Huawei P8 Lite enters the market targeting premium design and affordability

Huawei hosted a private event on Tuesday morning in New York City to unveil the P8 Lite, the latest handset to join the unlocked revolution.

The P8 Lite is thin and light, measuring 142.75 x 70.36 x 7.6mm and weighing 131g. The phone is constructed of plastic but it does not look or feel that way. The rear features a metallic look because Huawei used a layered design with a satin coating.

The name of the P8 Lite suggests that it is a watered-down version of the P8. It’s true. Huawei made cuts in certain areas to allow the phone to be an affordable off-contract option. The display only offers 1280×720 resolution. The processor is of the Snapdragon 600 series. The RAM is lowered to 2GB. And internal storage is limited both internally and with the microSD card slot. The P8 Lite, however, does maintain a solid 13MP rear camera and 5MP front-facing camera. None of this makes the P8 Lite a poor phone as it serves its purpose as the watered-down P8.

Consumers may be a bit worried to see Huawei using Android 4.4.4 KitKat rather than the latest version of Android. I asked a Huawei representative at the private event whether or not there were plans to bring Lollipop to the P8 Lite. The question was basically left unanswered as the representative said Huawei has nothing to say about it.

Key specifications:

• 5-inch, 1280×720 resolution display
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core processsor
• 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
• 2GB of RAM
• 16GB internal storage with microSD card slot
• 2200mAh battery
• Emotion UI 3.0 (Android 4.4.4 KitKat)
• Dual-SIM support

You can purchase the Huawei P8 Lite starting today for $249, in black or white/gold through GetHuawei.com, Amazon, B&H, Fry’s Electronics, Target.com and other dealer networks. Making the P8 Lite even more affordable is Huawei’s partnership with Affirm. Device purchases of $99 or more through GetHuawei.com can be split into fixed installment plans of three, six, or twelve months. That means you can pay as little as $20.75 per month for the P8 Lite.

Registering with GetHuawei.com from now until June 6 will net “promotional incentives good for discounts on select products.”

Huawei Brings Great Design within Reach with New Unlocked lite Smartphone

New unlocked purchase benefits make P8 lite and other Huawei unlocked devices even more attractive

PLANO, Texas [June 3, 2015]: Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology solutions provider, today launched the Huawei P8 Lite in the U.S., making it possible for U.S. consumers to have premium design and features at an accessible price. Available for just $249.99 USD, the P8 Lite will be availabl as an unlocked device, giving consumers the option to take their phone to the network* of their choice.

“With a perfect balance of style, functionality and value, the P8 Lite gives consumers a premium yet easily accessible device and experience,” said Mr. Zhiqiang Xu, President of Huawei Device USA. “We are expanding our smartphone, wearable and tablet portfiolio to meet U.S. consumers’ needs and are committed to delivering the right devices at the right prices with a tremendous consumer experience.”

Accessible Design
With design and craftsmanship inspired by the company’s premium global flagship devices, Huawei P8 lite’s ultra-slim 7.7mm profile and thin bezels make it perfectly compact and well-balanced in the hand. Demonstrating sophisticated design and quality craftsmanship, the metallic appearance of the phone’s back panel is achieved through a layered design of contrasting hues and a hand-crafted satin coating that feels smooth to touch, but glimmers in direct light.

Accessible Technology
The P8 lite isn’t just beautiful — it’s also elegantly functional. The 5-inch HD Corning Gorilla Glass 3 display is designed for visual clarity and utmost durability. The 13 megapixel rear camera has built-in low light and autofocus capabilities which, along with the multi-frame noise reduction algorithm, ensure photos are clearer and brighter.

In addition to the solid performance and streamlined design, the Huawei P8 offers:

• 5.0-inch 720p HD screen
• Powerful Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor
• Ultra-fast 4G LTE connectivity with support for all US GSM LTE bands
• Intuitive and easy-to-use Emotion UI 3.0 interface
• 2200mAh battery with ultra-power saving mode
• Unique photo capture options including:
  • All Focus: Change the focal point of saved images
  • Ultra Snapshot: access the camera instantly, even from sleep mode
• 5 megapixel front-facing camera
• Dual-SIM/SIM+Expandable MicroSD up to 32GB

Transforming the Unlocked Experience
With the launch of the P8 lite, Huawei is transforming consumers’ unlocked purchase experience. While more than 42 percent of consumers use or intend to purchase an unlocked device, there are still a significant barriers that give consumers pause or reason to lack confidence. Among the leading roadblocks to purchasing an unlocked device are concerns about after-sales service, phone price and sales channels. Huawei is addressing all of these concerns by introducing new benefits throughout the unlocked device purchase process.

Huawei is introducing a new two-year warranty on unloked smartphones launched this year, including the SnapTo, introduced in April, and the all new P8 lite. Consumers need only register at GetHuawei.com to receive the warranty’s benefits for an extended term. The two-year warranty joins Huawei’s already strong commitment to post-purchase support, with local customer service, localized repair and a variety of contact channels for consumers.

Though the unlocked purchase model provides more freedom and choice, there is still an up-front cost for the device. Huawei is removing device sticker shock and giving consumers more flexible payment options by partnering with financial services leader Affirm. Now, consumers who purchase devices on GetHuawei.com have the option to select fixed installment plans of three, six and 12-months at the point of sale for device purchases of $99 or more. And once a purchase is made, consumers have the confidence that will arrive as promised and with easily accessible customer support thanks to Huawei’s partnership with trusted fulfillment provider Amazon.

“With the introduction of new unlocked benefits and with close collaboration from our valued partners, Huawei is taking the next step forward to make buying a quality unlocked device worry-free for consumers,” said Xu. “At Huawei, we are committed to not only delivering great devices at the right price, but also the services and support that let consumers purchase our products with confidence.”

Availability
P8 lite is avilable beginning today, June 3, through Huawei’s ecommerce site, GetHuawei.com, Amazon.com, B&H in-store and online, Fry’s Electronics in-store and online, Target.com and various dealer networks. P8 lite will also be coming to BestBuy.com and select Best Buy stores.

In celebration of of GetHuawei’s one-year anniversary, consumers who are registered or register on the website between June 3 and June 6 will receive promotional incentives good for discounts on select products, including the newly launched P8 lite, Mate2, and SnapTo.

For more information about the P8 lite, visit http://www.gethuawei.com/p8lite.html.

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Huawei’s TalkBand B2 available this week with UP by Jawbone support

Starting this week, consumers in the United States looking for a hybrid wearable device can purchase the Huawei TalkBand B2.  The company held a private event on Tuesday morning which, in addition to launching the the P8 Lite, specified release details for the activity tracker that doubles as a Bluetooth headset.

Huawei will offer three styles of the TalkBand B2 — black, white, and gold. The latter of the three features a leather band. While the black and white styles cost $179, Huawei intends to ask a bit more for gold. Huawei, Amazon, and Fry’s Electronics are first to sell the TalkBand B2 and Best Buy will follow soon after.

Most of the technical details of the TalkBand B2 are known already because of its debut earlier this year, but something new introduced at the private event was UP by Jawbone support. Users of the TalkBand B2 can use the UP Smart Coach app to organize collected data into a unique profile. The TalkBand B2 monitors steps, calories burned, quality of sleep, and more; therefore, the UP Smart Coach app has a lot to work with. Habits are then understood and users can make improvements to live happier, healthier lives.

Two of the smaller features noted by Huawei for the TalkBand B2 include Find My Phone alerts and remote camera control.

Huawei TalkBand B2 now available in the U.S.

Powerful, hybrid wearable device offers advanced fitness tracking and rich functionality

PLANO, Texas [June 3, 2015]: Huawei, a leading global information and communications solutions provider, today announced that its TalkBand B2, a stylish next-generation wearable device, will be available in the U.S. beginning this week. Designed for smart living, the hybrid device includes automatic activity tracking, sleep monitoring and crystal-clear hands-free calling.

Consumers can purchase TalkBand B2 starting at $179 on GetHuawei.com, Amazon.com, and in-store and online at Fry’s Electronics beginning this week. The TalkBand B2 will also be coming soon to Best Buy.

Sporting a premium design that focuses on comfort, style and everyday elegance, the TalkBand B2 is available in three styles — balck and white sport versions, and a gold-tone body with leather band model.

Contained in Huawei TalkBand B2’s unique design is a full-featured fitness tracker. The innovative 6-axis motion sensor automatically identifies what sort of exercise the user is doing — wheter it’s walking, running, cycling or hill climbing — and Huawei’s intelligent calorie-tracking technology reports on how many extra calories have been burned.

Get more from TalkBand with UP

Thanks to Huawei’s new partnership with UP by Jawbone, TalkBand B2 users can now choose to send their fitness data to the UP Smart Coach app, which transforms TalkBand 2 data into personalized fitness advice. In addition, the UP system can connect with more than 3,000 other applications that help consumers do everything from monitoring workouts to connecting their home thermostat.

Stay connected

While Huawei’s TalkBand B2 provides fitness enthusiasts with all the essential data they need to monitor and improve their well-being and performance, the device is also a great companion for everyday life. The TalkBand B2 can be used as a hands-free Bluetooth headset, with a high-performance speaker and Dual Mic noise suppression that delivers excellent call quality.

The TalkBand B2 also helps consumers take control of their busy lives by integrating helpful features they can control right from their wrists.

The TalkBand B2 integrates with Find My Phone to help people locate their loss or misplaced device, while the Remote Camera Trigger allows budding photographers to put their Huawei phone down and use the TalkBand as a trigger to take the picture from afar.

To learn more about Huawei TalkBand B2, visit http://www.gethuawei.com/huawei-talkband-b2.html.

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