Chinese smartphone manufacturer Nubia Technology launched its latest flagship handset Z40 Pro on Friday, in a bid to grab a bigger slice in the lucrative mid-range to high-end smartphone market amid intensifying competition from domestic rivals.

The phone comes with a Sony IMX787 sensor paired with a 35mm lens, which is claimed to reduce image distortion and improve picture clarity. It also has a 64-megapixel primary shooter accompanied with a 50-megapixel ultra-wide snapper and an 8-megapixel telephoto module.

It is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor and equipped with an AMOLED 6.67-inch display with 144 Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling and viewing.

Priced from 3,399 yuan ($538), the Z40 Pro aims to provide a professional shooting experience for users who love photography and creating videos.

The competition in China's smartphone market is heating up. A total of 329.3 million smartphones were shipped in China in 2021, with a year-on-year growth of 1.1 percent, according to global market research firm International Data Corporation

Although the Chinese market grew slightly in 2021, there are still no signs of changes in terms of consumer demand in the short term, said Wang Xi, research manager for client system research at IDC China.

Challenges will remain in 2022, Wang said, while underscoring the importance of enhancing product technology and offline channel operations.