption to go bold just wasn’t there from the big players. With one notable exception: Chinese brand Huawei.

Eager to shrug off the stubborn stigma of being “made in China” – as if most phones aren’t – the Shenzhenbased telecoms giant poured resources into recruiting hallowed lensmaker Leica and design wizard Porsche Design to the cause. Huawei itself pressed hard on the hardware and software fronts. The trifecta has swung its hardest with their latest entrant, the Porsche Design Mate Huawei Mate RS.

The technical specs place the Mate RS – yes, named for the Porsche line – a hair’s breadth ahead of its contemporaries, but the only thing you need (and want) to know is that the rear camera capabilities are unrivalled as of press time. The svelte ebony phone brings the power of three Leicaempowered camera sensors to bear, and pairs this with uncannily clever AI to near-instantly detect what kind of object you are photographing. It then locks in optimal image settings, no prompts required. It’s almost like having a pro photographer in your pocket, clad in its own leather case, of course. At one-and-a-half times the price of an iPhone X, customers won’t expect anything less. Full review with video and specs at www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.