A new report has claimed that Chinese firm Huawei is gearing up to try its hand at working with sapphire.

The China-based mobile and telecommunications equipment maker is planning to launch a sapphire-enclosed version of its flagship Ascend P7 smartphone, Engadget reported.

The company is planning to launch the first batch of the devices in September, followed by another in November. It is learned that the sapphire edition of Huawei Ascend P7 smartphone will be release in limited number.

Nearly all smartphone makers are now planning to use Sapphire in their display and the move is aimed at posing a direct competition to Apple. Speculation is rife that Apple will use sapphire in its upcoming iPhone 6. The Cupertino-based firm is expected to release the phone in September.

Sapphire is the second-hardest material, after diamond and it can withstand heavy pressure and does not get scratched easily. Apple has already brought sapphire to its handsets to cover the camera lens and protect its TouchID sensor.

Huawei is unlikely to make any major changes to the Ascend P7 other than using sapphire in its screen. The P7 is Huawei's flagship smartphone and runs Android 4.4 (KitKat). It comes with a quad-core processor and 1080p 5-inch display.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal over the weekend, Huawei's consumer business group head, Richard Yu, said that the company is facing stiff competition from some other Chinese firms and it needs to take measures to remain ahead in the race.