Phonemaker shows its hardware can rival established competitors. However, the Chinese company will need to overcome its unfamiliar brand with a good price.

It was not so long ago that Samsung was struggling to establish itself. Now it's a pre-eminent brand - it would be wise not to rule out Huawei just because it's virtually unpronounceable and lacks pedigree. The Chinese manufacturer's new flagship, the Ascend P7 brings the Chinese manufacturer closer than ever to rivaling smartphone giants Samsung and Apple.

First impressions of the P7 are good: at 6.5mm it's extremely thin, although not quite as slim as its predecessor, making the five-inch screen somehow seem even larger than it is.