First impressions: Huawei’s P10 retains Leica dual camera and ups the processor speed

Huawei’s launch event at MWC 2017 (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona for its new flagship phone was perhaps a good example of how high and fast the Chinese phone maker has risen in the global mobile landscape.

It was so packed that close to 100 media representatives were unable to catch a glimpse of the P10/P10+. I was one of the lucky ones who made it in, but that was after standing in a bottleneck by the entrance for 20 minutes. The scene felt more like a mosh pit than a phone launch.

A senior Huawei representative told me the large turnout was completely unexpected. “It wasn’t like this last year,” he said, apologising repeatedly. Chalk it up to lesson learned for a company relatively new to the big boy’s table.

So let’s get down to business. The Leica-branded dual camera set-up is back, and they still work the same way: one lens captures images in full colour, the other in black and white (which can absorb more light information).

The P10’s camera algorithm then combines the two images to form a more dynamic shot with better lighting. Matching what LG’s mobile chief said at its own phone launch event, Huawei’s head of consumer sales Jim Xu told me the company focused more on the software and algorithm side than pure specs this time. “This is our third collaboration with Leica, and together we have tweaked the algorithm for a better photography experience,” he said.

I haven’t had much time to test the P10 yet, but I can say the P9 and Mate 9 are among 2016’s best mobile shooters.