Honor aims to popularize 5G smartphones in China

Honor, one of the two signature smartphone brands of Huawei Technologies Co, unveiled its latest 5G handsets as part of its broader push to popularize the superfast wireless technology.

Honor 30 Youth, as the new handsets are called, starts from 1,699 yuan ($240) and it is the latest move by Honor to provide consumers affordable 5G smartphones.

Zhao Ming, president of Honor, said the sales of 5G smartphones grew rapidly in China. In June, 5G smartphones accounted for about 40 percent of all smartphones shipped to China.

"The proportion is likely to hit around 70 percent by the end of this year," Zhao said.

Honor 30 Youth sports a 6.5-inch display with a screen–to-body ratio of 91.2 percent and a 16 megapixel selfie shooter. On the rear, the handset houses a 48 megapixel primary camera along with an 8 megapixel ultra-wide angle lens and 2 megapixel macro sensor. It supports 4K video capture and other AI image enhancement algorithms as well.

Honor, created in 2013 to complement the Huawei brand, focuses primarily on its target audience of millennials and people pursuing young fashionable lifestyles. It is now the most popular smartphone brand on China's e-commerce platforms and has been expanding its presence in offline retailing.