Huawei P50 and P50 Pro pack Dual-Matrix cameras for high-end photography

Following multiple leaks, Huawei has officially unveiled its P50 and P50 Pro smartphones. The new mobile series expands Huawei's P Series lineup, offering consumers a high-end mobile photography experience in a sleek package. The new P50 offerings include the company's XD Fusion Pro Image Engine alongside Huawei XD Optics and True-Chrome Shot.

Huawei puts the emphasis on the P50 Series phones' camera capabilities, noting that the new lineup ushers in its new Dual-Matrix Camera design boasting "true to life" image quality. This is the first P Series model to feature "computational capabilities," according to Huawei, which work at the software level to fix any optical errors introduced into the images.

Huawei claims this computational system can exceed what is possible from optical design alone, offering up to 25-percent more image detail compared to a similar setup lacking the restoration tech. Beyond that, the P50 models build upon the photo engine introduced with the P40 series, instead offering the XD Fusion Pro Image Engine with new Super HDR tech, a Super Color Filter system, and the True-Chroma Image Engine.

Among other things, Huawei boasts the P50 Pro's camera offers what it claims is unprecedented zoom capability with a 200x range. The company says that images captured at up to 100x are "incredibly clear," while images up to 200x still retain ample detail. Users also get ultra-wide-angle shots with a lens equivalent of 13mm, plus a macro photography capability that can focus as close as 2.5cm to an object.

As far as image recording is concerned, the P50 smartphones support up to 4K capture with full focal range support. The phones pack a new AIS Pro image stabilization system that helps keep videos clear, particularly when the user has zoomed in on a subject.

As expected, the new phones feature Huawei's HarmonyOS 2 software launched in early June. The P50 Pro model, the most notable of the two handsets, features a 6.6-inch OLED display with up to a 120Hz refresh rate, 2700 x 1228 resolution, and 450ppi. Other features include the Snapdragon 888 4G, 8GB of memory, 256GB storage, a 13MP front-facing camera, 4360mAh battery, SuperCharge support, and an IP68 rating.

The P50 series marks Huawei's first flagship launch featuring its HarmonyOS mobile operating system. Because of US sanctions against the company, the P50 and P50 Pro lack Google services and apps. Likewise, Huawei doesn't include 5G support for either model, with the company's CEO Richard Yu citing the US sanctions as the reason for this decision.

Huawei will begin selling the P50 Series in China with a starting price of around $900. It's unclear whether the company will ever launch the phones in other markets, however.