The smartphone sector is ready to get into some major competition this fall. China's Huawei announced its flagship device, the Ascend P7, will be equipped with the advanced sapphire display, giving it another solid feature for the device. Many observers believe the new smartphone could be revealed at this year's IFA event that takes place early next month.
An image of the Ascend P7 with the sapphire screen was posted by Device Chairman of Huawei Yu Chengdong on China's micro-blogging site Weibo. The company has already sent out a number of invites for a scheduled Sept. 4 event, which could be the release of the phone.
In the post, the official says "the company will release the Huawei Ascend P7 in a more exclusive flavor, boasting sapphire display." The image of the new smartphone was also posted and immediately shared by thousands of users.
A sapphire screen is being pushed as a scratch-resistant option that can also withstand much more wear and tear than traditional options on the market. But it is expensive to manufacture and many companies have shied away from implementing it until costs come down.
The premium expensive screen has been rumored to be part of Apple's plans for its new iPhone 6, Tech Times reports, although the company has not confirmed this rumor.
While Apple did not reveal many details about the iPhone 6 at WWDC, most products are expected to be out around Thanksgiving in order to be on the shelves for the Christmas shopping season. Some reports suggest Apple may attempt to launch the new iPhone 6 ahead of the fall expectation to give it more time on the market before the holiday season.
With Huawei going the sapphire route, Apple may be forced to follow suit if it is to maintain its position as the global innovator for smartphones.
But Huawei's biggest success could be the solid specifications of the new top smartphone as the Chinese company aims to boost its market share globally.
According to the company, the Ascend P7 will be equipped with a 5-inch HD display that is to be powered with a quad-core HiSilicon Kirin 910T processor with speeds at 1.8 GHz, 2 GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel rear camera coupled with an 8-megapixel front-facing camera.
Most analysts believe that the sapphire display model will also feature the same specifications.
