HUAWEI Smartphone - World's slimmest smartphone unveiled

Chinese telecoms giant Huawei launched what it said was the world's thinnest smartphone, which it hopes will take on high-end rivals like Apple and Samsung in the global market.

Chinese telecoms giant Huawei launched what it said was the world's thinnest smartphone, which it hopes will take on high-end rivals like Apple and Samsung in the global market.

Bidding to extend its market reach outside China, Huawei chose London to unveil its Ascend P6, which is just 6.18mm thick -- the June 18 launch date reflecting the dimensions.

"Our theme for this product is elegance with an edge," Richard Yu, the chief executive of Huawei's consumer business group, told an audience of industry figures and journalists at the Roundhouse.

The north London venue is famous for small-scale concerts and has previously hosted rock icons such as Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.

The phone will be available in 19 countries by the end of July, including China, France, Germany and Italy, with more than 100 others to follow.

Nick Woodley, lead designer from the firm's London design centre, said the phone was inspired by sheets of paper.

It weighs 120gram, has a 4.7-inch (119.5mm) touchscreen and boasts two cameras -- an 8MP camera on the back and a 5MP camera on the front.

Getting rid of the regular slew of camera scene settings, it has auto scene recognition and an automatic face enhancement tool which allows users to boost their "beauty level" by factors of one to 10.

The unveiling of the phone in London was a stand-alone event, unlike previous launches at trade shows.

Starting as a provider of telecom network equipment, Huawei has sought to make inroads into mobile devices by selling smartphones under its own brand over the past three years.

The company, founded by a former engineer in the Chinese army, has also found controversy abroad for its traditional line of business.

Huawei has a reputation for secrecy which the company has tried to shed after US claims it was a security threat.

In China's highly competitive smartphone segment, Huawei held a 10.1 percent share in the first quarter of this year, according to consultancy Analysys International.