Huawei P8 is a flagship that's actually worth checking out

Huawei P8 is a flagship that's actually worth checking out
The Huawei P8

The Huawei P8 has launched at a glitzy event in London, signalling the arrival of the Chinese firm's latest flagship smartphone - and early impressions are mostly positive.

Its predecessors - the Ascend P6 and Ascend P7 - failed to match up to the flagship competition from the likes of Samsung, LG, Sony and HTC, but this time around it's stepped up its game.

The 5.2-inch display has a full HD resolution, so it's not quite as sharp as the Samsung Galaxy S6 or LG G3, but it matches up to the Sony Xperia Z3 and HTC One M9 meaning Android 5.0 should look nice.

In terms of design the full metal unibody of the P8 is smart and premium, and while Huawei claims it's instantly recognisable in its own right, it's hard not to draw comparisons with the iPhone 6.

There's a punchy octa-core Kirin 930 processor housed inside the exceedingly svelte 6.4mm metal uni-body - which means the P8 has plenty of power while being thinner than the iPhone 6.

New camera modes

Huawei is making a big deal about the 13MP camera on the rear of the P8, claiming during the phone's launch that it's better than the snapper on the iPhone 6 Plus.

It boasts optical image stabilisation (OIS), enhanced low light shooting abilities, dual-colour temperature LED flash and Director Mode.

Huawei claims the latter will allow you to capture scenes with multiple cameras. Lights, camera, action!

The Huawei P8 will be available in 16GB and 64GB variants priced at €499 (around £360, $535, AU$685) and €599 (around £430, $640, AU$825) respectively - and Huawei has confirmed it will be coming to the UK along with over 100 other countries around the world.

John McCann
Global Managing Editor

John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He's interviewed CEOs from some of the world's biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar's resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.