China's Huawei unveiled its flagship P8 and P8 Max smartphones on Wednesday, devices that stack up against the latest models from Samsung and Apple in technical specifications. The P8 runs Google's Android operating system and has a 5.2 inch display screen -- slightly larger than the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the iPhone 6. The device is powerd by an eight-core 64-bit processor and is made out of a single piece of metal. The phone is thinner than its rivals, with a width of 6.4 millimeters, Huawei said at a packed global launch event in London.

Like Apple, the Chinese company also launched a super-size version, the P8 Max, which comes with a 6.8 inch screen.

Seeking to differentiate itself from rivals, Huawei added to the new devices features such as "knuckle sense", which can differentiate between a knuckle and a finger to select and share content.

It also optimized the devices' cameras to take "selfies", including an ability to adjust skin tones.

The standard version of the P8 will go on sale within weeks in 30 markets, including China, the UK, France and Germany, priced at 499 euros, Huawei said.