THE HUAWEI P9 HAS ARRIVED

The P9 is Huawei’s new flagship phone, and the crown jewel (or jewels, in this case) of the phone are obviously its dual, Leica-branded cameras. Both are 12 megapixels, with one shooting color and the other monochrome. Together, the two sensors supposedly improve contrast by a whopping 50 percent, and increase the amount of light the camera can detect by 300 percent.

For now, know that Leica’s debut into smartphones comes in the form of two 24mm f/2.2 Summarit ASPH lenses that are part of an ongoing partnership both brands seem to be very excited about.

“[This] is a long term collaboration,” says Leica CEO Oliver Kaltner. “So it’s not a single product, it’s a journey that we are starting … to really achieve better results in photography.”

“In the future,” picks Huawei’s Richard Yu, “all Huawei flagship phones will have Leica camera technology.”

The hybrid focus system is “laser assisted,” which means it uses laser, depth calculation, and contrast to nail focus in the best possible way given the shooting situation. And since you’re using dual cameras, you can, of course, control focus and depth of field after the fact.

The Huawei P9 will arrive in P9 and P9 Plus versions starting later this month, but don’t expect to see it yet if you live in the United States. Maybe later this year, according to previous statements made by Huawei themselves, but nothing is confirmed.

Meanwhile, those readers living in Europe and Asia will be able to pick up the 32GB P9 in April and 64GB P9 Plus in May for £450 and £550, respectively.