Chinese smartphone giant Huawei is boasting of its newly launched P9 and P9 phablets that utilizes a dual camera technology co-engineered with German camera firm Leica.

Huawei teamed up with Leica  to create two cameras; one shoots in full colors, while the other captures monochrome. The cameras also allow users to refocus photos after they have been taken through shallow depth-of-field shots, a feature common to larger lenses, and create composite 12MP images with sharper contrast.

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Five EyeEm photographers from Europe were granted early use of the P9.The Photographers said they were asked to push P9's capabilities particularly in low lights.

"The P9 adds a new part of creativity to mobile photography," Berlin-based photographer Alex Kopke said. "It's the first smartphone which could really replace my pro camera. In the past I had to shoot during the day, but with the P9 it doesn't matter."

Experts reveal that Huawei's latest innovation could help the company promote itself as a premium brand and widen its market share.

Last year, the Shenzhen-based firm was able to ship over 108 million units, up 44.3 percent from the year before, according to research firm IDC. It further revealed that it was the fastest climb a major brand has done, placing Huawei third in terms of global market share.

Huawei's P9 will come in six different colors. The two designs are run by a 64-bit processor and sport a biometric fingerprint scanner on the rear part of the device.

Retail prices for P9 start between $682 and $738 when it goes on sale on April 16. On the other hand, the P9 Plus model, which features a 5.5 inch screen and bigger battery, will start at $852.

Meanwhile, analysts have noted that possible buyers should dismiss the notion that Huawei's partnership with Leica is just a gimmick. "Leica is one of the strongest brands in photography," Francisco Jeronimo, research director for European mobile device at IDC, said.

The Chinese company's major challenge now is to make most of the collaboration. "Leica isn't massively well known outside of serious camera enthusiasts," Ian Fogg from the IHS Technology consultancy said. "So, Huawei's challenge is how to communicate the benefit of the Leica brand to the general public as it is pushing the P9 as a mass-market flagship and not a niche device aimed at just the camera-centric few."

TagsHuawei, P9, P9 Plus, Leica, Photography, camera, Mobile Phones, technology