Huawei is bringing the Northern Lights to the skies of London, with a laser display to promote its P30 handset.
The Chinese tech giant has commissioned immersive artist Dan Acher to create a bespoke installation above the Tower of London using a series of lasers reminiscent of the Aurora Borealis.
According to Huawei, seeing the phenomenon – which occurs most prominently near the northern and southern poles and is the result of the sun's influence on the Earth's magnetic field – is the top of many Brits' bucket lists.
Taking place on 5 and 6 April between 8pm and 10.30pm, the free-to-attend stunt is designed to promote the photographic capabilities of the latest P30 smartphone, which features technology that allows users to capture detail and vibrant colour in low-light conditions.
The handset will be available for event attendees to try out in order to photograph the faux aurora. Visitors will be encouraged to share their images with the hashtag #Huaweilondonlights, tagging @Huaweimobileuk.
Earlier this year, Huawei used smartphone-powered artificial intelligence to demonstrate the sophistication of its machine-learning technology, unveiling the composition of the two final movements of Schubert's Symphony No 8, commonly referred to as the Unfinished Symphony.
The AI analysed pitch, timbre and meter of the first and second movements and used them as the basis of a melody for the third and fourth. Huawei then hired composer Lucas Cantor to arrange an orchestral score from the composition.
Huawei has fallen victim to recent bad press around fears of Chinese espionage as the US and Europe look to roll out 5G mobile networks in the next few years.
On 28 January, it was served with criminal charges by US prosecutors over the alleged theft of secrets from T-Mobile and violating US trade sanctions by doing business with Iran. The US justice department also charged Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer who was arrested in Canada in December last year, with financial fraud.