BEIJING -- Huawei, China's leading telecom-solutions provider, released a new high-end handset this week that will compete with smartphones by Apple and Samsung, China Daily reported Sunday.

Huawei unveiled the Mate S at a launch event in Berlin on Thursday. Priced at $780, this is Huawei's most expensive handset, with previous models round the $500-$650 price range.

The Mate S will compete with the new iPhone, which is expected to be released at Apple's annual product event on Sept 9, the report said.

"Samsung is facing great downward pressure and Apple seems to have hit its heights, innovation-wise. This is the right time for Huawei to be on the offensive," said Richard Yu, head of Huawei consumer business.

Huawei's sales surged 46.3 percent in the second quarter this year, although its 7.8 percent market share lags far behind the foreign heavy weights, according to the report.

The report said that besides a 5.5-inch display and fingerprint security, the handset features a new technology that "allows the handset to tell the difference between a tap and a hard press on the screen".

Yu said it was "a revolutionary approach to touch-screen control and would usher in a new era for interaction".