Promoted: 8 cool things about the Huawei P8

1 Its iPhone-bothering camera

With a 13-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front snapper for nose-hair-and-all selfies, the P8 is no slouch in the hardware department. And the tech to back it up is equally considered.

It’s all about high-contrast and low-light performance, helped along by optical image stabilisation that operates over a 1.2-degree angle (next to the iPhone 6 Plus’s 0.6 degrees); the world’s first four-colour RGBW imaging sensor (which offers 32% higher brightness and 78% less colour noise); and a DSLR-level independent image signal processor.

Add auto scene recognition (which optimises low-light and high-contrast areas in the same shot to bring out detail at both extremes), along with multi-frame dynamic time exposure, and shooting in challenging conditions needn’t be any more daunting than taking a basic snap.

You can get creative with light, too. The P8’s long-exposure Light Painting feature lets you capture light-tracks from cars, capture silky water effects and shoot amazing star-tracks with a single touch. And, of course, it lets you paint in the air with lights. Finally, your torch-juggling hobby can get the recognition it deserves.

Then there’s the instant preview function, Director mode (which lets you link three other Android phones to capture and edit the same scene from four different angles), and Perfect Selfie mode (for smoothing out those annoying imperfections)…

2 Precision nano-moulded design

The P8’s full aluminium unibody design takes 810 minutes to mill. And it shows. From the delicately chamfered edges and precision nano-moulding to the ultra-slim 6.4mm profile, it’s an exercise in cutting-edge industrial design. Four finishes are available – Mystic Champagne, Prestige Gold, Titanium Grey and Carbon Black.

The 5.2in Full HD 1080p display packs in 424 pixels per inch (that’s 124 more than you get in a high-quality glossy magazine), and dominates the front of the phone – as it should. In fact, the Huawei P8 offers the biggest screen-to-body ratio in the business, at 78.3%.

3 It’s unfazed by huge hands

Ever had a call drop mid-sentence because your stupid, massive hand blocked your phone’s aerial? The Huawei P8 aims to stop that by packing in two antennae – one at the top and one at the bottom – and switching between them for the best signal. So you should still be able to carry on talking no matter how big your mitts are.

And if you happen to be yakking while you’re on the train or in a car, the P8’s signal trend detection algorithm should keep you connected even over 300kph. Perfect if you’re on the Autobahn in your Bugatti Veyron, then. (But if that’s the case, why are you on the phone? And what are you doing reading this website? Concentrate on the road, you maniac.)

The P8 will also turn Wi-Fi on and off automatically depending on signal quality from preferred networks, connects faster when you’re roaming abroad, and even lets you use dual SIM cards just in case your domestic tariff hammers you for data every time you leave Blighty.

4 The little touches

Some phone features make you fall off your chair and then go running through the streets in your sandwich board, ringing your bell. Others just make your life easier. And the P8 packs those in… take a deep breath.

Knuckle-sense touch lets you use your knuckles as another type of screen-touching tool, opening up even more functions than your fingertips alone can access. There’s a Kirin 930/935 64-bit Octa-core chipset under the hood. The smart international dialler means you never have to remember pesky country codes. There’s an optional 4.3in e-ink back cover that lets you see important info (or read e-books) all day long. And spills are no problem thanks to a special nano-coating.

5 It’s new… but familiar

You can customise the interface, of course. Or you can choose from five styled themes (Singularity, Spark, Ambilight, Enjoybloom and Newborn) if you fancy a quick change.

But behind it all is the familiar landscape of Android 5.0 – and with it all the apps, media, photos and connectivity you’re used to.

Then there’s the quick-charging. The intuitive USB plug. The premium earphones with an inline mic/remote unit. And a range of leather cases.

6 It’s responsible with power

If you’re one of those 900-times-a-day phone-fondlers, you’ll be no stranger to that sinking feeling you get when your battery icon goes red. At 3pm.

The 2680mAh battery should keep you truckin’ for a decent amount of time anyway, but the Huawei P8 has a variety of other tricks up its sleeve to help you keep that monkey on your back.

There’s the 64-bit Octa-core Kirin 930/935 chip, for a start, which offers offers 80% better CPU performance and 100%t better 3D-graphics performance than the P7 smartphone. Then there’s the special firewall that blocks abnormal battery use and fences in power-hungry apps. That gains you an extra 2.3 days of standby time.

The P8 can also switch your activities between different parts of its brain, meaning a 20% improvement in efficiency. Hopefully just enough to hail that Uber cab before you’re resigned to a long, phoneless night-bus ride home.

7 You don’t have to bellow to be heard

We’ve all been the person who sounds like they’re standing in the middle of a force-nine gale when the wind so much as puffs onto our phone’s mouthpiece – but the P8’s Voice+ tech should help with a 58% volume boost along with background noise-cancellation. The P8’s internal wizardry could reduce wind-noise by up to 90% when you’re using the hands-free mic, too.

And should you ever find yourself among the business bollards on The Apprentice, you’ll welcome the Super Hands-Free Mode, which gives conference calls a leg-up from up to 2m away.

8 … And it answers when you call

Lost your P8? Bellow “Hi, buddy! Where are you?” and it’ll answer “I’m here!”, along with vibrating and flashing its LED flash. Now if only our keys did that…

For more information on the Huawei P8 smartphone, click here.