Huawei edges close to Apple, Samsung

Journalists follow the presentation of Huawei's new smartphone, the Mate S, ahead of the IFA Electronics show in Berlin, Germany, September 2, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

But its 7.8 percent market share lags far behind Apple and Samsung, which took more than a third of the total shipments.

Huawei is striving to put on market more higher-end devices with fancy features so that it can edge out the two overseas giants someday.

In Mate S, the Shenzhen-based company has incorporated a 5.5-inch high-definition display, fingerprint security and the Force Touch display technology which allows the handset to tell the difference between a tap and a hard press on the screen.

Apple is also likely to use a similar technology for its new iPhone model, as the US company is in desperate need of innovative breakthroughs to boost sales. The model is expected to make an appearance during the company's annual product release on Sept 9 in San Francisco.

"The phone redefines how we incorporate touch technology into our smartphones, taking a revolutionary approach to touch-screen control and ushering in a new era for human-machine interaction," Yu said.

Xiang Ligang, an independent smartphone analyst and founder of telecom website cctime.com, said Huawei hopes more female buyers will be attracted by the new model's elegant design and cool features.

"It is a good attempt for Huawei to bond technology with elegance and fashion as it walks into the premium market," Xiang said.

The Mate S will be available on the Chinese market later this month, according to Huawei. The retail price in its home market could be slightly cheaper than in Europe and the United States, based on previous practice.