Is Huawei about to go after the HTC One M8?

Is Huawei about to go after the HTC One M8?
Does the M8 need to watch its back?

Chinese manufacturer Huawei has been noticabley quiet at the top end of the mobile market so far in 2014, with no big headlining launch at either CES or MWC.

That's not to say it hasn't go anything in the works, and two new leaks suggests it's got a couple of smartphones up its high-end sleeve.

First up is news of the Huawei Ascend P7, a handset which had been rumoured for CES and then MWC but failed to appear at either show.

New images supposedly showing the device have appeared on social network Weibo, although there isn't an obvious difference between the P7 and the Ascend P6.

Huawei Ascend P7 - LEAK

Is this the Ascend P7? (credit: Weibo)

Previous rumours have suggested the Ascend P7 will arrive with some decent specs including a 5-inch full HD display, quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 13MP rear camera and a beefy 8MP front snapper.

Watch out M8

Huawei

The more interesting of the leaks however is a picture posted by a Huawei engineer on Weibo, apparently showing the all-metal rear of the firm's next flagship smartphone.

It's said to be in line for Huawei's Kirin 920 octa-core processor, but what's really got people talking is the second hole in the rear plate of the device.

This is unlikely to be a dual-camera setup like the one on the HTC One M8, and rather a spot for a fingerprint scanner, very similar in location to the One Max.

The picture of the metal rear also came with a note from the poster that you might want to start saving now, as it's not going to be cheap.

It's not clear when Huawei is planning to launch either of these handset, or indeed if either of them actually exist, but with the Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z2 and HTC One M8 already announced it's going to have to come up with something pretty special to get noticed.

Via GforGames (1, 2)

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.