When can you get your hands on a Huawei P9 in SA?

Huawei has confirmed a release date and tentative price window for the upcoming P9 and P9 Plus smartphones.

The company revealed the P9 and P9 Plus on Wednesday in London, showing off phones with dual 12-megapixel cameras on the rear.

South Africans will need to wait until June to get their hands on the P9 though, said Charlene Munilal, general manager for Huawei’s Consumer Business Group in SA.

“P9 Plus might be slightly later – the early part of July,” Munilal said.

“We’re looking at targeting a R499 contract price point,” Munilal said of the P9, adding that it was targeting an R11 999 prepaid price for the upcoming device.

The price, if confirmed, would compare favourably to other phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S7 (R13 999).

What about the P9 Lite?

Munilal also dismissed concerns that the P9 Plus would cannibalise sales of the newly launched Mate 8.

“The Mate series is aimed particularly at the business user, while the P series is aimed at the high-end fashion user,” the Huawei representative continued.

“If aesthetics is what you’re looking for, you’re going to go for the P9 Plus. If it’s a workhorse you’re looking for, you’re going to go for the Mate 8.”

Munilal also shed some light on the prospects for the unannounced P9 Lite, which follows on from the hugely successful P8 Lite (in fact, Huawei said that the P8 Lite sold over 100 000 units in SA).

“We have great hopes for it, and it will be released around the same time as the P9.”