Huawei caught using DSLR photos to promote its photography contest
Huawei has issued an apology after a "Shot on iPhone" contest winner discovered that the company was using photos shot on a DSLR to promote its smartphone photography contest.
The photos in question were discovered by Huapeng Zhao, who had won second place in the 2018 iPhone Photography awards for a photograph he'd taken with an iPhone 6. He'd recognized the promotional photos from elsewhere, suspecting that the images weren't shot with a smartphone.
As it turns out, he was correct. The photos were the work of Su Tie, and had been previously shared on 500px, an online photography sharing platform. The pictures in question had been taken with a Nikon D850 -- a DSLR that costs upwards of $3,000.
Huawei has since issued an apology on Weibo. The company noted that the photographs were supposed to be featured on Huawei's Next-Image community, an alternative to popular photo-sharing platforms like 500px and Flickr, according to Abacus. Huawei notes that users can upload images taken by any device, including cameras.
It's not clear whether or not Huawei had permission from the original photographer to post the image on their website.
This isn't the first time that Huawei has been caught using DSLR photos to promote the photography capabilities of their smartphones, either.
In 2016, pushed to market their own two-lens system. But in an attempt to suggest the Leica-branded lens can produce DSLR-quality images, the company used a picture shot with a full-fledged DSLR, not its new smartphone.
They repeated the offense in 2018 in a 30-second Egyptian commercial for their Nova 3 and 3i smartphones. The commercial implied smartphones shot the pictures, but it was later discovered that the images had been shot by a professional photographer using a DSLR.
The photos in question were discovered by Huapeng Zhao, who had won second place in the 2018 iPhone Photography awards for a photograph he'd taken with an iPhone 6. He'd recognized the promotional photos from elsewhere, suspecting that the images weren't shot with a smartphone.
As it turns out, he was correct. The photos were the work of Su Tie, and had been previously shared on 500px, an online photography sharing platform. The pictures in question had been taken with a Nikon D850 -- a DSLR that costs upwards of $3,000.
Huawei has since issued an apology on Weibo. The company noted that the photographs were supposed to be featured on Huawei's Next-Image community, an alternative to popular photo-sharing platforms like 500px and Flickr, according to Abacus. Huawei notes that users can upload images taken by any device, including cameras.
It's not clear whether or not Huawei had permission from the original photographer to post the image on their website.
This isn't the first time that Huawei has been caught using DSLR photos to promote the photography capabilities of their smartphones, either.
In 2016, pushed to market their own two-lens system. But in an attempt to suggest the Leica-branded lens can produce DSLR-quality images, the company used a picture shot with a full-fledged DSLR, not its new smartphone.
They repeated the offense in 2018 in a 30-second Egyptian commercial for their Nova 3 and 3i smartphones. The commercial implied smartphones shot the pictures, but it was later discovered that the images had been shot by a professional photographer using a DSLR.

Comments
As SickersMagoo noted above — Credibility.” Once you can fake it, your good!
Not surprised the length these companies go to make $$. Any company that makes knockoff products has ZERO values.
Yup that was Huawei. Didn't hear about this story? Probably because the media only cares about Apple. The real Apple.
Look closer those aren't Macs, iPhones, AirPods or iPads.
...Ima guess no.
"Huawei has issued an apology after a "Shot on iPhone" contest winner discovered that the company was using photos shot on a DSLR to promote its smartphone photography contest."
Ouch. That's definitely gonna hurt their obligatory future "Shot on Knockoff" campaign.
Why would you expect 'Macs, iPhones, AirPods or iPads' ?
Ah! I think I see where you are going! But NO, they are quite different store aspects but if you want to go down that route, you'll find there is little between an Apple retail Stores and many others that came long before - like FNAC stores which were even one of the very first EU stores to have Apple's store within a store concept. Also. Huawei allows its stores more freedom with design. Hence the Gaudí influence in areas of the Barcelona store.
https://www.huawei.com/es/press-events/news/es/2020/huawei-inaugura-con-gran-exito-su-primer-espacio-huawei-en-barcelona
China flagship store.
https://www.glassonweb.com/news/northglass-has-made-every-effort-build-huaweis-global-flagship-store
As for the subject at hand, it's sloppy and shouldn't happen.
There have been few cases (given the thousands of images generated around the world) but largely the problems have originated in external agencies. There was another case of bezels in some promo images, too.
Unnecessary IMO as for the last nearly four years Huawei has been leading the camera technology on smartphones, upping the industry bar in key areas.
Apple put all it had into the last refresh and still ended up trailing Huawei. The new P40's are going to increase that gap for many people. What counts is the camera in your hand, its results and no one questions that.
Look, I don't know who you're trying to fool (other than yourself, of course), but from your own links those stores are *clearly* Apple Store ripoffs. Simply put, no other CE company was doing nice clean tables with interspersed product like the now-classic look until Apple did. I worked computing retail for years thru HS and college and I know this for a fact. Pics of post-Apple Store from you own links:
...they're even copying the glass walls! And the wood tables, aluminum, etc. If you don't see those as Apple Store copies (even with the Gaudi ceiling variance), then what can we say -- your cognitive dissonance has you locked into a world view to prevent you from seeing what is simply and plainly obvious to anyone without your vested interest in a knockoff brand. Have at it, but be aware of how you're deluding yourself. We are.
Or is it like how after the PC clones copied the aluminum & black look of of MBs -- "It's the only natural evolution!" Riiiight.
No they're diFferent because they have a Huawii logo dontChaKnoW?!?!!
Seriously if it wasn't for the logo I would have thought those were Apple Stores. Blatant ripoffs.
Such shameless copying and ripoffs, not to mention outright fraud, deceit and lies in their ads.